I came across this short report on diver drag. The last page is the summary chart. At 1.5 ft/sec they show about 5 pounds drag for a single tank diver and about half that (2.6 pounds) for a diver without the scuba equipment (but everything else). So, strapping that single 80 cubic foot aluminum scuba tank on the back of a basic freediver is expected to double that diver's in-water drag.
This is interesting, because the tank is so much smaller than the diver. So, why does it double the drag? I think the answer lies in the interference effects between the diver and the scuba system.
If that scuba system could reconfigured to magically add no additional drag to the freediver, would the freediver become interested in using the scuba equipment?
I'd be interested to hear people's comments in the issue. Might you be interested in trying scuba equipment, if it allows you to swim as efficiently and as fast or faster than you do now? Are people who like to freedive interested in taking dive times from 2 to 3 minutes up to 40 minutes or an hour in duration as long as it doesn't slow you down in the water, or would it still be unappealing for other reasons?
This is interesting, because the tank is so much smaller than the diver. So, why does it double the drag? I think the answer lies in the interference effects between the diver and the scuba system.
If that scuba system could reconfigured to magically add no additional drag to the freediver, would the freediver become interested in using the scuba equipment?
I'd be interested to hear people's comments in the issue. Might you be interested in trying scuba equipment, if it allows you to swim as efficiently and as fast or faster than you do now? Are people who like to freedive interested in taking dive times from 2 to 3 minutes up to 40 minutes or an hour in duration as long as it doesn't slow you down in the water, or would it still be unappealing for other reasons?