<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nBecause the majority of wing buoyancy is located around the lower torso, an instance of positive buoyancy will try to pull the diver into a legs-upward orientation. XDeep located their dump valve in the optimal position to vent gas from the wing under those circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When dump valves are located in other positions, such as the side hips or up on the shoulders, the diver has to manoeuvre their orientation horizontally and\/or vertically against the effects of their wing buoyancy to get their dump valve into the highest position relative to their wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For routine buoyancy control, that small act of manoeuvring is inconsequential and barely noticed once it becomes habitual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the need to manoeuvre oneself positionally becomes far more problematic when faced with emergencies like a rapid uncontrolled ascent or if the low-pressure inflator gets stuck open. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That additional time needed to manoeuvre before dumping, even if just a few seconds, is amplifying the severity of the emergency. The diver’s ascent rate<\/a> is accelerating and the gas volume<\/a> within their wing is expanding rapidly. As the gas volume inside the wing increases, so does the amount of physical exertion necessary to manoeuvre oneself against the buoyancy forces it creates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>The XDeep Stealth dump valve is located for emergencies<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nUncontrolled ascents and LPI failures demand quick resolution. The location of the XDeep Stealth dump valve facilitates a quicker resolution by putting the valve exactly where it needs to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Personally, I admire diving equipment manufacturers who focus their design on maximising diver safety, rather than appealing to consumer compulsion towards convenience, familiarity and superficial functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n