V-Weight installation?

[jepuskar]

Hi Doc and thanks for the advice.

I have the weighted STA which puts me at 12lbs. Right now I'm using the trim weight pockets for the added ballast, and was hoping to add a little more weight to the backplate. I will look into the P-weight.....any suggestions on where to look?

J

 

[Jorbar1551]

Add another backplate. You can stack backplates up to get the weight you want.

 

[Scared Silly]

What you want is a P-weight.

http://diveweb.oneandoneis2.org/pweight.htm

vweight

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Hi Doc and thanks for the advice.

I have the weighted STA which puts me at 12lbs. Right now I'm using the trim weight pockets for the added ballast, and was hoping to add a little more weight to the backplate. I will look into the P-weight.....any suggestions on where to look?

J

Jep,

My response works great for me, but your mileage may vary.

PM FredT, on this board.

I bought a 12 lb 1/4" SS heavy plate from Fred that belongs in the NY Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. Fred did some finishing on it that is simply first rate.

Then he poured me a P-weight to fit in the channel - you can also pour your own to any weight you want, but Fred already had all the stuff, and the lead, (and the experience!) and it was simply easier to buy it from him.

Fred's P-weight was around 10 lbs. Depending on what you need, however, you can pour your own to your own specs.

If you don't want to mess with pouring your own channel weight, check out Tobin's Heavy Plates. They're pretty innovative. (I'm not seeing them on Tobin's new site, so give him a call and he can send you the link.)
https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?category=backplates

Essentially its a plate that can go either way, 6 or 12 lbs depending on circumstances.

There are also lead shot "channel weights" which consist of a nylon tube filled with shot, with two grommets spaced 11" apart, which ride in the channel of the backplate where the lead P-weight fits. I don't trust them, but some people like them. (Murphys Law: "Anything that can fail will fail, and usually at the worst possible time".) Its a personal choice thing.

Somewhere on the board is a complete set of photos of someone pouring their own channel weight - assuming you have the time and interest (and the lead) this might allow you to best meet your specific needs.

Edit: Thank you Scared Silly! Those are the links...

Between a weighted STA, a 12 lb heavy plate (but be advised that FredT also sells 15 lb plates), and a channel weight/P-weight, you should be able to solve nearly any weighting requirement.

Hope this helps,

Doc

 

[cool_hardware52]

If you don't want to mess with pouring your own channel weight, check out Tobin's Heavy Plates. They're pretty innovative. (I'm not seeing them on Tobin's new site, so give him a call and he can send you the link.)
https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?category=backplates

Thanks Doc. We are now "hiding" the weight plates on an accessory page.

https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?product=7

A medium Plate and harness is about 6 lbs. The bolt on weights fo rthe medium plate adds 8.1 lbs for the pair of weights, bring the total to about 14 lbs.

Tobin

 

[alect626]

what if we bolt it inside the STA then? should be ok assuming it wont be larger than the channel

 

[mahjong]

If I'm following you right here, does the setup you describe still allow for the 11" spaced grommets of the wing to reach the 11" spaced bolts? It seems that there would be a bubble in the center panel of the wing below the top grommet that might not allow the bottom grommet to reach the bottom bolt. Edit: Okay, if there's enough space between the BP spine and the center panel of the bands then I can see it working. How about the bottom pouch, does it flop around at the base of your spine?

V weights are intended to be used with doubles, not singles. A V weight mounts on the tank band bolts and sits in the "V" formed by the two tanks. The "stack order" would be tanks, V weight, wing, plate.

My preference with doubles is to lay soft weight pouches on the wing below the upper band bolt, and the lower band bolt. The back plate kinda clamps them in place. Easier, cheaper, and more readily adjustable than a V weight. The wing prevents the weights from passing between the tanks, and the upper and lower band bolts keep them from falling out the top or bottom.

The stack order here is tanks, wing, soft weight pouches, plate.

Depending on the tanks used (7" , 7.25" or 8" dia) and the bend angle and center channel depth of the back plate used it's possible to "jam in" 4~8 lb of soft weight pouches between the plate and the wing.

Tobin

 

[cool_hardware52]

If I'm following you right here, does the setup you describe still allow for the 11" spaced grommets of the wing to reach the 11" spaced bolts? It seems that there would be a bubble in the center panel of the wing below the top grommet that might not allow the bottom grommet to reach the bottom bolt. Edit: Okay, if there's enough space between the BP spine and the center panel of the bands then I can see it working. How about the bottom pouch, does it flop around at the base of your spine?

I'm not following you at all. It's really simple to do what I described. Lay the doubles down with the bolts facing *UP*

Fit the wing over the bolts.

Lay soft weights on the center panel of the wing *below* the upper bolt and *above* the lower bolt.

Fit the back plate. Done.

No need to over think this.

Tobin

 

[mahjong]

Wow. I thought the pouches would have grommet holes for the bolts. You are just relying on tension between the plate and wing to hold otherwise free floating soft weight pouches? That is cool. Too cool for me, I'm afraid ;-).

I'm not following you at all. It's really simple to do what I described. Lay the doubles down with the bolts facing *UP*

Fit the wing over the bolts.

Lay soft weights on the center panel of the wing *below* the upper bolt and *above* the lower bolt.

Fit the back plate. Done.

No need to over think this.

Tobin

 

[cool_hardware52]

Wow. I thought the pouches would have grommet holes for the bolts. You are just relying on tension between the plate and wing to hold otherwise free floating soft weight pouches? That is cool. Too cool for me, I'm afraid ;-).

Where are the soft weights going to go? They cannot pass between the cylinders without passing *through* the wing.

They can't fall out the top or bottom because of the tank band bolts.

They can't pass through the back plate.

Maybe you should actual build up a rig *before* you decide it's unworkable.

This is not some exotic risky set up. My GUE fundies instructor first showed it to me.

Tobin