All weight in plate?
- Thread starter FFMDiver
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Whether you do so or not depends heavily on the sort of diving you do.
If a diver has a problem while recreational diving, they are free to surface to respond to the problem. In such cases it might be prudent to have some ditchable weight.
If a diver has a problem while technical diving, this is not an option. Technical diving might be defined as 'diving in which surfacing to deal with problems is not an option'.
This is because there is an overhead, either tangible or intangible.
A tangible overhead is an obstruction that prevents one from surfacing. This could be, for example, because the diver is inside a cave or a wreck.
An intangible overhead is a decompression obligation that might put the diver in a wheelchair or kill them if they surface, whether they technically could reach the surface or not.
Therefore, in technical diving surfacing to resolve problems that occur underwater is not an option.
Being able to drop weight in order to facilitate surfacing becomes, therefore, irrelevant.
In technical diving the objective is to prevent the problem before it occurs by ensuring it does not have a chance to occur in the first place. Alternately, one is prepared to deal with the problem while submerged. Recognizing that one absolutely can not surface to solve problems brings a fresh clarity to one's perspective.
Diver's who cannot ditch weight to surface need not concern themselves with whether their weight is ditchable. They DO need to ensure, however, that they are properly trimmed and are able to hold decompression stops under nearly any condition. That is not always as easy to achieve as it sounds, and this is why technical divers may use trim weights such as V-weights or P-weights on their rigs.
If a diver has a problem while recreational diving, they are free to surface to respond to the problem. In such cases it might be prudent to have some ditchable weight.
If a diver has a problem while technical diving, this is not an option. Technical diving might be defined as 'diving in which surfacing to deal with problems is not an option'.
This is because there is an overhead, either tangible or intangible.
A tangible overhead is an obstruction that prevents one from surfacing. This could be, for example, because the diver is inside a cave or a wreck.
An intangible overhead is a decompression obligation that might put the diver in a wheelchair or kill them if they surface, whether they technically could reach the surface or not.
Therefore, in technical diving surfacing to resolve problems that occur underwater is not an option.
Being able to drop weight in order to facilitate surfacing becomes, therefore, irrelevant.
In technical diving the objective is to prevent the problem before it occurs by ensuring it does not have a chance to occur in the first place. Alternately, one is prepared to deal with the problem while submerged. Recognizing that one absolutely can not surface to solve problems brings a fresh clarity to one's perspective.
Diver's who cannot ditch weight to surface need not concern themselves with whether their weight is ditchable. They DO need to ensure, however, that they are properly trimmed and are able to hold decompression stops under nearly any condition. That is not always as easy to achieve as it sounds, and this is why technical divers may use trim weights such as V-weights or P-weights on their rigs.
Scubaroo
Contributor
Another point to take into consideration when thinking of putting all of your weight into either a super-heavy backplate, or a backplate/heavy STA, is that you limit your trim options. I know through experience that a heavy STA will put me into a head-DOWN position - probably because I'm 6'4" with an average torso and long legs. If I had gone out and bought a 9 or 12 pound backplate, I would be up for replacing the backplate, rather than switching STAs and adding weight to my waist, which corrected my trim.
Doc has some good points (for the record, I define "overhead" as a physical or physiological restriction against reaching the surface).
An additional thing to consider is some people may be too "North heavy" if all the weight's in the back plate. You got to experiment.
For example, if I dive with twin steel 104s and a normal SS BP (-8 lbs) I'm head heavy and nosedive all the time. I've had to shift to an AL BP and a 8lb weight belt to trim myself correctly.
Roger
An additional thing to consider is some people may be too "North heavy" if all the weight's in the back plate. You got to experiment.
For example, if I dive with twin steel 104s and a normal SS BP (-8 lbs) I'm head heavy and nosedive all the time. I've had to shift to an AL BP and a 8lb weight belt to trim myself correctly.
Roger
Talk about a photo finish and making the same point! 
Roak
Roak
lamont
Contributor
what about having ditchable weight to be able to respond to a flooded drysuit? (and either a ripped BCD, or a double malfunction that takes out the BCD)
jplacson
Guest
Just wondering... if you're weighted properly... this means empty suit, empty BC, 500psi in your tank(s) ... you should be neutral at 15' right? This being so, let's say you're in a 6 or 7mm suit, how much buoyancy do you lose at depth from the 7mm suit? Isn't that the only weight (plus the air in your tanks assuming a problem at the beginning of the dive) you'll be finning against?
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