Backplate and Wing - Weights

[eelnoraa]

but having a rig without the diver in it on surface with a full tank, is a lot more likely scenario. You don't want our rig to sink there, right?

You can also dig up a old story here by a member. If my memory serve, he met two out of air divers both with single tank at 130ft or so. What he did to save both?? He donated his rig to them, so they could share air ascent. He himself did a SECA and reach surface safety. Imagine you are 20+ positive doing that. Not that this should be the standard, but a balanced rig is a good thing to have

 

[Buliwyf]

My rig IS my ditchable weight. If it's dragging me down, LOL.

Not really, but in some cases, I don't need any extra weight at all. But in every one of those, I should be able to swim everything up. Otherwise, I have my weight split on my weight belt and my backplate(s). When I have no ditchable weight, I pretty much need no ditchable weight.

Just enough weight on the belt so I can ditch without being a rocket, and never enough weight on the rig so it can't float on it's own.

So far I just float in my 3mm and set my weightbelt up so I'm neutral without the scuba rig. My rig weighs what it weighs. I put thought into it, but it is, what it is. This way I know I'm weighted good for the wetsuit. If I want to add weight to my rig, and remove weight from my weight belt, I limit that to about 10# (DSS plates) and the SS back plate, and a steel tank.

In cold water, My rig is about -27 max, with an LCD30. If I need more weight for heavier drysuits, it goes on a rubber belt. I didn't like the idea of an extra belt either. But with it under the crotch strap, I can undo it and drop weights off easy. And I can still emergency ditch the entire unit, without losing my weight belt, If that;s what I choose. I did undo the entire hog harness, and the backplate didn't want to escape or anything. So if I had to undo the harness to get the weightbelt off, it doesn't seem like a big deal at all.

Either way, I haven't come across a workable setup that was too hard to swim up with a wing failure, except for doubles that I don't do yet. If I lose my wing with a 5mm wetsuit, I do have to drop my weightbelt, If I want to keep my rig.