Balancing out my Rig??

[ermaclob]

I wana try to balance you my doubles rig so that i may practice for a gue fundies class i need to take.

the instructor that ive contacted mentioned that my set up is on the heavy side and i need to do something about it. i dive wet, most of the time with no wet suit so little no positive buoyancy on me.

i dive steel OMS 98 which are 7.73 lbs full at 2640psi and 0 near empty.

other none buoyant gear

ss backplate= 6lbs
regs = ~6lbs
light = ~3lb
fins= ~ 6?? idk how buoyant oms split streams are

so...37 lbs heavy when in my dive skin..... im an anchor....

and on near empty im close to what 21lbs..... still anchor...

i really dont want to swap to aluminum cylinders, so what are my options about doing this?? an aluminum back plate would only drop 4 lbs. sooo? help..

i take it some ones going to recommend dry suit :/

 

[rlynch]

If your diving wet I would switch to AL 80's or better lp85's which are a sweet tank and at 3600 hold a lot of gas. This rig is still swim able for most folks as well the 98's are tough (I have a set and they are anchors). If you can't swim it it I would first look at the plate (AL vs Steel) and such rather than switching from jets to slips. But slips meet the standard as well so it's a preference thing.
Important thing here is that you can swim it up and hold a stop at 10 in your config. Math here fails to reality.
The rest is unimportant

 

[decompression]

So just looking at your set up, not considering the weight of your gas in the equation, you are about 12-15 lbs negative (slipstreams are neutral). The options to get closer to a balanced rig are; switch to Al 80s or Al 100s (+8), Al backplate (-2), 3mm wetsuit (+4-6).

15-8=7 lbs neg (tank switch)
11-8= 3 lbs neg (tanks and backplate switch)
So to avoid going to a wetsuit, AL tanks and BP would put you where you want to be. However, more economical would be an $89 AL BP and a $100 wetsuit. Food for thought.

 

[ermaclob]

So just looking at your set up, not considering the weight of your gas in the equation, you are about 12-15 lbs negative (slipstreams are neutral). The options to get closer to a balanced rig are; switch to Al 80s or Al 100s (+8), Al backplate (-2), 3mm wetsuit (+4-6).

15-8=7 lbs neg (tank switch)
11-8= 3 lbs neg (tanks and backplate switch)
So to avoid going to a wetsuit, AL tanks and BP would put you where you want to be. However, more economical would be an $89 AL BP and a $100 wetsuit. Food for thought.

well, i doo have 5mm shorty and a 7mm semi dry, tho diving that semi dry in miami in summer is well hot

---------- Post Merged at 10:50 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 10:40 PM ----------

i seiously dont wana do a tank swap. dont have the $$ anytimes soon

 

[PfcAJ]

Use sandpaper and remove a bunch of steel from your tank. That'll do it

Ok ok, don't do that! But its tough to make a tank lighter than it is, and I understand not wanting a drysuit. The best bet, honestly, is to sell the 95s and get a better tank. I'd also look at an aluminum plate, perhaps. I ultimately think you'll need a different tank

 

[eelnoraa]

I think your number is a bit off. OMS slip can't be more than -2lb. Single reg set is also about -2lb. So you are -13lb with empty tank. Call it -15lb, still on the heavy side.

People already give your suggestion, AL80 and AL plate. A thicker wetsuit isn't a solution, probably make it worse. It increases the balast you need on surface, but at depth, it loses buoyancy, so your balast makes you even more over weight.

So why you don't want to go to AL80?

 

[ermaclob]

I think your number is a bit off. OMS slip can't be more than -2lb. Single reg set is also about -2lb. So you are -13lb with empty tank. Call it -15lb, still on the heavy side.

People already give your suggestion, AL80 and AL plate. A thicker wetsuit isn't a solution, probably make it worse. It increases the balast you need on surface, but at depth, it loses buoyancy, so your balast makes you even more over weight.

So why you don't want to go to AL80?

Sorry, but im using doubles. Dont know if I made that clear...

 

[DevonDiver]

i really dont want to swap to aluminum cylinders,

Why not?

... because you know it is the answer...

If you're heavy with non-ditchable kit, you have to lighten the kit itself. The obvious way to lighten is to move from SS to Al.

Drysuit fixes the problem, but doesn't solve the underlying issue.

 

[ermaclob]

i really dont want to swap to aluminum cylinders,

Why not?

... because you know it is the answer...

If you're heavy with non-ditchable kit, you have to lighten the kit itself. The obvious way to lighten is to move from SS to Al.

Drysuit fixes the problem, but doesn't solve the underlying issue.

I have to admit I know the probrom are the cylinders, but I like my steels. there sizes are nice not to tall, still more gas then 80's.

Swaping those tanks means I need to get a new wing to. :/ dam im in a bad $pot

 

[eelnoraa]

Wetsuit and steel double is definitely no no combo.