Codyjp:
sink like a stone...... i'm 6'4 ~ 300# so therefore Archimedes is NOT my friend, but I do just 2#~4# in my weight belt in salt water with my stainless BP. 0# in my weightbelt in fresh water.
i guess that's why they make AL ones!
BCD vs BP/W
- Thread starter Freds@Aquanauts
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sink like a stone...... i'm 6'4 ~ 300# so therefore Archimedes is NOT my friend, but I do just 2#~4# in my weight belt in salt water with my stainless BP. 0# in my weightbelt in fresh water.
i guess that's why they make AL ones!
LeFlaneur
Contributor
This brings up a question I've had based on comments here.
People always seem to say something like "I got a steel backplate and/or a steel tank and now I only dive with 2 pounds of lead" or whatever.
They say it like the weight is actually gone -- like they're literally diving with less weight. But really its just the same weight in a different form.
I mean is it really surprising that if you strap a big steel plate to your back you can take a corresponding amount of weight off your belt?
So what part am I missing?
Is it more comfortable to have the weight come in the form of a backplate? Or is it simply the happy feeling that the weight is coming from a functional piece of gear instead of a hunk of metal whose sole purpose is to add weight?
Or ... does adding a plate somehow better you better than 1 to 1 exchange?
People always seem to say something like "I got a steel backplate and/or a steel tank and now I only dive with 2 pounds of lead" or whatever.
They say it like the weight is actually gone -- like they're literally diving with less weight. But really its just the same weight in a different form.
I mean is it really surprising that if you strap a big steel plate to your back you can take a corresponding amount of weight off your belt?
So what part am I missing?
Is it more comfortable to have the weight come in the form of a backplate? Or is it simply the happy feeling that the weight is coming from a functional piece of gear instead of a hunk of metal whose sole purpose is to add weight?
Or ... does adding a plate somehow better you better than 1 to 1 exchange?
The weight is more comfortable spread out, and it generally helps you to be comfortably horizontal to have more of it up on your back.
The weight's still there. My leg muscles know it, as we climb the stairs out of the water.
The weight's still there. My leg muscles know it, as we climb the stairs out of the water.
cool_hardware52
Contributor
LeFlaneur:
There are a couple factors.
The first is the inherent buoyancy of many jacket BC's. By this I mean the weight required to sink just the BC when the bladder is empty. Often this can be 3-5 lbs or more. It's the pads and cumberbuns. A Hogarthian Rigged BP&W has no such buoyancy inducing fluff. Floaty BC's need more weight
The second is related to ease of venting. If your BC is hard to vent, you carry extra weight.
The remaining reason is a bit less obvious. Good horizontal trim, which is often easier to achieve in a BP&W means continuous finning to offset being too heavy is ineffective. Once Divers learn to hover, more or less motionless, they find they need less weight.
Regards,
Tobin
PerroneFord
Contributor
LeFlaneur:
Yes, it is more comfortable to have it come in a plate. Yes, it is better that is coming from a functional piece of gear, and it is better than a 1-1 exchange typically because you are not carrying weight to offset the buoyant foam in a normal BC.
in_cavediver
Contributor
LeFlaneur:
In some cases, swapping one piece of gear for another will drop the total weight of your gear even if the individual piece is heavier. Remember, Wieght in air does NOT equal the weight in water (displacement). For instance, adding a steel tank over Al tank may add 4 lbs in the air. In the water when empty, the steel tank has a -2lb displacement compared to the +4 lb displacement of an AL tank. Translated to diving, in the water, the steel tank required 6lb's less extra weight for neutral than the AL tank, even though in the air, the steel tanks weighed 4lbs more than the Al tank.
its different for everyone..
but basicallit is a minnamalist approach to the sport
keep it simple less to go wrong.
i use a BP/W always because why change between a rec and a tec rig
i dive the same rig config always
some just do it to be in the in crowd. of feel like there being cool. or wanna be tech divers.
but basicallit is a minnamalist approach to the sport
keep it simple less to go wrong.
i use a BP/W always because why change between a rec and a tec rig
i dive the same rig config always
some just do it to be in the in crowd. of feel like there being cool. or wanna be tech divers.
A harness allows for a custom fit which is the problem I faced with a BC. None of them fit me, including the Transpac, which was the my first choice (before I knew and loved the backplate).
LeFlaneur
Contributor
Aha, thanks for the explanation. I forgot about the added buoyancy of a trad bc.
I've only dived a couple times with a steel tank and I have to say that my trim kind of suffered a bit. I felt a bit wobbly for lack of a better word. I'm sure that changes with practice.
I've only dived a couple times with a steel tank and I have to say that my trim kind of suffered a bit. I felt a bit wobbly for lack of a better word. I'm sure that changes with practice.
LeFlaneur,
Think of a bp this way. Would you rather have 25lbs hanging off your belt or would you rather have it strapped to your back. A bp/w distributes the weight across the whole of your back rather than at one point.
Also by having the weight distributed in this manner, it's easier to adjust trim and position as the weight is evenly distributed.
SangP
Btw, it's a hell of a lot more comfortable. In some cases they actually help lose weight as most bc do tend to trap air making it more bouyant.
Think of a bp this way. Would you rather have 25lbs hanging off your belt or would you rather have it strapped to your back. A bp/w distributes the weight across the whole of your back rather than at one point.
Also by having the weight distributed in this manner, it's easier to adjust trim and position as the weight is evenly distributed.
SangP
Btw, it's a hell of a lot more comfortable. In some cases they actually help lose weight as most bc do tend to trap air making it more bouyant.
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