BP/W Weight Pocket Questions

[certainmisuse]

My BP/W rig is nearing completion, minus regulators and a few other items; however, I have a few questions regarding how folks add weight. First off, for most of the videos and pictures I see out there, there are no weight pockets on the belt. In these cases, I'm assuming they have no ditchable weight? Does the buoyancy redundancy of a drysuit allow for this? To be honest, I'm considering not having ditchable weight for shallow, warm dives, which will be the majority of my diving, but that's another discussion.

I really don't like the idea of giant weight pockets on the belt, so I intend to at least move most of the weight to my back (already have an SS backplate). So, for folks that use small weight pockets on the belt, where are they located on the belt? Between the D rings and backplate? Or between the D rings and ends of the webbing?

Thanks.

David

 

[saxman242]

I put some weight in trim pockets on the cambands and some in pockets between the d ring and backplate. A lot of others just wear a weight belt.

 

[dewdropsonrosa]

I usually put my weight in trim pockets on the upper and lower cam bands. Technically not ditchable by me, but a buddy can get to it.

For certain dives where I do want to have access to the weight pockets, I'll move two of the trim pockets to my waist belt. My hip D-ring placement keeps them fairly secure.

 

[certainmisuse]

Ah yes, the weight belt ... I guess I just remember reading all of the "I hate hate weight belts" and forgot about the others.

 

[decompression]

There are many ways to add weight to a BP/W.
A single tank adapter
A weighted single tank adapter
Weight plates on the plate
Metal cam straps
Weights/pouches on the cam straps
Weights/pouches on the waist belt

If weighted properly (neutrally buoyant at the last stop) there would be no requirement for ditchable weights, however it is good practice to have some (small amount) of ditchable. This can be accomplished simply by inverting a pocket or two. I can easily carry 40 lbs of neg weight on my rig. Determine the total amount you need, then distribute it for best trim and then consider how to make some ditchable.

 

[almostDIR]

I personally have one small pouch on each of the tank straps and a p-weight in the groove of the backplate. no ditchable weights at the moment. I tried to put some (theoretically ditchable) weights in normal pockets attached to the waist band but I mainly used them for quickly adding trim weights by myself if needed and removed them when I got the weights right with all the suit+tank combinations. they were just not handy for normal diving and were somewhat clumsy if having lots of weight in them.

I have seen persons to use the plastic handle -style quick release droppable weight pockets attached directly to the backplate (I think they were on the wing side under the wing) and they seemed to be easy to be reached by the diver himself. don't have any pictures at the moment but seemed like a good idea if needing something droppable and quick to use

 

[happy-diver]

Well, I tried for the most expensive complicated weight setups I could devise
and came up with bolts or cableties through blocks of lead or shot in bakpaks

why do I need ditchable weight when wherever I am
there is only a cup or two of air in my compensators


Those ideas that without thought comes movement