MoistNeoprene
Registered
I've been looking for a decent way to add weight to my backplate for use with drysuit, heavy undergarments, and a single tank.
After reviewing commercially available options I was thoroughly disappointed:
1) Steel backplate. Cheap way to add an extra 5 lbs, but this isn't enough.
2) Tank strap pouches. Decent way to add a few extra lbs, but still not enough.
3) Weight belt. Cheap, but uncomfortable to the point of ruining the dive.
4) Weighted single tank adapter. Ridiculously expensive at about $250 to add a measly 4 lbs. Also not very travel friendly.
5) P-weight. No easy to find commercially available option, PITA to make that requires casting your own lead and potentially exposing yourself to toxic lead fumes. DIR Zone does make one, but its on the lower end of the weight, and hard to find outside of the UK.
6) TresPres backplate: cheap, versatile and travel friendly solution, but reviews are that it's cheaply made and zippers break quickly.
7) FinnSub FlyWeight system: originally very expensive, and now impossible to buy because the company went out of business.
8) OMS backplate pad w/ weight pockets: pretty expensive at $110, only adds 12 lbs which may not be enough, and adds unnecessary bouyancy in the padding that further reduces the effective weight added.
After deliberating over unsatisfying commercial options for months now, I finallycame up with a super simple solution for about $10 that does the trick and is travel safe. Basically I just took two strips of harness webbing, inserted a heavy duty 3/8" grommet hole on both ends, threaded weights onto it as if it were a weight belt, and then attached to the holes in the backplate using 1" long 3/8" bolts and wing nuts.
It's travel safe because you can just thread on rental weights if you want, and takes up hardly any weight or space as just the straps.
It can be easily added or removed from the backplate in a few minutes without needing to disassemble it.
It can hold an adjustable amount of weight, although you may need to add additional grommets at different lengths to keep it tight against the backplate.
You can rest easy that it's secure and won't accidentally result in lost weight.
Anyway, just thought I'd share in case others find it useful
After reviewing commercially available options I was thoroughly disappointed:
1) Steel backplate. Cheap way to add an extra 5 lbs, but this isn't enough.
2) Tank strap pouches. Decent way to add a few extra lbs, but still not enough.
3) Weight belt. Cheap, but uncomfortable to the point of ruining the dive.
4) Weighted single tank adapter. Ridiculously expensive at about $250 to add a measly 4 lbs. Also not very travel friendly.
5) P-weight. No easy to find commercially available option, PITA to make that requires casting your own lead and potentially exposing yourself to toxic lead fumes. DIR Zone does make one, but its on the lower end of the weight, and hard to find outside of the UK.
6) TresPres backplate: cheap, versatile and travel friendly solution, but reviews are that it's cheaply made and zippers break quickly.
7) FinnSub FlyWeight system: originally very expensive, and now impossible to buy because the company went out of business.
8) OMS backplate pad w/ weight pockets: pretty expensive at $110, only adds 12 lbs which may not be enough, and adds unnecessary bouyancy in the padding that further reduces the effective weight added.
After deliberating over unsatisfying commercial options for months now, I finallycame up with a super simple solution for about $10 that does the trick and is travel safe. Basically I just took two strips of harness webbing, inserted a heavy duty 3/8" grommet hole on both ends, threaded weights onto it as if it were a weight belt, and then attached to the holes in the backplate using 1" long 3/8" bolts and wing nuts.
It's travel safe because you can just thread on rental weights if you want, and takes up hardly any weight or space as just the straps.
It can be easily added or removed from the backplate in a few minutes without needing to disassemble it.
It can hold an adjustable amount of weight, although you may need to add additional grommets at different lengths to keep it tight against the backplate.
You can rest easy that it's secure and won't accidentally result in lost weight.
Anyway, just thought I'd share in case others find it useful
