Dry Suit - Weight harness - Lower Backpain

[Roy_W]

Like most others who dive with dry suits we have to use a weight harness for buoyancy compensation, in our case it means 7Kgs of lead. I can't explain why but on some dives the harness leads to minor/annoying back pain after 25 mins or so.. ( Not every dive but too often to be acceptable.

We use these kind of harness, 7kg Weight Harness
Do others suffer from this and if so what solutions have you found/do you use to alleviate this problem ? For info we are diving BP/W so if required we can make adjustments and would love to know what would help ?

Cheers Roy

 

[rhwestfall]

My plate for dry-suit single tank diving weighs 16#. It is non-ditchable, but the wing and the dry suit (plus a lift bag) are options to deal with buoyancy emergencies. Lastly, if it comes to life or death, I'll get myself out of my harness by any means necessary. At depth, that means I become a Polaris Missal going to the surface...

 

[boat sju]

Is that a 3kg weight resting on your tailbone??

 

[Marie13]

DUI weight harness or something similar with pockets for weights on your hips might be more comfortable.

 

[steinbil]

Just about everybody in Norway dives with a drysuit, and heavy undergarments, but I've never seen a weight harness like that. It looks uncomfortable.

Here's what I would do, if I was diving singles:
- Steel tank
- Steel backplate
- STA with added weight
To finetune weight:
- possibly extra weight pocket on cam bands
- possibly a weight belt with no more than 4kg

Here's what I do:
- steel doubles
- steel backplate
- v-weight
- belt with 2kg

 

[rx7diver]

... Do others suffer from this and if so what solutions have you found/do you use to alleviate this problem ? ...

When I dive with a heavy weight belt (for example, when diving either a drysuit with thick undergarments, or a thick, two-piece wetsuit), I will always get a backache--if I wear the weight belt around my waist!

If, instead, I wear my weight belt somewhat lower, around my hips, I don't get this backache.

rx7diver

 

[Roy_W]

Is that a 3kg weight resting on your tailbone??

No , its 4 Kg .....

 

[Roy_W]

Just about everybody in Norway dives with a drysuit, and heavy undergarments, but I've never seen a weight harness like that. It looks uncomfortable.

Here's what I would do, if I was diving singles:
- Steel tank
- Steel backplate
- STA with added weight
To finetune weight:
- possibly extra weight pocket on cam bands
- possibly a weight belt with no more than 4kg

Here's what I do:
- steel doubles
- steel backplate
- v-weight
- belt with 2kg

What's really surprising with the replies is that here in France/Switzerland the weight harness that I referenced is very common and I don't hear many people complaining..

Is this what you mean by a V-Weight, if so how to do you attach this to the Backplate, does it just simply get lodged in between the doubles and the backplate ?

PLOMB-V 5 KG – Scuba Shop Suisse I Scuba Webshop

And I saw this for singles

DIRZONE

I can see these as being a good solution , except for the added weight when moving the tanks around ( refilling etc). Do any quick release options exist ?

 

[Alekseolsen]

The V-weight "for tail" and P-weight are my go to options. (I had a piece of weight not attached with a bolt through come loose a few years ago, I appreciated not having a ceiling then...).

Get the V-weight for summer weight and add a P-weight for winter gear

Not aware of any quick release that doesn't require removing the backplate from the tanks, but once removed its just to pull off.

 

[steinbil]

Is this what you mean by a V-Weight, if so how to do you attach this to the Backplate, does it just simply get lodged in between the doubles and the backplate ?

PLOMB-V 5 KG – Scuba Shop Suisse I Scuba Webshop

That doesn't look right. A V-weight should fit between the tanks and be connected to the lower bolt like this:

I can see these as being a good solution , except for the added weight when moving the tanks around ( refilling etc). Do any quick release options exist ?

Yes, that is a drawback. My D12 rig is very heavy to lug around. I often take the tanks off the backplate/wing for filling, schlepping and storage. If it's fully set-up it's heavy, but then I usually carry it on my back with the shoulder straps of the harness.