DSS Backplate Weights: Should I or Not?

[TSandM]

I'm not sure how many more BP/W rigs Bob has that he's willing to lend and not get back ever . . . you know that's how I got mine!

Seriously, Jim, if you are going to dive regularly up here, cough up the painful chunk of dough and buy a drysuit. I paid $800 for mine, and at $60 a rental, it took me a little over a month to pay for it.

Then come down and join an Orca Bait dive -- I can testify from personal experience that they are welcoming of all comers! (Of course, the upcoming Orca Bait dive is up in your neck of the woods, anyway.)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Here's another good idea...

... shoot NWGratefuldiver a pm and ask to go diving. He would be a fantastic mentor and can help you figure out your weighting issues. Plus.. he has a DSS rig and weight plates!
The best way to figure this all out is with someone that really knows the deal... and Bob really knows the deal!

OTOH, you could just go for it. I'm pretty darn sure that your best combo will be a rig with some significant weight on your back. That means using Tobin's weight plates and possibly a few other things. Nobody wants... and very few people need... a huge weight belt.

That's a pretty darn good idea ... in fact, I happen to have a DSS backplate with 45# Oxycheq wing hanging in my garage for folks to try out.

Jim ... let me know if you'd like to give it a test dive ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[jim T.]

Hi Bob,
Wow, thank you for your kind offer! Considering several things, my "on call" status right now for some session work (I'm a bassist.) and the fact that my birthday is Feb. lst and will probably choose a rig this week in order to accomodate my wife's moment of Birthday largess, I'd likely get something before I'd have the chance to get together with you. I'll give that some thought though...

Between online pics of rigs and trying others along with the veritable wealth of info. from the really great people on this board, I am sure of what I need/want just could use some mentoring/training with it once it arrives.

A very likely senerio is that I'd purchase either my Dive Rite deal (see thread: Venting the Rec Wing How Big an Issue Is It Really? for that story), or the Oxy 45 Signature and Tobin's backplate-very soon.
I was a tiny bit concerned that the 45 would be a bit much drag-wise but considering the choppy conditions one can find oneself surfacing in around these parts, I thought the extra lift would be a good idea.

I know you've owned and dived the Rec Wing also and have read your posts with great interest. It sounded like you decided the Oxy and DSS plate was right for you and that helped to swing me towards that rig.

I'd LOVE to get together with you for a bit of mentoring/training/bouyancy checking after I decide on something at least.

If you wouldn't mind, perhaps you could PM me your contact info. and whereabouts you live in the Seattle area? I'll do the same in return.

 

[cummings66]

I have the DSS setup and added the weight plate to it. Best thing I've done in a long time aside from buying the BP/W. I found for me that having the weight on my back was not a problem and in fact made my trim pretty good. I simulated a steel tank by using a camband weight pouch and discovered that it's still good.

I don't think you will go wrong buying the weight plate, it's a good buy and looks good to boot.

 

[modivin]

I have the DSS setup and added the weight plate to it. Best thing I've done in a long time aside from buying the BP/W. I found for me that having the weight on my back was not a problem and in fact made my trim pretty good. I simulated a steel tank by using a camband weight pouch and discovered that it's still good.

I don't think you will go wrong buying the weight plate, it's a good buy and looks good to boot.

Matthew,
What's your current config? I've got Tobin's rig on the way and was also considering the weightplates....don't know I can justify the cost though. Help me though!

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

The weight plates put the weight exactly where I would want it...right above my lungs. But as Tobin points out, they may not be right for everyone...it's hard for me to picture them causing trim problems, but what do I know? They certainly help me stay trim.

 

[jim T.]

TSandM,
Yes. I've definitely arrived at that conclusion! I wrestled with getting a b.p.rig first or my own drysuit. I can't afford to do both right now. I'm a retired public school teacher and the pension isn't of IBM caliber...

Anyhow, my reasoning was as follows: It might take me longer at this level of my diving experience to learn great bouyancy skills with a b.p. rig than it would to "polish" my current drysuit venting skills. So getting the rig would be a better learning curve sequence for me.

WHILE I'm polishing those drysuit bouyancy skills, I might as well do so with the entire setup I'll eventually dive with most of the time. (Drysuit with B.P.Wing.)

I haven't had enough experience with rental suits to know for sure what company and features I'll be ultimately happy with when I purchase.

I'd still like to rent a DUI suit or two. I've been diving in Diving Concepts Neo Z suits for my six drysuit dives and have liked it fine. I stayed dry. It's a good thing.

However, I hear you! I hope to be able to decide on a purchase by next Fall.

My final bit in this reasoning process is that I've lost 50 lbs., kept it off and would like to take off about 20 more. I'm also working out with freeweights and hope to have a different body by next Fall-so I'm not sure about getting a suit before I see if I can make that happen.

Once I get some mentoring with the b.p.wing and feel confident with it, I'd love to join you all for a dive. I'll have to check and see where O.B.ers are heading next.
Maybe I'll just drive down if I can't do the dive and say Hi and meet some folks.
(Being retired at home a lot, (don't get me wrong, I LIKE it, but I'm gettin' all shy and "hermit-y"

I just did my Nav. Class OW dives on Sun. at Langley. I ran squares and triangle patterns "spot on" but in the 5' viz, I did get confused and got lost briefly once or twice. I didn't have to surface to find my exit point at least but I did need one direction hand signal from my instructor.
It was my first dive at Langley and I aim to go back and see what natural navigation clues I either didn't see or didn't register whilst fumbling with me compass.

I DID finally achieve glorious moments of perfect horizontal bouyancy with the back inflate b.c. and that made me hungry to get my b.p. and wing and "just get on with it!

Thanks for your helpful advice,
Jim T.

P.S. I just looked and saw that O.B. is chartering a boat out of Anacortes which is perfect 'cause that's where I live! I wonder if there'd be too much craziness to just stop by and say Hi and put names with faces.

I plan on going out on the same boat on the 12th with my instructor/shop/club as it would be my lst live boat drift dive.

PM me if you like to let me know. It would be an easy way for Bob and I to meet if he ends up going too. Ok: Jim SHALL NOT hijack his own thread!
Back to the original subject...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Jim I just sent you a PM ... I won't be on the boat on the 4th. I'll be in Utah that week on a ski trip ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[jim T.]

Ah. Ok, thanks Bob. Our PMs crossed each other. I guess I'll contact you after you're back and I have chosen my rig. If you have time to respond about the choices from the PM I may go ahead and place my order as soon as tomorrow...

Thanks again! Jim

 

[cummings66]

Matthew,
What's your current config? I've got Tobin's rig on the way and was also considering the weightplates....don't know I can justify the cost though. Help me though!

I have this http://www.deepseasupply.com/page12.html which is a LCD 30 wing setup on the DSS backplate, and I bought the weight plates to go on it. I added 2 XS-Scuba trim pouches on the tank cam bands, one on the top left, one on the bottom right band. In those pouches I carry 3 lbs each. I have a Cat. AL80 tank for air. On my belt I have (2) 3 lb weights towards the back side of me for 6 lbs total on the belt. I dive a Viking Sport drysuit and a FFM. No ankle weights or gaitors or any other weights elsewhere.

The trim as configured is nearly perfect for me.

The rational behind the lead on the cam bands is that I'm going to move to steel tanks later this summer and I wanted to simulate the addition neg. on my back as contrasted to the AL 80's and that amount puts me ~ 2lbs negative, similar to a steel tank I'm looking at when empty.

The hard figure is that I carry 12 lbs of lead on my body while diving cold water, I think I can lose 5 after I get my garment holding air issues resolved. In other words, before I wore a weight belt I could use 20 lbs of weight, now that I have one I seem to trap air below my waist due to the belt. I'm changing something there this weekend and hope to be back at 20 lbs. Right now I'm diving with 25 lbs of weight which includes the BP/W and weight plate.

In case you don't know, the Viking drysuit is a vulcanized rubber suit so there isn't neoprene compression issues at depth and I don't have to have my wing inflated that much compared to how it is with a 7mm suit. I can swim my rig up as configured because I don't get that negative down deep. It's pretty similar regardless of depth.

I'm pretty foot heavy and so on my second dive in a drysuit I lost the ankle weights, didn't need them. You may be different and might not be able to place most weight above your lungs/tank area, but many can.

I forgot to add, I have a the Hogarthian rigging on it. I had the other but didn't like it and redid it.