DIR- Generic GUE Singles Weighting

[kastkr]

Hi All!

I am hoping for some advice in terms of DIR/GUE best practices when diving singles in cold water/dry suit. I primarily dive in Puget Sound with a signle HP100 + Steel Backplate and carry 20lbs of weight in a DUI Harness. I am struggling to find GUE recommendations for best practices on carrying this extra weight. I am considering options to put more weight on my rig itself (e.g. weighted STA). Before I start trying to modify - wanted to seek guidance.

What are folks recommendations cold water, singles, weighting? What are GUE recommendations when you can't have all weight on your rig? Basic weight belt? Weight harness?

Really appreciate the help and advice as always.

Hope folks are doing well and taking care of each other.

Thanks!
Tom

 

[Ouvea]

@kastkr :

Can you elaborate on the extra weight? Are you referring to carrying additional weight beyond what you actually require (diving over-weighted) or are you referring to distributing the amount of weight you currently carry?

With a dry-suit/400gm thinsulate, a Worthy HP100 & a steel backplate, I carry 16lbs. I put 6lbs on cam bands pouches and 10lbs (four 2.5lb pass through lead weights) on a rubber freediving weight belt with a marseillaise buckle. A former/late member on this group, who dived in your area, recommended this configuration.

The 30lb wing isn't sufficient to keep the rig afloat with a full HP100. I switched over to a 36lb wing. I'm not sure you would ever need to remove your BP/W, but I didn't want to find out the hard way, if the need ever arose. I can dump all the weights except for the one on my top cam band.

O.

 

[Raphus]

@kastkr :

Can you elaborate on the extra weight? Are you referring to carrying additional weight beyond what you actually require (diving over-weighted) or are you referring to distributing the amount of weight you currently carry?

With a dry-suit/400gm thinsulate, a Worthy HP100 & a steel backplate, I carry 16lbs. I put 6lbs on cam bands pouches and 10lbs (four 2.5lb pass through lead weights) on a rubber freediving weight belt with a marseillaise buckle. A former/late member on this group, who dived in your area, recommended this configuration.

The 30lb wing isn't sufficient to keep the rig afloat with a full HP100. I switched over to a 36lb wing. I'm not sure you would ever need to remove your BP/W, but I didn't want to find out the hard way, if the need ever arose. I can dump all the weights except for the one on my top cam band.

O.

The reason a rig has to float itself is not because of the need to remove it.

If you drysuit fails completely, your wing has to carry the rig (and all the weights) and you.
You are more or less neutral with a failed drysuit, so the wing has to float the rig.

 

[loosenit2]

GUE teaches the use of a balanced rig. A balanced rig is one that (including diver rig etc) is no more than 10 lbs negatively buoyant at the beginning of a dive and has sufficient weight to maintain a safety stop with the tanks mostly empty of gas.

The 10 lb figure is derived from their assessment that the average diver can swim to the surface with no more than 10 lbs of negative buoyancy. If you rig is configured in such a way that you are more than 10 lbs negative at the beginning of a dive you have too much weight.

Weight distribution is up to the diver, what works best to maintain buoyancy and trim. Weight can be distributed through BCD, on tanks (V weights) etc. Generally only a small portion of your weight should be ditchable, enough to get you to under 10 lbs negative. For example if you are carrying 20 lbs of weight you don't want to ditch 20 lbs at once, you will have an uncontrolled ascent. You want to ditch a couple of lbs, just enough to get you somewhere between 10lbs negative and 0 lbs negative so that you can execute a controlled ascent to the surface.

 

[Raphus]

GUE teaches the use of a balanced rig. A balanced rig is one that (including diver rig etc) is no more than 10 lbs negatively buoyant at the beginning of a dive and has sufficient weight to maintain a safety stop with the tanks mostly empty of gas.

The 10 lb figure is derived from their assessment that the average diver can swim to the surface with no more than 10 lbs of negative buoyancy. If you rig is configured in such a way that you are more than 10 lbs negative at the beginning of a dive you have too much weight.

Weight distribution is up to the diver, what works best to maintain buoyancy and trim. Weight can be distributed through BCD, on tanks (V weights) etc. Generally only a small portion of your weight should be ditchable, enough to get you to under 10 lbs negative. For example if you are carrying 20 lbs of weight you don't want to ditch 20 lbs at once, you will have an uncontrolled ascent. You want to ditch a couple of lbs, just enough to get you somewhere between 10lbs negative and 0 lbs negative so that you can execute a controlled ascent to the surface.

True.
When diving wet the 10lb negative bouyancy is "calculated" at depth. With a compressed wetsuit. Thats what makes diving a 7mm without ditchable weigths impossible.

 

[crofrog]

GUE teaches the use of a balanced rig. A balanced rig is one that (including diver rig etc) is no more than 10 lbs negatively buoyant at the beginning of a dive and has sufficient weight to maintain a safety stop with the tanks mostly empty of gas.

The 10 lb figure is derived from their assessment that the average diver can swim to the surface with no more than 10 lbs of negative buoyancy. If you rig is configured in such a way that you are more than 10 lbs negative at the beginning of a dive you have too much weight.

Weight distribution is up to the diver, what works best to maintain buoyancy and trim. Weight can be distributed through BCD, on tanks (V weights) etc. Generally only a small portion of your weight should be ditchable, enough to get you to under 10 lbs negative. For example if you are carrying 20 lbs of weight you don't want to ditch 20 lbs at once, you will have an uncontrolled ascent. You want to ditch a couple of lbs, just enough to get you somewhere between 10lbs negative and 0 lbs negative so that you can execute a controlled ascent to the surface.

That 10lb figure is assuming wet, with drysuit you have redundant bouyancy. You need a big enough wing to maintain neutral bouyancy with a flooded suit and full tanks, and you need a drysuit if the rig is to heavy for you to swim up.

HP100s tend to trim head heavy. I’d add a weighted sta and then put the bulk on the waist belt that way you can move the bubble in your suit around some and if you get a bit of air in your feet you’ll not end up in a very head down trim.

Also link up with the GUE Seattle group

 

[OrcasC205]

While GUE doesn't require purchasing any specific manufacturer's gear, it seems like most GUE divers in Seattle use the Halcyon ACB weight pockets on the waist straps of their harness to handle the bulk of weight for diving singles in drysuits. It is advertised as 5 lbs capacity per side, but I've seen as much as 8 lbs of soft weight put in each side. The ACB pockets are removable, but are very secure once you get the clip fastened. The rest of the weight can be put in one or two trim pockets on the tanks straps.

Some people may suggest the weighted STA from Halcyon for 6 lbs of lead, but in reality that STA tends to push the cylinder farther back from the backplate making reaching the valve of the cylinder during a valve drill more difficult. A shallow, unweighted STA helps keep the cylinder closer to the backplate. The bolts on the weight insert for the Halcyon STA are also notorious for getting loose over time.

As suggested above, link up with the Seattle GUE group. We have regular Wednesday night dives that are open to all certified divers, not just GUE trained divers. DM me for details or check out the GUE Seattle group on Facebook.

 

[inquis]

A balanced rig is one that (including diver rig etc) is no more than 10 lbs negatively buoyant at the beginning of a dive

I'm not GUE, but shouldn't that limit also include "after dropping any ditchable weight" or similar wording? Otherwise, the 10 lb "limit" would preclude diving double HP100s tanks (or anything larger). In that case, you would be negative by nearly 15 lb (or more) at the beginning of the dive (due to the weight of the air). It's not an issue, of course, as dropping 15 lbs then renders you neutral -- assuming you have 15 lb that can be dropped.

 

[loosenit2]

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Have you considered also using trim pockets on both cylinder straps to set some non-ditchable weight?