Help with weighting?

[TSandM]

Well, the OP is changing from a standard recreational to a Hogarthian setup. I guess that's why he put it here.

Given that our BCs tested 2 to 3 pounds positive, and Jets are about a half pound negative each, the changes you are making should end you up needing about 10 pounds of total weight. Backplates vary in how negative they are, but most are 5 or 6 pounds. That leaves you needing about 4, in which case the weighted STA is just a little bit too much. Since the STA is something you would need to travel with, and therefore account for in your luggage, I would suggest you'd be better off buying a couple of weight pockets for your cambands, and using 2 2-lb weights from your dive op to complete your weight requirement. That's what I do when I do warm water travel.

 

[Gombessa]

Thanks for the responses all.

And to the poster who asked why this was in the DIR forum, I felt it was appropriate as the audience here probably has more experience with issues when switching from recreational BCs to hog harnesses.

 

[Adobo]

Did they stop covering weighting in OW classes?

Is there any DIR content to this post?

It could be that some open water classes teach how to do weighting in a fashion that is slightly different than what they teach in fundies class.

Just a thought.

 

[dsteding]

+1 for a SS plate and maybe a pound in a full 3 mm.

I am 6'1" and 190, in good shape, and need maybe pound with my SS plate and a 3 mm with my can light.

To be honest, I feel like an AL80 allows you to compensate with your lungs-I find that in the rare times I dive that configuration I can do the whole dive regulating my buoyancy with my lungs-the wing becomes a matter of convenience (not having to have reallly full or empty lungs).

There just isn't that much swing with this configuration.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The swing weight on 80 cu ft of air is same regardless of the tank you carry it in.

I have observed that I can compensate for dropping a full AL 80 stage bottle with just lung volume, but it takes a fair amount of lung volume to stay neutral both before and after dropping the stage bottle.

Same thing applies to doing the whole dive without using the wing - you could do it but would either be breathing ineffficiently or splitting the difference on being negative versus positve at various points in the dive.

I think the question is more or less DIR relevent as this forum will give a better answer re: back plates than a rec forum and some DIR oriented instructors seem to have different views regarding weight belts, ditchable weights, trim issues, etc than mainstream rec instructors.

 

[b1gcountry]

My usual vacation config: AL80, jacket BC, Mares quattro fins, 3mm wetsuit: 12lb on the weight belt.

Proposed config: AL80, SS BP/W, jets, 3mm wetsuit; 6lb-weighted or 1lb-unweighted STA: ??

I think I'm probably actually a tad overweighted with a weighted STA and no weight belt, and maybe in need of ~4lb with the unweighted STA. Does the math check out?

It's not a question of how much weight he needs, its a question on how much the gear will affect weighting, and which piece of gear to get for proper weighting.

I notice I can drop about 6lbs going from my BC to my AL BP with an unweighted STA. I would guess it would be closer to 10lbs with a SS BP. I don't know how much of a difference the Jets will make.

I would go with the unweighted STA. Chances are for travel, you'll want one anyway.

Tom