How do you feel about upside down trim pockets on waist for BP/W ballast solution?

[Bopper]

I require 26lbs of ballast added to my BP/W and 119HP steel tank set up. I dive dry.

Idea: Add four trim pockets mounted upside down along my waist webbing. Each trim pocket can hold up to 5lbs. I only need 16lbs total on my waist as I'll have 10lbs in trim pockets on my upper tank band. Trim pockets would have plastic quick buckles; no velcro.






Horrible idea? Will I die?

And.....


....go!

 

[Ken T]

No....My wife and I have done this with the trim pocket opening facing down.
Velcro closure.

Not dead yet

 

[cool_hardware52]

I require 26lbs of ballast added to my BP/W and 119HP steel tank set up. I dive dry.

Idea: Add four trim pockets mounted upside down along my waist webbing. Each trim pocket can hold up to 5lbs. I only need 16lbs total on my waist as I'll have 10lbs in trim pockets on my upper tank band. Trim pockets would have plastic quick buckles; no velcro.


View attachment 207178



Horrible idea? Will I die?

And.....


....go!

26 lbs of lead, ~6 lbs of plate and harness (assuming a stainless plate) 2 lbs of regulator and ~-2 lbs of empty tank = ~36 lbs of total ballast, wow.

Now add ~9 lbs of gas to your cylinder. 36 +9 = 45 lbs.

If you hang all of your required ballast on your rig you will need a *huge* singles wing to be able to float your gear if you need to ditch it.


I'd suggest you verify that your drysuit is actually 36 lbs buoyant

&

I'd look into carrying at least a portion of your ballast on your person, either on a belt or weight harness.

Tobin

 

[diversteve]

Why upside down?



https://www.divegearexpress.com/bcs/pockets.shtml

 

[Dave616]

On my last trip south I usde <5lb. trim pockets on my BPW waist belt instead of using my rubber free-dive belt (to carry 8lbs.). If mine had Fastex buckles I could put them either direction but with only velcro, I used them flap-side up.



Held in place with DGX plastic clips:

 

[Keith.M]

I require 26lbs of ballast added to my BP/W and 119HP steel tank set up. I dive dry.

Idea: Add four trim pockets mounted upside down along my waist webbing. Each trim pocket can hold up to 5lbs. I only need 16lbs total on my waist as I'll have 10lbs in trim pockets on my upper tank band. Trim pockets would have plastic quick buckles; no velcro.


View attachment 207178



Horrible idea? Will I die?

And.....


....go!

I like those pockets and may consider using those instead of some that I have that are only velcro. I currently wear 10lbs on a waist belt and 10 on my cam bands.

Along with the plate and other hardware, that is only around 26lbs of ballast total. I dive dry as well.

I think you should probably be able to drop some additional weight. Have you tried lowering the amount of weight you are carrying?

I use PST HP 100 and would be very over weighted with an additional 6 lbs. The only reason I could see adding that much would be that you like to have more air in your suit at depth or like to be able to not only take off the squeeze, but also to use your wing.

I do find that at my current weight, once I remove the squeeze, I never need to add air to wing. The only way to use my wing would be to carry more weight.

 

[cool_hardware52]

I like those pockets and may consider using those instead of some that I have that are only velcro. I currently wear 10lbs on a waist belt and 10 on my cam bands.

Along with the plate and other hardware, that is only around 26lbs of ballast total. I dive dry as well.

I think you should probably be able to drop some additional weight. Have you tried lowering the amount of weight you are carrying?

I use PST HP 100 and would be very over weighted with an additional 6 lbs. The only reason I could see adding that much would be that you like to have more air in your suit at depth or like to be able to not only take off the squeeze, but also to use your wing.

I do find that at my current weight, once I remove the squeeze, I never need to add air to wing. The only way to use my wing would be to carry more weight.

Ballast is anything that does not float.

You have about 30 lbs total if you include your regulator and empty HP 100.


Tobin

 

[decompression]

Small point, if you've done your balanced rig calc correct then obviously there would be little need to ditch weights but if you like you could only invert 2 of your pockets. That would give you enough positive buoyancy while reducing the risk of accidentally dropping weight.


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[redacted]

I don't understand why you want them mounted with the flap downward. During the dive you will mostly be horizontal so no big difference there. But before the dive, you will be vertical with your toes vulnerable should one open. Ditching weight is just not that difficult with the pockets mounted normally - open, extract, and drop.

 

[decompression]

I don't understand why you want them mounted with the flap downward. During the dive you will mostly be horizontal so no big difference there. But before the dive, you will be vertical with your toes vulnerable should one open. Ditching weight is just not that difficult with the pockets mounted normally - open, extract, and drop.

Not quite that simple, drysuit=thick gloves. I think the OP is in the mind frame of having easily deployed ditch able weight. Only slightly easier to come out of trim, open pocket and let gravity (hopefully) work than trying to open pocket, grab weight with sausage fingers and drop. Again, balanced rig would negate this desire.


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