Is it safe to add weight plates to my BP/W?

[scubamikey]

I'm diving in fresh water with a henderson hyperstretch full 7/5 suit. I have a 5 lb BP and 16 lbs on the weight belt. I expect to do a lot of diving in lakes where I am at the bottom at 60 feet deep or less.


I happen to have two weight plates (total 8 lbs) which bolt to the BP, reducing the weight needed on the belt to only 8 lbs. Is it safe to use this configuration?

My main concern is that at 60 feet, the suit will compress to that point that dropping just 8 lbs will not make me buoyant at that depth in case of emergency.

Of course if the belt slipped off, losing 8 lbs accidentally is better than losing 16 lbs.

So I'd appreciate your thoughts. Is it safe to put the plates on the BP? Is it only safe when I know there is a bottom at less than 60 feet? Something else I should consider?

Thanks.

 

[tech3324]

That's the kind of question you can answer with the http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bu...ems/158370-ultimate-wing-lift-calculator.html

 

[scubadiver888]

I'd have multiple concerns with putting weight on the plate. The first you noted... if you have a wing failure and drop weights will you be buoyant enough to swim the rig to the surface and stay there until you get to an exit point. This is a legitimate concern but has to be weighed against the likelihood you will need to swim your gear to the surface. Add to that the fact you can always take your plate off, keep the weight belt on and do a CESA. Add to that you can carry a SMB to use as a secondary lift device. You could even deploy the SMB at depth on a line then use the line to pull yourself up. From 60 feet you should have no problem making it to the surface.

The second concern would be floating your gear. If you are at the surface and need to take your gear off or you are like me and take your gear off between dives so you can get out of the water. You need enough lift in your wing to float your gear. You don't want to take your gear off and even with a fully inflated wing find it sinking to the bottom.

The third is what if you need to take your gear off underwater? I've gotten hooked up on a wreck in a space to tight to get my hands over my head. I took my gear off, unhooked it and pushed it out ahead of me until in a space with enough room to put it back on. Would have been a lot harder if I was pinned to the ceiling and my gear was sinking to the bottom. I've only seen mono-filament line once and never been tangled in it but same deal. If I got it caught in my gear, behind me, I'd take my gear off to cut the line away.

You train to take your gear off at depth for a reason. Things go a lot easier if you are around neutral with your gear off. So I wear enough weight on a belt to make me around neutral. Thicker the exposure suit, the more weight I put on a belt and less on the plate. For example, with a 3mm I'd switch to an aluminum plate because with a steel plate I need NO weight on a belt.

 

[Scott L]

Drysuit...

 

[cool_hardware52]

I'm diving in fresh water with a henderson hyperstretch full 7/5 suit. I have a 5 lb BP and 16 lbs on the weight belt. I expect to do a lot of diving in lakes where I am at the bottom at 60 feet deep or less.


I happen to have two weight plates (total 8 lbs) which bolt to the BP, reducing the weight needed on the belt to only 8 lbs. Is it safe to use this configuration?

My main concern is that at 60 feet, the suit will compress to that point that dropping just 8 lbs will not make me buoyant at that depth in case of emergency.

Of course if the belt slipped off, losing 8 lbs accidentally is better than losing 16 lbs.

So I'd appreciate your thoughts. Is it safe to put the plates on the BP? Is it only safe when I know there is a bottom at less than 60 feet? Something else I should consider?

Thanks.

This question cannot be answered without knowing the capacity of your wing.

If your wing has sufficient capacity to float your rig with a full cylinder if you ditch it, and if you are properly weighted moving 8 lbs of ballast from your weight belt to your rig is fine.

You also haven't disclosed *what* you are using for a cylinder, I'd guess it's an al 80, other you are using a *lot* of ballast for freshwater diving in a 7/5.

Currently you have about 24 lbs of total ballast, 6 for the plate and harness, 16 lead, and 2 for your reg.

With an al tank (~3lbs positive when empty in fresh water) you are using 21 lbs to sink your 7/5. I suspect that is more than you actually need, but maybe.

I recommend you weight yourself so that you are eyelevel at the surface with a full tank and *no* gas in your wing.

If you are weighted this way you can see that it is easy to stay at the surface with a wing failure.

With a al 80 your rig will be about -18 lbs when the cylinder is full, 6 for the plate and harness, 8 lbs of weight plates, 2 for the reg and 2 for the full 80. To float your rig you need a wing larger than 18.

Your current ballast implies your suit is +21 lbs. To compensate for a fully compressed suit you need a wing bigger than 21 lbs. 21 > 18 so you should have a wing of 26-30 lbs.

You suit cannot loose more buoyancy than it starts with. That means no more than 21 lbs (probably less) Can you suit loose more than the 8 lbs of ditchable ballast you will end up with if you use the weight plates? Maybe, but not by much at 60 ft. Can you swim up a rig that might be a few lbs negative? Most can easily, and remember your suit will expanding as you rise.

My concerns? I'd suggest you do a careful weight check, eyelevel, full tank, empty wing, before your decide to move ballast from your belt to your rig.

For single tank diving in wetsuits I like to see at least 4-6 lbs on a belt. Why? It gives your rescuer something to drop to make you positive at the surface........

Tobin

 

[currier]

^^ It's helpfulness like this that inspired me to buy a wing from the guy!

 

[scubamikey]

I'm using the DSS LCD 30 wing and a HP 100 Steel tank. I believe the tank stats are -10lbs full, -2.5 empty.

I put my wetsuit in a mesh bag and added weight until I got it to neutral, came in at +20 lbs buoyant in fresh water. Add +1 for the booties.

In my original post, I was actually using 16-18 lbs of lead in salt water and a rental tank (had a DIN valve, I forget the rest), I have not tested it thoroughly in fresh water. Could end up at 14-16 lbs or less on the weight belt in fresh water, I'll keep reducing it until I get there.

Thank you for the help.

 

[cool_hardware52]

I'm using the DSS LCD 30 wing and a HP 100 Steel tank. I believe the tank stats are -10lbs full, -2.5 empty.

I put my wetsuit in a mesh bag and added weight until I got it to neutral, came in at +20 lbs buoyant in fresh water. Add +1 for the booties.

In my original post, I was actually using 16-18 lbs of lead in salt water and a rental tank (had a DIN valve, I forget the rest), I have not tested it thoroughly in fresh water. Could end up at 14-16 lbs or less on the weight belt in fresh water, I'll keep reducing it until I get there.

Thank you for the help.

Do a careful weight check in fresh water with your hp 100 before you decide to use the weight plates. You want to end up with at least 4-6 lbs on your belt.

Tobin