Looking for 'Balanced' BP/W weight distribution advice

[rx7diver]

@Thunter96,

Have you considered diving with a (neutral- or slightly-negative-when-empty steel cylinder) instead of an Al 80? This one, simple change would mean you would remove at least four lbs from your weight belt. And four, four-lb cast weights (16# total), for example, on a rubber weight belt should not be uncomfortable.

You might try a PST HP 100, for example.

ETA: I wonder how a Faber LP 85 would work for you. (I've never used one of these, though.)

Also, I don't think you want to remove too much weight from your weight belt. (You might have to remove your rig at depth.)

rx7diver

 

[Thunter96]

I was wondering if you could explain how your wetsuit would lose 80% of its bouyancy at 120 feet?

Its just an estimate really, but how much exactly is likely going to depend on a lot of specific things and likely won't be totally linear. On this forum and elsewhere I've heard various numbers thrown around, 75% around 100ft, or even 100% around 130-140ft. I sorta arbitrarily picked 80% because it was inline with what others have said and like DivingColeridge said about being at 5x the pressure.

 

[Thunter96]

@Thunter96,

Have you considered diving with a (neutral- or slightly-negative-when-empty steel cylinder) instead of an Al 80? This one, simple change would mean you would remove at least four lbs from your weight belt. And four, four-lb cast weights (16# total), for example, on a rubber weight belt should not be uncomfortable.

You might try a PST HP 100, for example.

ETA: I wonder how a Faber LP 85 would work for you. (I've never used one of these, though.)

Also, I don't think you want to remove too much weight from your weight belt. (You might have to remove your rig at depth.)

rx7diver

I have thought about it, but I can get a tank rental for $10 and I don't think air fills are much cheaper, overall not worth the hassle/cost of buying a tank and needing to do visual/hydros. Besides, any destination dive trip would likely be using the AL80s, might as well just stay consistent.

 

[Thunter96]

I think you are on the right track with trying a freedive belt with a modest amount of lead on it. 10 or 12 lbs should be comfortable and manageable.

I used to feel the same way about having the weightbelt over the harness and crotch strap. However, you can get used to opening the waist strap of the harness, freeing the crotch strap and then removing the weightbelt before existing the water, It is always nice to remove the weightbelt first, then hand up or clip off the scuba unit, before hopping out of the water.

Also, it will be sooo much easier if you are diving from an inflatable and doning your scuba gear in the water IF you have put your weightbelt on before going in the water. If your weightbelt is modest, then there should be no issue with floating with a weightbelt and wetsuit and no scuba unit.

I agree with weight belt being easier to put on in the boat, thats why I would like to have the weight belt under the crotch strap. Do you wear a weight belt under the crotch strap now? To me needing to removing the crotch strap to remove a weight belt is problematic. It makes ditching in an emergency a lot more complicated with and I've also noticed how a full-ish wing wants to float away from you without a crotch strap on the surface, and I would imagine the same thing would happen underwater and make things difficult.

To me the "best" solution would be a weight belt or harness with ditchable pouches worn under the crotch strap, which would afford the best of both worlds, with being just a bit more bulky. However, the DUI harnesses are pricey and probably overkill for the amount of weight I'm talking about.

It seems like a $30 rubber belt and bolting some weights to the backplate may be good enough... If I can keep it to 8-10lbs that will be much easier to handle in the water.

 

[Thunter96]

In addition to what others have said. I found a harness better than any weight belt even the rubber ones. I have no hips so no matter any belt slid down and was hanging off my crotch strap at 15 feet.

Do you use the DUI one? How much weight do you use? To me this seems the most comfortable and the most versatile option since it could be worn under the harness. I'm just thinking its probably overkill if I end up moving half my weight to the backplate instead.

 

[formernuke]

Do you use the DUI one? How much weight do you use? To me this seems the most comfortable and the most versatile option since it could be worn under the harness. I'm just thinking its probably overkill if I end up moving half my weight to the backplate instead.speedo?

The DUI Connor one, I use the smaller one as the max I put in is 20 pounds.

I split my weights in my doubles.

 

[Marie13]

Do you use the DUI one? How much weight do you use? To me this seems the most comfortable and the most versatile option since it could be worn under the harness. I'm just thinking its probably overkill if I end up moving half my weight to the backplate instead.

The DUI weight harness is very comfortable. I’ve used it single tank. Getting the excess weight off your harness is fabulous.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I end up moving half my weight to the backplate instead.

Something to consider, additional weight on the backplate can make it more onerous when changing tanks - especially on a boat.

That's not to say you shouldn't' do it, and there are ways to alleviate the hassles.

Just be aware, that with all equipment configurations there will be negatives as well as positives, and its easy to focus on solving one issue forgetting you're potentially creating another

In the end it always comes down to what works best for you and what downsides you're prepared to accept and whether these downsides outway the benefits

My personal preference is that I have two weight belt pouches on the waist band (in addition to some on the camband) for when I'm in a drysuit.

It's not perfect but I can easily hand up the pouches before I climb the boat ladder, and they're off my rig when changing tanks and moving my kit about.

FWIW I've never tried the harness method - and the additional weight is annoyance I only have to deal with for 3 months in a year before I go back to diving wet and almost zero additional weight. But my prime consideration was ensuring I could easily remove weight in the water for climbing ladders, and I really dislike weight belts.

 

[lexvil]

I use these Zeagle pouches and with an H harness they carry the weight easily, I mostly shore dive and change tanks with this laying down, just slide the tank in and clamp in place. I use a Freedom plate that with rail is just under 10lb and a 6lb soft weight under the rail. If I have to ditch the rig I don’t care if it floats but I can ditch whatever I have in the pouches if I need to, if I have to ditch the rig my biggest concern is I want to float.

I hate weight belts. The DUI weight and trim is a good system but for me it interferes with the webbing and back plate so it is rarely used.

 

[divezonescuba]

120 feet divided by 33 equals roughly 4 Ata of pressure. Add other ata from the surface means that total pressure is 5 Ata. 1/5 =20% of start thickness which is an 80% loss of buoyancy. All this is from Boyles law

I am not sure that this applies 100% directly to a 7mm wetsuit, since it is not a body of gas like a shell drysuit, but rather is made of compression resistant neoprene which is much denser than air.

I believe the amount it would compress would be dependent on the particular wetsuit's neoprene quality and density. Surfing wetsuits are made from less dense neoprene and do not perform as well at depth as a quality scuba wetsuit which is made of more dense neoprene.