LP85 with wetsuit

[rjack321]

The thickness of the wetsuit only matters if you need to add lead. If you're in a 1mm and don't require any extra lead, you would actually be more overweighted than if you were in a 7mm and didnt need extra lead. In the 1mm you would be just as heavy, you just would be heavy at depth and at the surface.

Am i misinterpreting?

The OP asked about "safe and balanced"

In general a wetsuit and double steels is a bad idea because they are negative and in a thick wetsuit if you have a wing failure you not only have to swim up the weight of the gas, you have to counteract the amount of suit compression. If the suit is thin and hence essentially there's no buoyancy to lose, you only have to swim up the ~15lbs of gas in the tanks no matter what depth you are at. In a 7mm wetsuit at 150ft (example) you have to swim up the 15lbs of gas plus the 15+lbs of lost suit buoyancy. Swimming up 30+lbs is not considered balanced and ditching lead with a possible deco obligation is a bad idea.

Which is why AL80s are generally the recommended tanks in a wetsuit.

 

[SoFlaDiver954]

I understand the appeal of diving AL80s when in a wetsuit, and I am not suggesting LP85s instead.

However, my point is that I can dive with a rash guard, a 3mm and a 5mm without any extra lead with twin 85s. I am not more overweighted in my 5mm than my 3mm. Actually, I'd be less overweighted because the 5mm would have more bouyancy in it than a 3mm.

 

[drk5036]

I understand the appeal of diving AL80s when in a wetsuit, and I am not suggesting LP85s instead.

However, my point is that I can dive with a rash guard, a 3mm and a 5mm without any extra lead with twin 85s. I am not more overweighted in my 5mm than my 3mm. Actually, I'd be less overweighted because the 5mm would have more bouyancy in it than a 3mm.

This is correct.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Right. The key there is that no lead is needed with heavy steel tanks to sink you in even a thick wetsuit. So you have no ditchable lead. Can you swim it up in the event of a wing failure? I doubt I could.

 

[rjack321]

Right. The key there is that no lead is needed with heavy steel tanks to sink you in even a thick wetsuit. So you have no ditchable lead. Can you swim it up in the event of a wing failure? I doubt I could.

85s aren't that heavy even
try PST 104s if you want to be like a brick

 

[kensuf]

Blanket statements frustrate me. While they can be used as a starting point, they should not be spoken as 100% gospel.

The correct answer is "it depends."

Water density impacts weighting: Salt = more buoyant / Fresh = not so much. Where is the person diving?

Tank makeup impacts it: Galvanized/painted. Coyne/Worthington/PST or Faber -- these all have differences in negative buoyancy.

Body composition impacts it: If you're a weight lifter versus a little fluffy (I had a friend that used to the center for the Gators football team, the guy SANK like a stone no matter what we did, I've also had other friends that needed lots of weight because they were a little soft).

The extra gear you're carrying impacts this. My 30AH battery pack is a wee bit heavier than my 10AH battery pack.

Really, the only way to know for sure is to test it. Fill a set of doubles and get in the water to see if you can swim them up without a wing when they're full. Then drain them down to 500 psi and see if you can hover at 10'. Yeah, it's a little bit of effort to do this, but technical diving involves some planning and effort.

 

[Lorenzoid]

85s aren't that heavy even
try PST 104s if you want to be like a brick

I will. I presently dive 85s (drysuit, no lead) but am looking for a set or two of 104s.

 

[SoFlaDiver954]

I've tried swimming the 85s (Faber HDG) up when full and wearing an old 3mm in saltwater. I was able to do it but I had to exert myself more than I would like. Maybe I'll try again and see if I can kick to keep myself from sinking while deploying a bag.

Of course the best option would be to use a drysuit. Luckily with the warm S.Fl water I dont need any extra lead diving dry, either.

 

[lukeb]

I am starting my technical training and have been experimenting with double Steel HP 100s while wearing a 5mm wetsuit. Like you I was nervous about moving to steel tanks and trying to achieve a balanced rig. I took the double 100s down to 50ft (freshwater), and tried to swim them up. The tanks were full, and I was using an ALU BP with no lead. Despite some hard finning I didn't move anywhere. This was frustrating, but did at least confirm to me that I must be prepared to use a lift bag in the event of a wing failure. I was really hoping to achieve a balanced rig like I have had with a single tank setup. But with steel doubles and a wetsuit I am not sure how this can be achieved.

I would suggest you do a similar test in whatever setup you decide on, so that you can be informed and prepared in the event of a wing failure.

 

[rvojr]

@lukeb
Thank you for the feedback. I was trying to make an informed decision prior to purchasing so I did not make a large mistake. I wish it was as easy as going to the dive shop and renting different doubles, but unfortunately rentals of doubles are few and far between. After this post I'll either get Al80s or wait until I get a drysuit for the HP100/120 doubles. In one of my classes a classmate tried this with an AL80 twinset, freshwater, 6mm wetsuit, and she had no issue swimming it up from 70'. She was a strong swimmer though.