Maintaining Neutral Buoyancy w/ Proper Trim with Weights Only (for pool/snorkeling/spearfishing)

[djbclark]

Any suggestions on the best option here or that I haven't thought of?

For the case where you will just be a few feet under water 99% of the time and so a BCD would be massive overkill.

All of these prices do not include the actual weights, which in my case must be coated or otherwise sealed (eg Scubapro eco weights) as I'll be mostly using in a chlorinated pool and am just in general paranoid about lead.


(1) A chest/shoulders harness that takes normal belt weights. Ends up being around $102 with shipping to the US. Could not find any US suppliers.
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(2) A bunch of items centered around a backplate-mountable weight-pocket system. Ends up being $116 total.
Bonus: Most items can also be used as components of a real SCUBA diving setup later.

$22 Scuba Diving BCD Weight Harness Backplate Tech Diving Back Plate Cushion Pad with Pouch

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$37 Tech Scuba Diving Backplate with Holes Diver BCD Harness Back Plate for Flexibility in Accessory Mounting Strong & Strudy

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801890642152.html

$57 Scuba Diving Backplate DIR Harness Donut BCD Holder Crotch Strap Set Weight Belt Dive Accessories

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(3) Belt weights and a neck weight. I don't have specific links here as I don't like the idea of having a weight around my neck, and with belt only I go totally out of trim, with my head far above my feet. Also feels like a recipe to aggravate my mild scoliosis and other minor back issues.

 

[Angelo Farina]

I suggest n. 3. It is what most free divers use here in the Mediterranean, with a stretchy and low drag 5mm wetsuit and long and light freeding fins.
Perfect buoyancy, perfect trim, no drag.
The neck weight is not really around the neck, it is behind your head and along your shoulders.

 

[djbclark]

I suggest n. 3. It is what most free divers use here in the Mediterranean, with a stretchy and low drag 5mm wetsuit and long and light freediving fins.
Perfect buoyancy, perfect trim, no drag.
The neck weight is not really around the neck, it is behind your head and along your shoulders.

Any specific products you'd recommend? Esp. for the neck weight.

 

[Vicko]

Neck weights are used in freediving along a rope as you want your centre of gravity to be as close to your head as possible. It's not useful for spearfishing. If you do want to try it make it with a snap buckle, bicycle tire inner tube and lead shot.

When I'm fishing shallow with a lot of weight I use a harness like this one https://dragorlux.hr/Proizvod/salvimar-prsluk-za-olovo-crni-2xl/6127 and a weight belt so I can still dump some of my weights. The shcienalino style like the c4 one works but it can dig into your back if you are diving with a thin wetsuit. All the big spearfishing gear manufacturers have their own models, you should be able to find something in a speciality store in US.

For deeper dives, just a weight belt is enough.

 

[djbclark]

I'll be diving without a wetsuit (just a swimsuit in an indoor pool) most of the time, so thanks for the info re: C4 style! You are right, that probably would not be too comfy on bare skin.

Also "speciality store" for freediving/spearfishing was a great suggestion, I found these stores with so many more options like the one you linked to in .hr:

Freediving - Weight Vests

www.spearamerica.com

Spearfishing - Weight Vests

spearfishingexperts.com

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Search: 6 results found for "vest"

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Of course advice on what is best from experienced people would still be very much appreciated

 

[johndiver999]

If you are in a freshwater pool, not wearing a wetsuit and not massively obese.. Then you should need a very modest amount of lead to be neutral at a depth of a few feet. An elastic freedive belt should work and if you get vinyl covered hard weights. I would assume that the total amount of lead necessary for those conditions is less than 6-9 lbs, which should be comfortable on a weightbelt.

Note that this is a lot more lead than is normally recommended for freediving. Generally you select lead to be neutral around 25-30 feet, which (once your chest crushes at depth) will be little or no lead.

 

[Waterwulf]

Have you considered a Horse Collar type vest? We called them Buoyancy Compensator's in the old days. There are Snorkel Vests for sale that are pretty slim and will have minimal drag. I use an upgraded on for both snorkel and SCUBA.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Any specific products you'd recommend? Esp. for the neck weight.

There are many models:

https://www.freedivershop.com/lobster-freediving-neck-weight?___store=it_en

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https://www.freedivershop.com/lobster-base-neck-weight?___store=it_en

You have to try which is proper weight and more confortable for you.

However, a big part of the trim issue for freedivers comes from fins and kicking technique, not from weights.
I am a finned swimming instructor, and I can tell you that providing each individual with fins properly calibrated for the unique characteristics of his body is not trivial.
And after finding them, it takes months of training for getting the optimal kicking style with them.

You need to select carefully 4 indipendent parameters:
- weight
- length
- flexional rigidity
- angle between sole and blade
It is very rare that a commercial product provides simultaneously the optimal value of all them.
Some free diving fins have interchangeable blades, and you can have custom-built blades adapted to your body.
This of course makes sense for athlets, an occasional snorkeler usually gets acceptable results simply choosing the proper blades for a set of Cressi Rondine Gara modular fins, or the like.
But if you insist doing free diving with a set of pocketed Scubapro Jetfins, perhaps even frog kicking, of course you will have problems being in trim...

 

[sinidive]

For playing around the pool without gear neck weights are nice.

The cheap option is a section of bicycle inner tube filled by something heavy (e.g. lead pellets, sand, ...).