NEED ADVICE: Trimming out my BP/W

[miked10]

I am trimming out my new BP/W.

I dive in Ontario so most of the year!
- 7mm Bare SGS w/ 7mm Hooded Vest
- AL80 but probably switch to steel.
- BP/W weights 15lbs assembled.
- Only been out diving 15 times and each time i wore 24-26lbs.

Just wanna know the best way to trim it out. Gonna hit the pool and experiment but I'd like some advice on the easiest way to do it.

 

[Snowbear]

What do you mean by "trim out?"

It seems you are asking about how much weight to use?

 

[cummings66]

Most of your weight probably can reside on your plate and your trim should be fine. The only issue is that since you're diving a 7mm wetsuit you're going to have compression issues at depth and so you do want a little weight on a belt just in case. So, in your case your BP and it's channel weight or plate weight will be 15 lbs leaving 9 lbs to go elsewhere. I think you should put it on a belt to help with ditchable weight.

To give you an easy answer, the amount of weight you need is the same as what you needed before with a BCD, but you'll find it's going to be distributed slightly differently and your trim will probably be easier to do. It's not really any different than a BCD unless you had integrated weights with it. You might need some trim pockets for the tank straps if your trim is off, but only you can tell if your trim is good.

 

[Snowbear]

To give you an easy answer, the amount of weight you need is the same as what you needed before with a BCD, but you'll find it's going to be distributed slightly differently and your trim will probably be easier to do. It's not really any different than a BCD unless you had integrated weights with it. You might need some trim pockets for the tank straps if your trim is off, but only you can tell if your trim is good.

That actually depends on the BCD. Before I started using a BP/W, I was using a Seaquest Black Dimond. It had a bit of foam padding in it as well as the positively buoyant plastic plate.... Some of the weight I needed was just to overcome that!

I used 22 pounds with that setup (I use a steel tank).

Now, including 6# BP, 2#can light and 6-10# on the belt (I use more undies in 36F water than in 50F :11: ), I'm only using at most 18#. In Palau (my first WWW dive experience) I used a 5ml wetsuit and even with an AL tank, I used no extra weight beyond the plate, even on the dives I didn't take the can light.