need some weighting B/p doubles insulation help quick please

[goatboy_k]

Need some help here guys and gals. Well ive been diving for a while with my new drysuit for awhile and everything is great, ive been using twin 72's with a TLS 350 with very little underware under it, a FredT heavy steel 1/4 inch plate (-12 pounds), and explorer 55 lbs wing, with no extra weight. This is all in fresh water as well. Here's the deal, im taking a class up in wisconsin next weekend and the water is supposed to be 36 degree's in Lake Wazee, so i decided in need some good underware. So i got some dui 400g thinsulate.

The problem is with i dive with my 72 and no underware my trim and stuff is perfect, all the dive are great. When i went to go practice with my big tanks and new underware this weekend i used twin PST 104's, the heavy fred plate, and my TLS 350 with the 400g underware ( the equipment i need for the class) i was severly head chest heavy, i had to fight to keep from going completly inverted.

Before i get blasted for bad techinque or something i should say the i was using my wing for buoyancy, there was very little air in my suit (other than what was in the insulation), in fact i dumped all the air out of the suit to make sure that wasn't the problem. I also have my tanks set as low in the bands as i can the top band is right on the curve, and the bolts were in the lower holes on the plate, so my weight was as far down as i could get it.

My thinking right now is my plate is to heavy, i should be a regular SS or aluminum plate, Am i correct to say that it wasn't my insulation keeping my feet up, but my heavy plate/big doubles keeping my chest/head down?

i also should say that i am usually more negative that most people as my body doesn't float well on it's own

Please let me know what you think as if i need to switch plates i need to do it quick because my class is on friday, i was thinking of going to an aluminum plate, but im afraid i won't be able to stay down for my stops with the tanks get empty with all the insulation.

thanks in advance

kurt

 

[goatboy_k]

ps im also diving with an aluminum 30 stage for deco if that makes a difference?

thanks in advance again

kurt

 

[Boogie711]

I'm 6'4", 225 lbs.

With two E8-130's, which are LIGHTER than 104's, I wear an AL plate with no additional weight. That's with full drysuit, underwear trim in less than 40 degree water.

With a 12 lb plate, you were brutally overweighted.

 

[goatboy_k]

thanks for the tip , i think from what im hearing an aluminum plate is in order.

thanks
kurt

 

[goatboy_k]

well, im sure everyone is just dying to hear how it went this weekend so here's the deal. I switched it up to an alum plate, explorer 55 wing, wearing old lp104 doubled up (oms bands and sea elite manifold), DUI tls 350 w/ 400g underware, diverite slimline 10 watt HID, and 30 cf stage.

first dive tanks are pumped up to 3100 carrying no light and no stage (basic skills portion) , let all the air out of the wing, not going down, let all the air out of the drysuit still not going down, crap. So strap on a couple of weights to the backplate webbing and finally i slowly sink, trim was ok once i settled down, but im not happy and i still feel light, i didn't get the tanks breathed down to far during this dive but i have a feeling that i don't know if could of held stops.

second dive i give up on the aluminum plate and go back to my big steel plate. 1/4 inch stainless 12 pound plate. still not using the light or stage yet. Kinda worried from the last weekend tests but the math worked out where this should be right. get in the water, tanks are at 1900 i think. out goes the air and down i go. And what do you know, im flat and hovering. This is good, the rest of the dive goes well and i don't feel light at all.

the rest of the dives went pretty well, i used the heavy plate for the rest of the weekend, with the stage and light added i felt great and trim was good when i did my part. The last 2 dives were awesome at Lake Wazee on the wall at 140 for 15 min and 150 feet for 13 min. Very impressive wall to say the least, i was told it went down to the 240ish range and it started at about 60 feet. Deco went well on 100 percent with some decently short stops at 40, 30, and 20

so i guess the heavy plate works after all, I'll have to say last weekend's practice dives could be called a "bad day", im still fine tuning my config but i think with the 400g undies the thick plate is here to stay.

thanks for everyone's advice.
kurt