Need to carry extra weight -- Where/how to place it?

[stretchthepenn]

Okay, hive mind...I had trouble maintaining stable trim during today's dives due to weight-placement issues. Thus, I've got questions about the optimal ways to carry extra weight during sidemount diving.

First, let me describe the gear and the context:

• Hollis 75 BCD
• 6-pocket weight-plate
• 2 x HOG quick-dump waist pouches (the small size)
• 20# lead, distributed over all 8 pockets
• 2 x PST HP120 steel tanks
• 400-gram DUI undergarment
• Whites bilaminate drysuit

The water is pretty chilly (47 F) at depth in the local quarry, where I do most of my winter diving, and my 200-gram undergarment wasn't getting the job done. Thus, I got myself a 400-gram DUI undergarment, which I figured would keep me toasty warm.

The supa-dupa-fluffy undergarment succeeded admirably at banishing the cold, but the thing is super-buoyant, and instead of carrying 6# of lead in my HOG waist pouches, I had to load myself up with 20# of lead, most of which I had to carry in the 6-pocket weight-plate. All that weight on my back, in turn, led to instability. Basically, if I relaxed, I turned turtle.

In retrospect, I needed to better-distribute the lead and transfer as much as possible from the weight-plate into the waist pouches. Even so, I think I might've still had problems.

My question to y'all, then, is about weighting locations and methods. Where and how can one safely and effectively carry more than a token amount of extra weight while sidemounting? (I also have a Hollis 100D BCD, if any of your solutions will apply to that model.)

 

[northernone]

Okay, hive mind...I had trouble maintaining stable trim during today's dives due to weight-placement issues. Thus, I've got questions about the optimal ways to carry extra weight during sidemount diving.

First, let me describe the gear and the context:

• Hollis 75 BCD
• 6-pocket weight-plate
• 2 x HOG quick-dump waist pouches (the small size)
• 20# lead, distributed over all 8 pockets
• 2 x PST HP120 steel tanks
• 400-gram DUI undergarment
• Whites bilaminate drysuit

The water is pretty chilly (47 F) at depth in the local quarry, where I do most of my winter diving, and my 200-gram undergarment wasn't getting the job done. Thus, I got myself a 400-gram DUI undergarment, which I figured would keep me toasty warm.

The supa-dupa-fluffy undergarment succeeded admirably at banishing the cold, but the thing is super-buoyant, and instead of carrying 6# of lead in my HOG waist pouches, I had to load myself up with 20# of lead, most of which I had to carry in the 6-pocket weight-plate. All that weight on my back, in turn, led to instability. Basically, if I relaxed, I turned turtle.

In retrospect, I needed to better-distribute the lead and transfer as much as possible from the weight-plate into the waist pouches. Even so, I think I might've still had problems.

My question to y'all, then, is about weighting locations and methods. Where and how can one safely and effectively carry more than a token amount of extra weight while sidemounting? (I also have a Hollis 100D BCD, if any of your solutions will apply to that model.)

Hate to say it... But with thick thermals: it's spine weights, chest weights, waist weights and a big weightbelt around middle. A little ballast for the keel.

 

[rick00001967]

20lbs with HP 120's ? i don't know what body type you are but that sounds like a lot.

 

[stretchthepenn]

20lbs with HP 120's ? i don't know what body type you are but that sounds like a lot.

I'm in my mid-40s, have a sitting-type job, stand 6'4" tall, and weigh about 220 lbs. In other words, on the thin side, but with perhaps less lean muscle mass and more middle-age bioprene than I like. The buoyant undergarment is the problem, not my personal fattitude.

 

[Subcooled]

European units. Volume of gas (at 1 ATM) is litres of cylinder volume times bars.

I do put 16/18 lbs on my waist belt (sweet/salty) and 0 lbs on my shoulders (front heavy 2x7L/232bar) [and gaitors]
or 6-8 lbs on my waist belt and 2 lbs on my shoulders (back heavy 2x12L/232bar) [no gaitors]
depending on tanks beeing used.

The 7L tanks are shorted and more front heavy. Thus the gators.
The 12L tanks are longer and more back-heavy. Thus the shoulder weights.

 

[lermontov]

well assuming you've done a weight check at surface then only you can say if its correct amount of weight - if your rolling over then clearly you need to get it off your back and lower the centre of gravity have you got your tanks adjusted correctly? can you lower them a bit or get or tie some weight to the tank - i think youll have to experiment