Sidemount, Drysuit and Weight Hell

[Razorista]

depends. Had people around me who thought it had saved them two kilos.

 

[decompression]

Most boots I've seen are the hard plastic kind, weighing ounces if anything. Also, it's pretty common to use a hammer to remove them.....a little awkward underwater.

 

[Razorista]

... Also, it's pretty common to use a hammer to remove them.....a little awkward underwater.

Simply cut them on one side, they slide on and off easily then.
Put them on only for transport and handling on land or boat, secure with duct tape if needed.

I do not say it will have a huge effect, but at least it does not destabilize the steel cylinders, that can have significant effect sometimes.
As I said it can often take more lead to compensate for the more 'bottom light' tanks than their simple positive buoyancy.

 

[mod8521]

Not trying to highjack this thread but im curious what is the consensus on neutral with one tank or two? I thought one to allow you to don and doff cylinders submerged and clip them off. I am neutral with one lp85 at 500psi with the nomad and 24lbs in freshwater. I am not a small guy either. I would say 40lbs is alot. I will also say I have no formal sidemount training.

 

[decompression]

Not trying to highjack this thread but im curious what is the consensus on neutral with one tank or two? I thought one to allow you to don and doff cylinders submerged and clip them off. I am neutral with one lp85 at 500psi with the nomad and 24lbs in freshwater. I am not a small guy either. I would say 40lbs is alot. I will also say I have no formal sidemount training.

In SM the tanks are not part of your weighting. I find it best when I use neutral tanks or make them neutral and as in BM the gas carried is compensated by your wing.

 

[Razorista]

In SM the tanks are not part of your weighting...

Very true, ...but:
When using steel tanks people always include them in the weighting.
Submerging without help of a drysuit or overweighting is often impossible without at least one cylinder.

 

[tiki_bill]

Tank boots have been 'banned' in technical diving for a lot of reasons for some time now.
Nobody would think of using DIR style doubles with boots.
Why revert that in sidemount?

The only time they really help is during the process of filling the tanks at a compressor station prepared only for backmounted tanks.
Otherwise they are just as useless in sidemount as tank nets or tank handles.

The reasons stay mostly the same: rust, etc...
But also additional 'sidemount specific' reasons apply:
You move your legs exactly in the same place you have those plastic/rubber objects.
They can damage suits in the long run, even tear them up badly when they get damaged and develop rough edges.

They can also fall off anytime, potentially iritiating others and staying in the water as non degradable trash.

Having one come off in a restriction could potentially be very dangerous.

They also tend to drop off just before putting the tanks down on them, leading to them falling on the valve and regulator more than without.

Last but not least they are buoyant by at least a few grams in an awkward position.
They will influence the way the cylinders behave while breathing from them.
The effect multiplies in some configs, needing a lot more lead on the body to compensate, leading to an overweighted diver.
If you already have a problem with too much lead it is one of the easiest things to remove, temporarily if you really want to keep them.

Everything about this post is ridiculous. Knock it off.

 

[decompression]

Very true, ...but:
When using steel tanks people always include them in the weighting.
Submerging without help of a drysuit or overweighting is often impossible without at least one cylinder.

Huh?

With few exceptions (there maybe some EU tanks I'm not familiar with), steel tanks when empty are 1-2 lbs pos, neutral or 1-2 lbs neg. the Faber M100 (12 ltr) is an outlier at 7 lbs neg. As you mentioned before, correctly, the goal is to be neutral throughout the entire dive. If weighted properly, there should be no issues descending or holding a stop at 3m.

 

[Razorista]

Everything about this post is ridiculous. Knock it off.

That's your opinion.
And it is wrong!

 

[Razorista]

...steel tanks when empty are 1-2 lbs pos, neutral or 1-2 lbs neg. the Faber M100 (12 ltr) is an outlier at 7 lbs neg. ...

Many people use tanks for weight in drysuits.
Especially the Euro12Liter versions range from 12,3 to 14,3 Kilograms empty. Up to 2 Kilos negative empty for 300bar versions.