So how much ditchable weight do you want to have?

[midwayman]

Just reading over equipment configurations, and diving with a steel tank, SS backplate and light exposure suit can get you pretty close to where you need no ditchable weight to stay down. Question becomes is this really a good idea? What is the mininum amount of ditchable weight that you'd want in case your BC fails?

 

[MSilvia]

If my BC failed, I'd use my drysuit for bouyancy, and failing that I'd try to improvise with my SMB. I like to carry as little ditchable weight as possible, but since I don't yet dive with a cannister light, I still keep about 8 lbs on my belt.

If I were diving wet with no ditchable weight and flotation at the surface became a serious survival problem, I'd ditch my harness.

 

[Lead_carrier]

In my opinion, you want just enough weight to make you negative when you fully exhale with a near empty tank. Whether it is 2#'s or 14#'s. You should always be able to swim to the surface in your gear.

 

[Don Burke]

What is the mininum amount of ditchable weight that you'd want in case your BC fails?

If the BC is the only source of lift, a few pounds more than the weight of the gas in my cylinders is enough for me.

If I have backup lift, none at all is what I prefer.

 

[ibnygator]

In my opinion, you want just enough weight to make you negative when you fully exhale with a near empty tank. Whether it is 2#'s or 14#'s. You should always be able to swim to the surface in your gear.

I dive with steel tanks and either a SS backplate with my drysuit or full 7/5 wetsuit or an aluminum backplate with my shortie. In any of these configurations I have 2 pounds of weight on my harness or no extra weight when I carry my 40 cf stage bottle for a redundant gas supply on deeper dives. As Lead_carrier said, you just have to be able to swim the rig off of the bottom with no bouyancy from your BC or drysuit.

 

[gander]

When Im in my doubles, I have no ditchable weight. I haven't tried my current kit with a single tank. If you end up going technical, you will find that during deco dives it's better to not have ditchable weight since if the weight falls out or somehow detaches itself your your kit, you won't necessarily be able to maintain depth to satisfy your deco obligations.

In general, I suggest you have the minimum ditchable weight to make you positive, as others have stated. The only exception is if you need to relocate your weight for trim.

Greg

 

[gjm]

As a tropical diver, I've found I don't need any weight. (SS BP/AL80/3mm shorty). At the start of my dive I'm -5lb negative, and at the end I'm just about neutral. I've practiced swimming up from depth at a slow rate and doing a safety stop for 5 min. so I feel comfortable with no ditchable weight in tropical waters. I can't comment on other diving conditions. I've actually got some friends who dive with just a Hawaiian backpack, i.e. no BC, but I would not recommend it.

Enjoy the dive

john

 

[redacted]

Not something I am concerned with. In warm SW I have a 6 lb plate and 0 to 2 lb on my belt depending on 1st stage used and whether I carry a pony. In warm FW, that leaves me 6 lb overweight which I can swim up, although I usually offset that with a 3mm shorty.

 

[simbrooks]

Depends on the configuration, with doubles and a DS i wear none in FW, havent tried it in salt yet. I dont consider it an issue about ditchable weight with the DS and doubles as the places i dive them there is no point going up and hitting the ceiling!!

In my regular non-summer tropical 3mm suit i need a few pounds over my SS BP in SW and only 2 in FW which is easily put in the belt and ditched. In my 1mm suit for summertime tropical diving i am overweighted with the SS BP in FW and SW, so my AL BP gives me a little room for 2# of ditchable weight if i so desire, however i think most people can swim up a couple of pounds so its not really an issue.

As other said, if i was bouyancy challenged at the surface i would ditch the BC, but suck the tank down first to see how much additional buoyancy i can get, however i hope not to get in that situation - at which point i will experiment with and without the BC and tank

 

[midwayman]

Seems that a SS bp/w and al80 are just about neutral in combination. So you just need weight to compensate for your exposure suit and personal bouyancy.