Steel back plate and wetsuit not a good idea for solo?

[Nemrod]

What the OP is asking is should he dive a balanced rig--yes. You should have the weight split between youself on a weight belt and the rig via the plate and attached weights (on cambands, channel weights etc.). In this method should the solo diver need to remove his rig to repair, untangle, adjust or whatever he/she will not balloon up while the rig plummets into the abyss. As far as I am concerned regardless of whatever is taught in a "solo" course a balanced rig concept is an absolute requirement.

As to ditchable weight, ditching weight underwater is not the common ocurrence, ditching weight on the surface to aid comfort and bouyancy (in the event of a problem or injury) is again as far as I am concerned an absolute requirment.

Multiply everything above by 10 for a solo diver who is truely solo, that being, alone in the ocean, completely alone.

N

 

[b1gcountry]

If you are going to dive in warm water, with a steel tank, then I would avoid a steel plate

I haven't been to any dive resorts that only rent steel tanks. Actually, I've never even been to one that gives the option...Is this common in some places?

I have the same experience, BTW, with my AL BP and a shorty in freshwater, I am weighted about right with an AL80. In saltwater, I need to add about 6 pounds.

Tom

 

[b1gcountry]

What the OP is asking is should he dive a balanced rig--yes. You should have the weight split between youself on a weight belt and the rig via the plate and attached weights

By the way, a lot of people on this board have a different concept of what it means to have a "balanced rig". The DIR folk will tell you it means you can swim your rig up from the bottom without any air in your wing.

And one thing Nemrod didn't mention is that being neutral without your rig on is going to be a moving target. Your buoyancy will change as you are breathing in and out, and if you're diving wet, your suit compression will make you heavier at depth. So the best you can do is get it pretty close. You will want to hold on to your rig at all times anyway, so a few pounds either way will not make any difference.

Tom

 

[Nemrod]

By the way, a lot of people on this board have a different concept of what it means to have a "balanced rig". The DIR folk will tell you it means you can swim your rig up from the bottom without any air in your wing.

And one thing Nemrod didn't mention is that being neutral without your rig on is going to be a moving target. Your buoyancy will change as you are breathing in and out, and if you're diving wet, your suit compression will make you heavier at depth. So the best you can do is get it pretty close. You will want to hold on to your rig at all times anyway, so a few pounds either way will not make any difference.

Tom

I like your avatar, and as to DIR, they don't get to define my terminology since I am not a follower of the guru.

I should not have to mention that the bouyancy would be a "moving target." Any diver that is going to solo should understand that bouyancy is a dynamic thing and ever changing, I am more concerned with being controllable. When I use "balanced" I don't mean it has to be exactly split, I mean it has to remain within the realm of controllability without adding stress to what would probably be an already stressful circumstance, alone and having to remove gear for a repair or whatever.

Dude, if you cannot swim yourself up you might have a problem Houston. Since I am old school (I hate that term) I rig for neutral without a BC whenever possible, I use the BC to take up the slack so to speak. I still use my lungs for fine control.

As to ditching weight underwater, well, I guess if you were of that ilk that you would be so heavy that you could not swim up, I guess you better have some weight to ditch then, lol. Otherwise it might be a long bottom walk back to shore.

Thanks for reminding me what the "DIR think" is, I don't follow, I make my own way.

OH, I have rarely ever seen steel tanks for rental at resorts. It is so rare as to be like snow in July. Aluminum tanks are what you get 90% of the time or more. You gotta deal with it like it or not.

N

 

[b1gcountry]

I like your avatar

Thanks!

as to DIR, they don't get to define my terminology since I am not a follower of the guru.

I wasn't trying to comment on DIR, just that the term "balanced rig" means different things to different people. I've seen the same definition used by non-DIR folk as well, but its just easier to refer to them by name.

I should not have to mention that the bouyancy would be a "moving target." Any diver that is going to solo should understand that bouyancy is a dynamic thing and ever changing, I am more concerned with being controllable. When I use "balanced" I don't mean it has to be exactly split, I mean it has to remain within the realm of controllability without adding stress to what would probably be an already stressful circumstance, alone and having to remove gear for a repair or whatever.

I know you understand this, I just just like to point out the obvious sometimes

 

[Darnold9999]

The only steel tanks at warm water resorts I have seen were on the Nekton. They dive LP 95's which are fairly negative with a steel plate and 1/2 mil shortie. I felt about 5 lb overweight as I recall. However I would expect that they would be within most solo divers capacity to manage if they had to take off the rig.

 

[Nemrod]

Thanks!



I wasn't trying to comment on DIR, just that the term "balanced rig" means different things to different people. I've seen the same definition used by non-DIR folk as well, but its just easier to refer to them by name.



I know you understand this, I just just like to point out the obvious sometimes

Yes and thank you for making it more clear, there probably are better words than balanced, especially if it has other meanings to other groups of divers.

I love that movie and I have my mask ready to go, give the word.

N

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I haven't been to any dive resorts that only rent steel tanks. Actually, I've never even been to one that gives the option...Is this common in some places?

I have the same experience, BTW, with my AL BP and a shorty in freshwater, I am weighted about right with an AL80. In saltwater, I need to add about 6 pounds.

Tom

Some of us live where it is warm.... I usually dive with a steel tank.

 

[b1gcountry]

Yes and thank you for making it more clear, there probably are better words than balanced, especially if it has other meanings to other groups of divers.

I love that movie and I have my mask ready to go, give the word.

N

Good terminology can be lacking in the buoyancy area. My least favorite is "negatively buoyant". I think a Drama Major came up with that one. How can something have an opposing buoyant force? Does it have a negative volume???

Tom
PS Never mind my rant, I'm an engineer, and we're sensitive about this stuff...

 

[AbyssalPlains]

Good terminology can be lacking in the buoyancy area. My least favorite is "negatively buoyant". I think a Drama Major came up with that one. How can something have an opposing buoyant force? Does it have a negative volume???

Tom
PS Never mind my rant, I'm an engineer, and we're sensitive about this stuff...

Great point. As a science writer, I always strive to get things exact and easily understandable at the same time. Creations like "negatively buoyant" or "80 cubic feet of tank volume" drive me crazy. No need to be compulsive, but especially in scuba diving we would do a great favor especially to students by not permanently mixing up pressures, volumes and amounts and their respective units.