Switched to BP/W and Weight Belt = Lower Back Pain. Ideas?

[Bob DBF]

It's probably the weightbelt, I don't mind 10# because I use much more on a belt freediving and I can feel that. Because you have not been using a weightbelt, it will take some getting used to.

With the new rig do a weight check at the end of a dive to make sure you need the weight. Drop to 6# on the belt and use the remainder for non-ditchable trim. If you are weighted right you shouldn't need all the weight to be ditch-able. I have an XS scuba Velcro pocket on each cam-band (one right , one left) pushed to meet the plate. I can change the weight there for different tanks rather than changing the belt and making it too heavy on my back.



Bob
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There are more ways than one to skin a cat, however the cat never likes it.

 

[flots am]

Outside side of reminding me that I am getting to be an old fart D), does anyone have some suggestions or ideas?

You can get a couple of weight pockets for your BP's waist strap.

It's not as "ditchable" as a regular weightbelt, but it's easy enough to pull up the velcro flap and pul out a weight.

 

[TSandM]

I had horrible back pain with my original, weight-integrated BC, and I'm quite sure, in retrospect, that it was posture. I also had horrible pain when I first started scootering, until I figured out I had to put a lot more air in my feet so I could relax my own muscles.

 

[Steve_C]

Logistically it just makes life so much easier here in Indonesia getting to, from, and into the boat to do away with the weight pockets.

Could you explain this?

Whether there are pockets or a weight belt. You need the same ammount of weight. It can be brought by you or on the boat but either way I don't see how the hassle/work effort is any different between the two systems.

 

[matts1w]

Steve_C:

Reason #1- Getting gear to boat
1. Boats are usually moored off the beach pretty far depending on the tide.
2. The dive staff usually carries out everyone's bcd and tank...often one on each shoulder. (Why I don't want to leave all the weight on the harness. It is not about being able to drop the weight as I can easily swim up an Al80 and 8 or so pounds.)
3. Customers tote their own mask, fins, weights, cameras, day pack, etc...

Between the camera, fins, weight pockets, day bag. etc... was just easier to do what everyone else does, wear the weight belt around my waist instead of juggling more stuff in my hands.

Reason #2- Gearing up in boat
1. Not a big deal, but weight in BCD/on harness makes that much harder. We don't have seats and tank stowage like one would see in Key Largo.

Reason #3- Getting into boat
1. Getting out of the water is pass up weights...
2. ...then pass up kit (Again, why I don't want to leave the weight attached to the harness).
3. Climb up steep ladder.

Its not that big a deal, but someday a $50 pocket was gonna get dropped over a gazillion feet of water putting me in a weight belt for the rest of a trip anyway. I watched this happen not too long ago and the customer went off. Poor kid who dropped it was very worried as $50 is about two weeks pay for him, but that's another topic.

Reason #4- Carry gear ashore.
1. See reason #1

I get hooked up some with most of the places I dive regularly, so I obviously want to put as little as possible on the crew and take care of my own stuff.

Typical boat in Lembongan or Gili Islands.

 

[Steve_C]

Thanks

Another case of things operate differently in different places. Never have had to wade out to the boat. Have done the pass the gear up to boat before getting back on the boat. They just took tanks/bcd/integrated weights up as one piece.

 

[Hank49]

Sit ups. Do lots of sit ups.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Hi all:

I am wearing 1 kilo on each hip which is plenty including the plate and STA. I have loosened, tightened, and shifted the weight belt to different areas, but nothing really helps.

This never happened to me with the SP integrated weights and I never have back issues elsewhere. I am in decent shape (run, lift, and cross fit) and always stretch before I dive. I almost feel like something isn't fitting me correctly???

Outside side of reminding me that I am getting to be an old fart D), does anyone have some suggestions or ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Matt

Hi Matt.

I'm a bit of an expert on back pain having burst two discs in my back last year which put me in a wheel chair until I had an operation to fix them and allowed me to get back to diving again.

Given in your post you say you're only carrying 1 kg on each hip (4.4lbs) I would suggest you could put all this on cam band trim pockets. I have a similar set up albeit with a SS backplate which I dive with a Steel tank in the Gulf of Oman and the Maldives. I carry 1 - 2 kg depending on my wetsuit on the lower cam band (I prefer that to the top having tried both - but you should figure which is best for you)

With this little weight you should be able to swim your rig up to the surface in the event of a wing failure - I had an incident with a wing deflate this year and swum my rig up from 20m (65ft) with little effort.

You should also go to the gym and do some weights concentrating on your core and back muscles so that rather than your spine taking load your muscles do instead.

If anyone gets any tingling or the like after carrying dive kit it can be a symptom of your back discs bulging and pressing against the sciatic nerve in your back, as I found out it takes very little (in my case just getting back into a dive boat) to burst the discs which release fluid thus pressing even more on the nerve and causing incredible pain. If anyone feels tingling etc then get yourself checked out and do some preventative core strengthening exercises. If you ignore it as I did then you'll still end up doing these exercises but only after a back operation and then under the supervision of a physio-terrorist