Trim Weighting with a hogarthian harness

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

dschonbrun

Contributor
Messages
304
Reaction score
3
Location
New York
# of dives
500 - 999
I'm new to DIR, but am very interested in clean and well-tested methods. I've just ordered a Freedom Plate with Hog harness and am interested to find options for weighting that align with DIR standards.

Here are some stats to help people...

I'm 5'10" 190 lb. With an AL 80 and a 3mm Full WS, I typically add 10-12 lb. I can achieve good trim by putting 40-50% in my trim pockets (non DIR BCD) and 50-60% of it on a separate waist level weight belt. My fins are slightly negatively buoyant (c-straps).

The Freedom Plate is about 6 lb. So, I figure I need to add about 3lb of ballast at chest height (trim) and about 3-4 lb of easily removable weight at my waist. What options do you suggest for the chest/shoulder level (trim) weight?

Thanks,
David Schonbrun
 
I would add a weighted STA and your light cannister qualifies as ditchiable weight. With a SS plate/STA and a 3mil, you probably won't need any more weight to sink. If you do, or if you are going w/ a thicker suit either look into steel tanks or get a channel weight for your BP.
 
If you end up needing trim weights, the XS weight pockets on cam bands do work well.
 
You may not need 12 pounds any more . . . Tobin says the average BC has 2 to 3 pounds of positive buoyancy intrinsic to it, and we checked my husband's SeaQuest Balance, and it was 3 pounds. So, with the plate giving you six, you may only need three more pounds or so. You may just be able to put that on a belt, since you've moved six pounds up onto your back.

If you find you need more weight up high, an STA or the XS Scuba weight pouches work well.
 
not a "DIR" diver, but if you do need some extra weight, I would throw it on your cam bands. You can put one on each cam band on opposite sides. I use the previously mentioned XS scuba pockets, but you don't really need the pocekts, you can just thread the cam bands through the weight slots (assuming hard weights of course).
 
As someone who is rescue trained, I'm very hesitant to dive without some kind of easily ditchable weight (at least 4 lb). If my BC has a leak, or my BC fill valve malfunctions, it's critical for safety. It also makes it much easier for the rescuer to quickly create positive buoyancy if I become a victim.

Those of you who mention STA's... the Freedom plate is a dedicated single tank plate, and it doesn't have a channel the way other plates do. It also doesn't have bolt holes.

I may be using a Steel 120 in future, so hopefully that will take care of some of the ballast. That said, I'll still wear a weight belt with one or two.
 
TS&M, that's a great point. I was wondering about the lift of my BCD. It's a Large Knighthawk, well padded... probably 2-3 lb like you said.
 
As someone who is rescue trained, I'm very hesitant to dive without some kind of easily ditchable weight (at least 4 lb). If my BC has a leak, or my BC fill valve malfunctions, it's critical for safety. It also makes it much easier for the rescuer to quickly create positive buoyancy if I become a victim.
As someone who is trained in overhead diving, I am uncomfortable diving with ditchable weight as losing it at the wrong time can have serious and potentially fatal consequences.

Unless you are badly overweighted, even a BC/wing failure is not an issue. If I am unconcious at the bottom where being sent to the surface and being bent is preferable to staying down and being dead, my buddy bring me up or send me up with a liftbag. If I am at the surface and need more bouyancy, my buddy can feel free to cut my harness off and drop the tanks, plates, regs and if used the V-weight - that will quickly produce bags of positive bouyancy.

I am not a real fan of weights on cam bands either - they add all kinds of potential line traps. If you need lead weight along the axis of the tank, use a V-weight (doubles) or a weighted STA (single tank).
 
Ditchable weight is unnecessary if you dive a balanced rig. Or have back up buoyancy(which you should have any way) in the form of a dry suit or, for me when diving wet, a lift bag. There is no reason you should be dropping weights at depth anyway unless the diver is terribly overweighted to begin with or is already dead and it doesn't matter if he/she shoots to the surface like a polaris missile. Dropping weights is for the surface.

Going to a BPW may prove to be a real eye opener as to how overweighted you may be. And as others have said ditch the al tanks and go steel.
 
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

Back
Top Bottom