Trim Weighting with a hogarthian harness

[dschonbrun]

Right now I'm just renting tanks as I travel to dive. I'll try and find a dive shop that can rent a steel 100 or 120 for me next time.

All the points about the negatives of ditchable weights are helpful, saw someone loose a 5lb off their weight belt when it opened prematurely. DA - thanks for the info on overhead standards. I have no experience in that area, so it's a good point of reference, thank you.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I looked at the website for the Freedom plate - it looks an awful lot like one of the old US divers hard packs that I have. The main difference being that it is stainless steel rather than painted aluminim.

It is streamlined but it loses an awful lot of the flexibility offerred by a backplate and limits many of the configuration options.

 

[battles2a5]

I agree w/ DA (both on the ditchable weight and the freedom plate). If you are moving into a BP/W I would highly suggest a traditional backplate so you have essentially unlimited options with your configuration. You can move from singles to doubles, you can easily change your configuration with the diving environment as well. For instance, diving AL80s in the tropics requires different weighting and (both amount and position) than diving dry in cold water. You can make adjustments for these types of things w/ a good BP. Just some food for thought as you are pulling your rig together.

 

[nereas]

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

Note that you are not in the DIR section.

Note also that DIR does not own the hogarthian rig, it is common to many tech and nontech configurations, not just GUE-DIR.

Having said that, your trim with a hog-rig will be split between (1) your weightbelt and (2) your backplate.

You have the flexibility to vary the weight on both, until your trim is perfect.

Shifting weight to your belt will move your center of gravity towards your feet.

Shifting weight to your backplate will move your center of gravity towards your head.

Coated lead weights for your weight belt work best.

Metal weight plates from Deep Sea Supply work best for your backplate.

You just need to experiment with where to put the weight, to make your trim perfect.

Piece of cake, but it requires some trial and error.

 

[ianr33]

I put a regular weight on the waistbelt of my harness. It is not going to come off by accident but it could be ditched if needed (After undoing the buckle and unthreading the weight)

 

[TSandM]

Note that the weight plates from DSS only work with DSS backplates. They're not a universal solution, although they're a very nice one for the the DSS rigs.

 

[nereas]

Yes, and DSS also offers sized backplates, in small med and large. Cutting edge state of the art!

I would not get my backplates anyplace else!

If you live in the L.A. Area, it is well worth your time to make this your regular dive shop for everything. They also take mail orders. And there are quite a few other dive shops who order from them.

I have never met Tobin but he seems like a really nice, accomodating guy. Same is true of Patrick at Oxycheq -- he also has great products, also cutting edge, and he is also a nice guy and very accomodating.

 

[Peter_C]

There are a couple of options with the Freedom Plate for adding weight. First off you could put a 5lb soft weight between the wing and the plate under the tank, or it might hold better between the tank and wing, just above the tank bracket. Give it a try on land and see if you can pull it out by hand. I would not call this permanent, but a trial. I poured a lead weight made from tire weights to fit under the tank and just above the tank mount. Works perfect for keeping about 5lbs off my 16+(2-4, depending on how cold the water is) extra lbs weight belt. Plus as you are looking for; it brought the weight forward towards my head. I already dive HP100's though, using a drysuit and thick undies for warmth.

 

[ShagMan]

As TS&M previously said, I found that swapping from a SeaQuest Balance and AL tanks over to a SS backplate and steel HP100's meant I dropped the 15+lbs of weight I was carrying... now I just have to add weight if I'm diving saltwater or with a thicker wetsuit...

I'm 100% neutral with a 3mm in freshwater.

I picked up aomse XS Scuba weightpockets, and will be using one per camband, as others have suggested. I'm only a little worried about my trim (have been using a weight belt or a 5lb threaded onto my harness). Worst case, I'll just go back to a weight belt.

 

[ShagMan]

As a follow-up, I will be using the XS Scuba weight pockets on my harness belt, or moving back to a weight belt.

The weights mounted on the camband left me too "foot-light", meaning that with extra bouyancy (thicker suit in this case), I was wanting to float head-down... I'm pretty tall too, so that didn't help... I needed the weight lower on my body.