Using BP/W with ditchable weights

[Splitlip]

With my Al plate and 1 mil suit I carry no ditchable weight. I put 1 to 2 pounds in pockets mounted on cam straps. easy to swim my rig up.
With my steel plate, 3 mil suit and vest I will carry up to 4#s (ditchable).
I always liked weight integrated BC's. When I first moved to BPW, I tried several options to mount weight pockets on the rig. In the end I went with a weight belt and won't look back.
Honestly, a great way to go. I wear it under my crotch strap. When gearing up, it is real convenient to not heft the extra weight.

 

[robertarak]

John,

A SS back plate and harness is about 6 lbs negative. It's quite common for new backplate and wing users to be able to use less total ballast than they were previously using with a jacket BC.

Jacket BC's are typically 2-4 lbs positive, and a BP&W is not.

A wing is often easier to fully vent. Inability to full vent any BC requires the diver to carry more weight.

Often new BP&W users are carefully checking their total weighting requirements instead of relying on "rules of thumb" like 10% of your body weight etc.

In short don't be surprised if you can remove more than the ~ 6 lbs that the Backplate and harness provides.

My recommendation is to use a weight belt. Lets assume you need a total of 10 lbs. That leaves only 4 lbs in a weight belt. A 4 lbs weight belt is not uncomfortable.

Tobin__________________
Innovative Backplates, Wings, Harnesses and accessories

Man, you even mention BP/W and Tobin is all over it, with great information I might add! I have got to get over and buy me a rig from him!

 

[DivingCRNA]

I wear no weight in a wetsuit (3 mm) and 16 pound on a belt with my neoprene drysuit. I dive a BP/W. I did an entire Cozumel trip without a weightbelt or ditchable weights. It was GREAT.

 

[Splitlip]

Ziptying ankle weights to the plate! Lynn, that is really slick.

 

[grumpymedic]

John here is a pic of my BP/W with the Zeagle Zip touch weight pockets. They hold 10 lbs on each side and all you do is pull the red handle down and the weights drop. $55 from Zeagle Express..Dove with it Saturday and trimmed out great.

Rex

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

For easily ditchable weight, you have the DUI Weight&Trim harness, the Halcyon ACB pockets on the waistband, or a weight belt. (I use an XS Scuba belt, where you can open the pockets and take the weights out, too.)

Dive Rite and Zeagle (as pictured) make ditchable pockets too

 

[BabyDuck]

do a careful weight check. it's true - you may not need any!

if you do, consider a cam band pocket. i had 2 on my singles rig, on the bottom band. if you're foot heavy, you can put them on the top band. the weight could be ditched if you can reach the zipper. i could, but i can't assume for you. then again, the ability to ditch weight is way way over-emphasized. worry more about how much is needed, then where it is needed, and coming in a distant third, if you can get rid of it.

 

[jarhed]

OMS makes ditchable weight pouches like the Halycon ACB system, but they also have a D ring on the top of the pocket where you can suspend them from the D rings on your harness. It's a very nice no-sag solution which I like very much. I only use them in cold water where I need 6 lbs per pouch ( plus 6lbs BP, 6lb STA).

You can find here:
http://www.scuba-market.com/detail.aspx?ID=401

Take care,
john

 

[Vicente]

I use a plain old weight belt with my SS BP. The ditchable weight question comes up frequently, do a search.

A lot will depend on YOU and your physiology, you will need to get into water with it and find out. You may find that a traditional setup works fine without need for fiddling with location to get the right trim.

I like having some ditchable. Ultimately if you are diving a wetsuit you have to assume what if my suit is crushed to zero bouyancy by a deep dive, and the wing fails, how much weight am I going to have to lift off the bottom. I like to toss in another handicap like say I've lost a fin. I find that my tight spots come not with a single failure but a double-failure.

For you, probably not so much of a problem. For me diving cold NorCal "wet" with the weight needed to sink a 7mm suit plus hooded vest, I'd rather be able to dump 1/3 to 1/2 of it in a pinch.

 

[kidspot]

one more vote for the XS Scuba pouches or belt - I prefer their pouches on my harness waist belt, mounted upside down. They are a very small option (with a small price tag too) and hold up to 5# each (I've easily put a 6# in each).

Aloha, Tim