Very "light" scuba diving

[DiverGuam]

I'd disagree that it's particuarly challenging to do a monkey dive, so long as your weighting is correct. Yesterday I just couldn't be bothered to lug the CCR, and the bailout, and the DPV down and back up a shore dive trail a second time...my first serious monkey dive (max depth 50' or so, hour of runtime) was the result, and it turned out to be quite effortless and freeing. Next time I think I'll leave the DPV at home and just enjoy the freedom of not having anything encumbering me but a single tank under my arm.

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Here's the two things you got right, that the OP will be fighting with:

1. No wetsuit for you means there is very little compression based loss/change of buoyancy. OP plans on using a wetsuit.

2. Aluminum tanks, especially the standard 80's, are much easier to use than steel tanks, or even the smaller pony sized aluminum tanks. OP is planning on using a steel tank which is means the ballast and trim will be swinging all around.

For the OP, if you switch to octo length hose, and a angled swivel, and a aluminum tank set up like a stage bottle, you can weave D-Rings onto a weight belt and clip the tank off to the D-Rings by the nose.

The really nice thing about using an aluminum tank is that you can check out your weighting free-diving, and then just add a tank later. Also Dr.Lecter, that would let you get your hands free for a lot of the dive. I means that is where a lot of monkey diving comes from: using up stage bottles that were already ready to go.

 

[pisoiu]

Well, the setup is not necesailry unchangable. It is just convenient from a certain point of view. The wetsuit I plan to use is a 2mm shorty, so the buoyancy swing will be minimal. I do not have exact numbers but my guts tell me it will not exceed 0.5kg/1lbs in the depth range I want to go. The tank story is a bit more complicated. I plan to use a steel pony because I already have it and because there is a plane involved in all these. I can take a small pony with me on the plane but I do not think is practical to take a 11 liters aluminium tank. Of course I can rent it from the destination, but it's one more hassle I would preffer to skip. As for the harness, I already have a dive rite transpac which I also use with a wing for my doubles, so it would be good for monkey diving also (no wing, of course).

 

[pisoiu]

Just a quick update. I have perfected a setup which I use at pool, I go there 7-8 times each month just to keep me wet. Weigth belt has 4 kg on it and 2 drings. I have another belt which I keep around my torso and a 4l steel pony feeding a ffm ocean reef. With a 2mm shortie, all is ok, the buoyancy is perfect. I also use jetfins, they are quite heavy. This works fine in pool with fresh water. Perhaps for salted water I have to add 1-2kg to my belt.