Question Weight and been gear Overweight.

[rAgnaAA]

Thanks everyone for your advices and reply's

My advice would be to try kicking up the steel tank you have from depth with no air in the bC. If you can do that, I would not get another lighter tank. If you are able to kick it up, I would still have a smb with a purge valve for a little more insurance.

Oh I did test something similar this past weekend from 30m deep to 10m, 5m with my safety stop right now I can control my buoyancy with my lungs most of the dive (a few squirt at 30m) but at shallow I don’t use air on the bcd at all.

But I should do this test again and be SURE that my BCD is completely empty but I’m confident I can kick my way up, I know I have the strength + endurance to do that kind of stuff (Yeah… I’m a gym rat. I can deadlift over 220kg and Squat over 180kg... Just don’t ask how much I bench my shoulder will start to cry haha).

I never thought about the DSMB as an additional flotation I have Mares Diver Alert Marker it’s 1,8m x 15cm (6 feet x 0,5 feet) should a get a smaller one or just continue with this one? But I’ll start training using this as an emergency flotation device.

My steel tank is this one “Faber Industrie S.P.A – Lot nr. 22/00086-001_033” Click on 2022 and Select the lot nr.

The pony bottle might be an option I should check for a pony mount. I’ll stick with my gear for now. BUT if a good deal appears I should jump on it because where I live there might not be a second chance like that ahah

Thanks.

 

[Umpman]

If you have aspirations to get into tech diving soon, I would hold off on a Back Plate and wing until you know the type of tech you are going to do. Different types of tech require different setups (Ie sidemont vs doubles). If you are going to dive for a couple years before getting into tech (which I recommend), look at the dive right wing with an aluminum plate If you want to have some ditch-able weights. Personally, I like to be about 2 pounds overweight to make descent easier. I dive a Steel 100 with a 6 pound backplate. In salt water with my 5mil semidry, I am just slightly overweight, with my 3.5 semidry I am about 2 pounds over. When using Aluminum tanks, I still don’t need weight but it is a little more difficult to descend. In freshwater, I am definitely overweight but it is managable. I like not having to have extra lead on. I should say, i also need to be slightly overweight for when I hot drop to tie into a wreck. Also, dont forget, if you are diving with aluminum tanks, you need to start the dive more negative because the tank will become positively buoyant as it is depleted. The best way to check you proper weight with an Alumium tank is at the end of the dive. Empty your tank to 500 psi and then remove weight a little a time until you are neutrally buoyant

As far as you buddy helping you up in an emergency, geerally, you generally should not ditch weights at depth because it can cause a rapid ascent. If you have to be rescued (for example, you are unconsciou), your buddy should hold on to you and use you inflator to slowly bring both of you to the surface. If you are out of air, he would use his BCD. If you are only a few pounds overweight, this should not be a problem. Generally, you would ditch the weights after you are at the surface.

On a dive note, if you want to be more self reliant and also be a better buddy, I strongly encourage you to take a stress and rescue course and have your buddy take it as well. I think a stress and rescue course along with nitrox should be the first course a diver takes after getting their open water certification. It is invaluable.