Weight harness and boat diving

[fran2bo3]

I am considering buying a DUI Classis weight harness to use instead of the integrated pockets in my Seaquest Ranger. Normally I remove my weight pockets, pass them to the boat crew followed by my BC. With the DUI system surely this would be reversed and I would be left with 20lb+ pulling me down as you have to remove the BC first before taking off the weight harness. Has anyone perfected this manouvre?

 

[Thalassamania]

It should be a non-issue. If you are diving wet, then there should only be enough weight on the harness to get you neutral near the surface. If you are diving dry there should only be enough weight on the harness to get you neutral when near shrink wrapped, so just give you suit a little shot of air for extra comfort. In either case, pass your BC aboard and then your harness. If you're nervous, have the boat crew toss you a line with a clip and clip it off to the harness, then they can take up slack and keep you at the surface whilst you dispose you your BC and tank and then let them bring your harness aboard with the line.

 

[rstofer]

This whole thing go right to the idea of balance. Your rig needs to be able to float at the surface without being worn and you need to be able to float without a BC.

For the BP/W divers, this might be pretty easy (assuming wetsuit diving) because the tank is usually negative and the backplate might be 6# negative. Some divers even add an 8# plate weight. So, if the tank is initially 10# negative then the wing needs to float 10# + 6# + 8# + 2# (regulator) or about 26#.

The diver, given a 7mm wetsuit, might only be wearing 10# of lead if a weight plate is used. Maybe even less.

So, consider putting some of your weight back in the integrated pockets. Or maybe your BC has trim pockets or perhaps you like tank weights.

Personally, I don't want to have to lift any more than necessary. I probably won't put the 8# plate weight on the rig.

Richard

 

[TSandM]

You CAN pull the weights on the DUI harness. They're just a bit of a PITA to get back and rethreaded.

I set my weights up so that I never have enough around my waist to sink my drysuit by themselves. If I take my BC off before my weight belt, I won't sink -- I just may not be quite as comfortably buoyant as I am without it.

 

[Bonairetrip]

First, let me echo what others have said -- if you are properly weighted/balanced you should not drop like a stone when you take off your bc. You can make yourself more comfortable by shifting some weight from your harness to your BC (or BP/W for that matter). All sorts of ways to do that (BC trim pockets, cam weights, ankle weights around the neck of the tank valve, use a stainless vs. al backplate, etc, etc.)

Second, if you are diving dry, you could simply add a bit more air to the suit before you take of the weights.

Third, you could board the boat with all of your gear on (unless it is not allowed by the charter company).

Fourth, as TS&M noted you could pull the rip cord on one or both sides. You could also fish a weight or two out the top of the pocket (mine has velcro there).

Fifth, Thalassamania offers another idea -- essentially clipping off your harness.

FWIW, I own and enjoy the DUI classic -- for me, it is way better than a weight belt!

 

[vicp]

I also want to echo what eveyone else has said.

You need to have your ballst distributed so you do not sink like a rock if you take off your BC. I use a stainless BP/W where the BP adds 5+ lbs of ballast.

When I dive wet with a 3 mil jumpsuit, I only use 2-4 lbs in pouches on my tank cam bands for both trim and ballast.

When diving dry, I use about 10-12 lbs in my DUI W&T classic.

You can distribute the ballast between cam band pouches, BC pouches or the harness to configure whatever bouyancy and trim you require. Given the choice, I doubt that I will ever use a weight belt again.