WEight System - OMS SS Backplate

[Paul Desmarais]

Looking for advice on a weight system for my OMS backplate system.

I have been, until recently, a warm-water diver. I wear a 3mm shorty and always used a weight belt with one trim pocket, with a total of about 12-16lbs. Recently, I have been diving in California and New England where the water is cold and with a 7mm exposure suit, I seem to need 30-34lbs to get down and stay down as my tank becomes postitively bouyant.

Putting that much weight on my belt is uncomfortable and the belt sags and needs to be tightened, which is a pain because the buckle is right under my BCD waist strap. I tried a harness (once) and all those extra straps are just a mess. I like my harness because it is simple and not restrictive and adding the harness is the oppostive of simple.

I'd like to try an integrated weight system, but not very many contain enough weight. I have two trim pockets that carry 8lbs, so I need a system that will allow me to carry an additional 22-26 lbs.

Ideas? Advice?

Thank you in advance.

 

[lexvil]

Looking for advice on a weight system for my OMS backplate system.

I have been, until recently, a warm-water diver. I wear a 3mm shorty and always used a weight belt with one trim pocket, with a total of about 12-16lbs. Recently, I have been diving in California and New England where the water is cold and with a 7mm exposure suit, I seem to need 30-34lbs to get down and stay down as my tank becomes postitively bouyant.

Putting that much weight on my belt is uncomfortable and the belt sags and needs to be tightened, which is a pain because the buckle is right under my BCD waist strap. I tried a harness (once) and all those extra straps are just a mess. I like my harness because it is simple and not restrictive and adding the harness is the oppostive of simple.

I'd like to try an integrated weight system, but not very many contain enough weight. I have two trim pockets that carry 8lbs, so I need a system that will allow me to carry an additional 22-26 lbs.

Ideas? Advice?

Thank you in advance.

If you want to carry weight on the waist strap of your harness of any significance you may want to use a “T” bar to help hold the weight pouches. HOG has some pouches than hold 12 lb or more, Zeagle rear weight pouches adapt easily to the set up too, there are many options once you break away from the single piece harness idea otherwise the separate weight harness like DUI is the best option.

 

[-JD-]

If you want to carry weight on the waist strap of your harness of any significance you may want to use a “T” bar to help hold the weight pouches. HOG has some pouches than hold 12 lb or more, Zeagle rear weight pouches adapt easily to the set up too, there are many options once you break away from the single piece harness idea otherwise the separate weight harness like DUI is the best option.

Zeagle Zip-Touch and Rear-Weight pouches can be anchored to the backplate AND the harness belt (Rear-Weight requires making a hole in the velcro tabs.) I don't see why they can't work with a single piece harness.

The Zeagles are my favorites for a low-profile direct-dumpable (no inner pouches), but OMS has the 3-cavity pockets that have a direct-dump pouch, then zippered and velcro utility pockets downside is they are bulky. Both have zipper loading and double velcroed, toggle-released (pull up-out then down) dump that is very secure. Unless you are dumping frequently, the velcro gets no wear and tear.

OMS and Dive-Rite have (inner) pouch-loading pockets that mount on the waist-belt if you prefer the ability to install the weights at the last minute, hand weights up at the end of the dive, and/or prefer highly positive dumping - Downsides more bulk and a higher chance of inadvertent weight loss.

@Paul Desmarais , what kind of tank are you diving? Also singles or doubles?
Switching to a steel tanks may help to reduce your lead needs when diving cold water.

My preferred strategy is to distribute the lead around. You shouldn't need all of your weight in dumpable pockets. Some on plate or cam-band pockets, p-weights, weighted STA. With your needs, maybe some on a belt.

You need to be able to dump sufficient weight so you are safely positive at the surface, with full tank(s), and no air in your wing.

 

[lexvil]

Zeagle Zip-Touch and Rear-Weight pouches can be anchored to the backplate AND the harness belt (Rear-Weight requires making a hole in the velcro tabs.) I don't see why they can't work with a single piece harness.

The Zeagles are my favorites for a low-profile direct-dumpable (no inner pouches), but OMS has the 3-cavity pockets that have a direct-dump pouch, then zippered and velcro utility pockets downside is they are bulky. Both have zipper loading and double velcroed, toggle-released (pull up-out then down) dump that is very secure. Unless you are dumping frequently, the velcro gets no wear and tear.

OMS and Dive-Rite have (inner) pouch-loading pockets that mount on the waist-belt if you prefer the ability to install the weights at the last minute, hand weights up at the end of the dive, and/or prefer highly positive dumping - Downsides more bulk and a higher chance of inadvertent weight loss.

@Paul Desmarais , what kind of tank are you diving? Also singles or doubles?
Switching to a steel tanks may help to reduce your lead needs when diving cold water.

My preferred strategy is to distribute the lead around. You shouldn't need all of your weight in dumpable pockets. Some on plate or cam-band pockets, p-weights, weighted STA. With your needs, maybe some on a belt.

You need to be able to dump sufficient weight so you are safely positive at the surface, with full tank(s), and no air in your wing.

Some of the Zeagle have anchor holes, I have both types, yes the ones with holes can attach to the plate and be used with a one piece, I don’t like the one piece for me but others do.

 

[-JD-]

Some of the Zeagle have anchor holes, I have both types, yes the ones with holes can attach to the plate and be used with a one piece, I don’t like the one piece for me but others do.

I use an H-style harness too (Franken, Dive-Rite, Trans-Pac/Trans-Plate) and used to locate the Zeagle pockets with the triglides/attachments on the fixed waist belt. For me, anchoring to the plate now is quite preferable and means minimal flopping and twisting, especially with more lead in the pockets.

For the Zeagle pockets:

• Zip-Touch versions have 2 tabs (high and low) with holes and book screws to attach to the plate
• Rear-Weight versions have high mounted 2" webbing and velcro tabs that can be wrapped around a vertical piece of webbing/slot. (I punched a hole in the tab to line up with an appropriate hole on my plate and use Stainless 1/4" carriage bolts, EPDM bonded belville washers, and nylock nuts to hold it together. Advantage is that there is more range to match plate hole location vs. belt slots. Disadvantage is more work and probably only one plate anchor point.)

 

[lexvil]

I use an H-style harness too (Franken, Dive-Rite, Trans-Pac/Trans-Plate) and used to locate the Zeagle pockets with the triglides/attachments on the fixed waist belt. For me, anchoring to the plate now is quite preferable and means minimal flopping and twisting, especially with more lead in the pockets.

For the Zeagle pockets:

• Zip-Touch versions have 2 tabs (high and low) with holes and book screws to attach to the plate
• Rear-Weight versions have high mounted 2" webbing and velcro tabs that can be wrapped around a vertical piece of webbing/slot. (I punched a hole in the tab to line up with an appropriate hole on my plate and use Stainless 1/4" carriage bolts, EPDM bonded belville washers, and nylock nuts to hold it together. Advantage is that there is more range to match plate hole location vs. belt slots. Disadvantage is more work and probably only one plate anchor point.)

I use a one off 10lb freedom plate, and in fact just took my HOG pouches off and since I was standing there without pouches on I pulled out the ones I have with the screw anchor points,I don’t think they will work with my FP because of the taper but for a standard plate I would use those for sure, very solid attachment.

 

[-JD-]

I use a one off 10lb freedom plate, and in fact just took my HOG pouches off and since I was standing there without pouches on I pulled out the ones I have with the screw anchor points,I don’t think they will work with my FP because of the taper but for a standard plate I would use those for sure, very solid attachment.

I use the Rear-Weight style with both my thin SS Freedom Plate and Golem Gear Reverse-Profile (built in single-tank channel) dog-bone style plate. Both have very limited area above the waist-belt attachment, but with the big target area of the Rear-Weight tabs I was able to make it work.

I use the lower holes with the bolts through the webbing here to anchor the Rear-Weight tabs as well (sorry no complete pic with the pouches currently. ):

 

[happy-diver]

Just carve out some weight plates from lead like I do

And if you're that way inclined, you can carve out a sack for them too

And then you have to dress and beautify it to a standard that defines you

Which with a Freedom Plate hand beaten by Eric Sedletzky and acquired through Scuba Board

It's really not at all very hard to do

Mucho magnificento!