Weighting a bp/wings

[dmdalton]

Realize that you will dump it as soon as you go to a canister light, a requirement for cavern, cave or wreck. Then the only time you would/might use it is shallow dives in good viz.

You might think of getting a couple of pockets from 5th D and gluing them on your wetsuit. If it has to stretch, put it on and glue it up while you are in it. It will only take about an hour. I'm going to replace my factory pockets on my Andy's Drysuit with the 5th D pockets. They only cost about $30 a piece.

I've heard it suggested by Andrew G. that one could sew his pockets on spandex bike shorts which one would put on over their wet or dry suit. Maybe, but it seems like major rule 6 violation to me.

Dave D

 

[SeaJay]

dmdalton once bubbled...
Realize that you will dump it as soon as you go to a canister light, a requirement for cavern, cave or wreck. Then the only time you would/might use it is shallow dives in good viz.

You might think of getting a couple of pockets from 5th D and gluing them on your wetsuit. If it has to stretch, put it on and glue it up while you are in it. It will only take about an hour. I'm going to replace my factory pockets on my Andy's Drysuit with the 5th D pockets. They only cost about $30 a piece.

I've heard it suggested by Andrew G. that one could sew his pockets on spandex bike shorts which one would put on over their wet or dry suit. Maybe, but it seems like major rule 6 violation to me.

Dave D

Hehehee... "Rule 6?" Is there a list of rules somewhere that I'm missing? This isn't the first reference I've heard to rules.

But I think I get the drift. It would look pretty dorky.

Interesting thought on the pockets... Only an hour? I could do that. What, just tape them up? Hmmmm...

It'd be nice to never have to think about pockets again. I need them all the time, even when I freedive. That would definitely solve the problem.

What's your experience with 5thD pockets vs. Halcyon pockets?

And DIR says that it's a bellowed pocket on the left, and a "thin" pocket on the right. Why's that? What if, as a Rescue diver, I plan on taking more than one lift bag or more than one reel down, and I don't want to dangle? It would make sense to have two bellows pockets, wouldn't it?

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of having pockets on my wetsuit. I just was never able to combat the idea of excess wear. Your idea might just do it.

There's one more problem, too... Now where am I going to hook my long hose? I understand that many tuck it into their belts, but I'm not keen on that idea, really. The DIR knife works well then?

Then I won't need my pigsticker. ;-0 Didn't I tell y'all that I'll consider going DIR, but I'm not getting rid of my pigsticker?

'Course, I could wear them both... Nahhhh... Jeez, I'm going to go DIR yet.

 

[dmdalton]

They will tell you about "Rule 6" in DIRF. You will be sworn to secrecy!

Pockets can be glued on with aquaseal or other wetsuit glue. draw an outline of where you want the pocket and where the glue will go. Put on a coat, allow to dry about 15 minutes until tack free, repeat several times until you have a good basecoat built up (3-4 times) the same time doing the same for the pocket. After the last coat wait 15 minutes (until just about tack free) and press in place. It will not move so get it right. Go dive!

George preaches the two different pockets, but if you are diving with wetuit gloves you won't get your hand in the small flat pocket. I use bellows on both sides, which is what Andrew G teaches (the GUE Training Director).

I like the 5th D pockets and they are considerably less money.

For you long hose, put you pig sticker on your waist strap where you canister should go and run it under there, or have the second knife left of center run it under there, or take a piece of 1 & 1/2" pvc or abs pipe rigged like a canister light on your right side about 10 " long and run it there "practicing for your canister light! Of course that won't wash for your DIRF class.

Dave D

 

[nessmiller]

Sea Jay,
Have you thought about one of Dive Rite's thigh pockets? They attach to the harness and also have a leg strap. While I don't own one (my drysuit has pockets), they look pretty useful and are about half the cost of the Halcyon pocket. Hope this helps. Best of luck with your BP and wing - I'm right behind you.

Take care,

Steve

 

[SeaJay]

Yeah, I've thought about the Dive Rite pockets. I thought that I'd kill those two birds with the Halcyon "hard" pocket, though. Of course, I forgot that I'd have to ditch it when I got the cannister, leaving me pocketless. Well, I didn't actually forget... I thought I could move the hard pocket forward, but then I saw that it couldn't be done (because of the size of the pocket) and didn't think about it again. The Dive Rites are a viable option again, though.

My pigsticker, which I adore, has leg straps, and a plastic locking sheath that accomodate the leg straps only. Any clues as to how to get this upright on 2" webbing?

My girl, who wears a 3/2 mil, and then an identical (but one size up) 3/2 mil when it's really cold, would have a problem gluing pockets. Not only is she totally against "ruining her wetsuit" by gluing something to it, but couldn't glue them to her smaller wetsuit, since that would then prohibit using the second suit. If she only glued pockets on the larger one, then she'd onlyhave pockets when it was cold and she was wearing both suits. Obviously, she's a candidate for the Dive Rite pocket.

I think I might grow some guts, though, and try the glue, now that I'm aware of the correct way to do it.

...And I'll look into the 5thD pockets. Is there any significant difference between them and the Halcyons?

Interesting point about the wetsuit gloves. I ALWAYS wear gloves. That might change for caving (so I can feel the line better) but in a wreck or in open water, I always wear gloves to protect my hands from shells, rusting edges, barnacles, and the like. I've cut myself too many times to not wear gloves. Admittedly, though, my favorite gloves are Akona's "Adventure" gloves, which are very thin and made of fabric instead of neoprene. I do use neoprene ones, however, when I feed at the Aquarium, under my chain mail. The little extra padding makes it not be such a painful ordeal to feed fish with no manners. Would 1 mil thick gloves prevent me from using the thinner pocket? If so, then it's a pair of bellows for me. Makes me feel better that Andrew enforces that. I think it's Andrew that's teaching my class next weekend. I'll ask him before I glue.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

SeaJay once bubbled...


Hm. FredT told me that he has a "harder angle" in the plate, meaning that it's not as flat as the Halcyon plate. He said that it made singles stand away from the diver more, but doubles fit better. I was wondering how this affected the way the plate felt...

I suspected that my FredT heavy plate and STA set my single 80 further back than my Halcyon/STA combo. The FredT seems like it has a deeper channel and a more acute angle. So I measured them and was surprised to find that there was very little difference. The photos below show my Halcyon SS plate and STA vs. FredT heavy plate and heavy STA. The plates and adapters are assembled on an Al 80 without a wing and the distance from the tank to the inside of the channel is measured. You can see that there is only an 1/8th of an inch difference.

SA

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Here is another comparison photo. The rigs are flat on the ground and the distance from the ground to the tank valve is measured. The difference is again relatively small...about 1/2".

SA

 

[SeaJay]

Those are great photos... They really show a lot. Thanks for sharing those with us! I really appreciate that.

It'd be interesting to see this experiment done with each of FredT's revisions, too.

Very nice.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

From Fred's description, I would guess that my plate is a revision 2. I use this plate and the heavy STA when diving dry.

SA

[edit]

If you would like some more photos let me know.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Stephen Ash once bubbled...
The difference is again relatively small...about 1/2".

As long as you can reach your valve... that 1/2" is insignificant... but...