Weighting advice

[GiantMoray]

Hi,

I'm trying to work out how to set up my weighting for my current single tank BPW setup. In fresh water with the dry suit (all year round here) I use about 8kg although that may reduce to maybe 6kg as my buoyancy with the dry suit improves.

Having asked the LDS I'm thinking of going for maybe a p weight and a pouch belt and soft weights. (They recommended p weight and pouches for tank cam bands but I want some dumpable weight.)

Just wondering what peoples advice is, I can chose between 2.9kg and 5kg p weight not sure which to go for, thinking maybe just the 2.9 to remove some of the extra ballast from the belt.

Any advice?

Thanks
James

 

[fire_diver]

Before you start adding weights and mounting them on your plate, you need to figure out how much weight you really need. I don't know you and your undergarments, but 8Kg seems like a lot, especially if you already think you can pull another 2Kg off.

Start by getting the proper amount of air (more like the proper amount of squeeze) in your DS, with almost empty air tank, and find out exactly how much weight you need to just get you to sink after a full exhale. Once you know this number, then you can start worrying about where to mount it.

Personal preference is that I like to have enough weight on my belt so that I can still remove my tank without turning into a cork and hanging onto the straps for dear life. If you have trim issues after doing this, then start playing with moving a pound or two onto tank cam-bands.

 

[GiantMoray]

Well I did a weighting test with 6kg, empty DS and wing and almost empty cylinder and with a breath held bobbed at eye line, same with 8kg bobbed just below the surface, I did one dive with my wife on 6kg and found a struggled a bit, hense adding on 2, but that may be experience. I think I might go for the 2.9kg p weight so the weight is more sensibly spread between the belt and the backplate etc.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

The best course of action is to always have some weight that is "ditchable"(unless you have some sort of redundant lift....dual bladder wing etc..). So your idea of a small p weight and a small amount on your belt is most likely the best option.

 

[GiantMoray]

Yeah, I think seeing as I've dived with 6kg and the wing, having 5kg extra bolted on doesn't leave much room for maneuver although dry diving does add some redundancy.

 

[mathauck0814]

For single tank diving w/ BPW I've always preferred the old fashioned weight belt. In that configuration it goes under the harness and is trapped by the crotch strap, so it's not going anywhere (until you want it to and you pull both buckles). I'm 6'1, 210lbs, in a cordura drysuit w/ 4th element arctic undergarments I wear ~14lbs (not including the BPW+STA) - for reference. All the silly weighting solutions - unless you're built very uniquely - are just a money grab by gadget makers. Nothing like good, old fashioned 2" nylon webbing and a buckle.

 

[victorzamora]

......and with a breath held bobbed at eye line.....

Just a quick point, but the target condition is to bob at eye-level with about half a breath. You want to be able to slowly sink with a FULL exhale, and climb slowly with a full inhale. If a full inhale is what got you at eye-level, I'd bet you could shed at LEAST another kilo, if two.

As for weight belts, you need to consider a Mako freediving "Marseilles" style weight belt. They're rubber and have a tongue/groove like a normal style belt. They're depth-compensating, so you don't have to fight with them like a normal weight belt, they're safer and last longer than a plastic buckle (I've seen a few broken between dives). Also, the rubber material keeps them from sliding, so you can position the weight belt much farther up your body for trim if necessary. My wife HATES weight belts, but likes the rubber one. They're like $15 or $20 in the US, so they won't break the bank. I agree that there's no need to get TOO fancy, though.

 

[GiantMoray]

Well with 8kg an inhale had me hovering under just the surface, so I think it is too much, 6kg is probably what I should be using. mathauck0841 are you saying I shouldn't bother with p weight, or just that I should stick to a normal belt rather than pouches? I just found the pouch belt (with soft weights) I tried the other day more comfortable and quicker to drop the weights in than thread them, it had rubber on the inside so was easier to position where I wanted.

 

[victorzamora]

When you say "inhale" do you mean a full breath? You should be hovering eye-level with water at a half breath. I believe you need 4 or 5kg.

 

[fire_diver]

I just found the pouch belt (with soft weights) I tried the other day more comfortable and quicker to drop the weights in than thread them, it had rubber on the inside so was easier to position where I wanted.

Why do you feel the need to easily drop weights into a pouch? After knowing how much weight you need, just thread that much on a belt and then you seldom need to change it. I do use a weight pouch on a cam band for trim weight, along with my 6# SS plate.