Why would you want to dump weight?

[raposarose]

I am still a new diver, certified last summer, done about 25 dives. I wear part of my weight in pouches attached to my tank straps, the other part in pouches attached to the harness of my bp/wing. I cannot dump weight instantly, but I can reach back, open the pouches and toss the weights out. I selected this configuration at the suggestion of an instructor, and it has worked well. It is a lot more comfortable than the old weightbelts were.

But I wonder sometimes. Is this configuration dangerous since I cannot dump weights without pulling them out? From the dialogue here so far it seems some would say yes and som would say no. I figure I would just need to toss one 5 lb weight (from the 20 total) and that would be enough to surface in case of emergency.

 

[Mortlock]

That is exactly why I asked this question Raposarose. "What do I do with weight on my BP/W setup?" would have been an alternative way to ask it I guess, however I was more after a "first principles" response. The only difference is that I dive with about 10lbs of weight so I'm now thinking that the setup you described above wouldn't be dangerous for me at all.

 

[runsontop]

A panic situation with a diver on the surface is often calmed by ditching his weights while inflating his vest. If you are assisting and he is conscious, ask him to ditch them himself, then check to make sure the weights are free and clear and not hung up somewhere like on a leg-mounted knife. If the diver is too stressed out to ditch them himself or unconscious, do it for him. The added buoyancy often gives immediate relief or-at the very least-helps keep his head above water. Weights are cheap, drowning is forever.

John T.

 

[-hh]

You might tell me what you mean. I have no clue what you are saying. But I am sure it is very intelligent.

Recall the original context of the OP. Here's a recap:

"I was just reading a thread in the DIR section and...in [an] overhead environment...dumping weight...isn't something you'd want to do. I was wondering why..."


What my intent was to point out that with different environments come different requirements.

Ditchable weighs are merely one example of something that's not necessarily beneficial (or not necessarily detrimental) in one dive environment that is not automatically applicable to all dive environments.

I thought of another scenario where weight ditch is necessary and has nothing to do with having bad diving skills.

.

Sure, and I have no problem with that. And I can also think of examples where the lack of the feature of ditchable weights not a huge problem even outside of an overhead environment. For example, for the same example of a castrophic BC bladder failure, consider a self-employed diver who repairs swimming pool liner leaks. His recovery plan is not to ditch anything, but to accept his crash to the pool's bottom, whereupon he crawls/walks the 30ft to the pool's shallow end, stands up and then exits the pool via its ladder.

In the end, its all risk management, based on the risks inherent to the environment and what contingencies and protocols best minimize those risks. Equipment standardization is a pretty good thing, but it is logically subservient to the fundementals of having the proper tools for the job at hand.


-hh

 

[captain]

In the days before BCs ( yes younguns there was a time when there were no BCs) if you were diving a wet suit there were two ways to get down. Either have enough weight to overcome suit bouyancy or haul yourself down the anchor line until you lost suit bouyancy. Once on the bottom you would be negative, either a little or a lot depending on depth and suit thickness and unless you could find your way back to the anchor line to pull yourself up you better have a lot of leg to get yourself up. In those days dumping weight was pretty much your only option if you needed to surface NOW and fast. Today I see the need to dump weight at depth only if there is a failure of a BC to hold air or if it has insufficent bouyancy. Dumping weight at the surface to stay there is a no brainer. I have several weight belts starting at 4 pounds up to 12 pounds in 2 pound increments to fit any equipment configuration I use.

Captain

 

[nessum]

Why to dump weights?

Well, interestingly enough I attended a discussion/lecture last night by one of the local hyperbaric doctors (& yes, he dives) about diving accidents.

One of his main points was that (in recreational diving) one should not sink to the bottom & drown while not ditching their weights.
That's a pretty simply explanation.
He did elaborate. Basically most diving FATALITIES in North American recreational diving happen for in just the way stated above. While only 2% were from DCS...
In other words, if you don't ditch your weights, sink to the bottom & run out of air, you will drown & die. And your buddy may encounter problems looking for you. If you ditch your weights, have a bouyant ascent & get bent at least your buddy can find you easier at the surface (well, in our water, maybe in 200ft viz in the carribean it's just as easy to spot them on the bottom) & get you to help faster & you probably won't die.

 

[String]

Doesnt make any sense what so ever, not everyone found on the bottom is dead because they didnt dump weights - thats a drastic conclusion to make.

People are found on the bottom with air in their tanks dead with weights still on - that situation is definately not weight related !

Even with no breathable air there is enough left to partially inflate a BC and start off a descent (assuming proper weighting).

If you ditch weights as well as DCS you have the far more serious and probably fatal problems associated with air embolism to deal with. DCS is NOT the major concern dumping weight.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Doesnt make any sense what so ever, not everyone found on the bottom is dead because they didnt dump weights - thats a drastic conclusion to make.

No it doesn't. Most have their fins too. That doesn't mean that's what killed em though.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Why to dump weights?

Well, interestingly enough I attended a discussion/lecture last night by one of the local hyperbaric doctors (& yes, he dives) about diving accidents.

One of his main points was that (in recreational diving) one should not sink to the bottom & drown while not ditching their weights.
That's a pretty simply explanation.
He did elaborate. Basically most diving FATALITIES in North American recreational diving happen for in just the way stated above. While only 2% were from DCS...
In other words, if you don't ditch your weights, sink to the bottom & run out of air, you will drown & die. And your buddy may encounter problems looking for you. If you ditch your weights, have a bouyant ascent & get bent at least your buddy can find you easier at the surface (well, in our water, maybe in 200ft viz in the carribean it's just as easy to spot them on the bottom) & get you to help faster & you probably won't die.

Did they speculate on why these divers weren't neutral in the first place?

 

[crispos]

This has been a good thread. Any dissent adds to reaffirming and/or learning.

Go take a look at the Dive Incident in B.C. for more real live examples of how divers, in spite of everything they should do, become fatalities.