BP&W weighting

[rlynch]

i wear a SS bp/w.
(5'6 160 lbs so not light)
7mm Waterproof W1 in this example

lead = 4 in cam bands (2 each), , 4lbs in pockets + the SS back plate @ 6lbs = 14lbs of weight. weighted at 500psi in an AL80 single tank.

if you wearing 20lbs of lead your actually using about 25.5lbs of weight.

you need to do a good weight check IMHO...

 

[cool_hardware52]

I'am switching from a jacket style BCD to a back plate and wing setup. I dive a 7mm wetsuit with a hooded vest and an al80 tank and use 20 lbs of wieght. Will shedding the jacket bcd cause me to use less wieght?
When I where my harness and put the wieght belt on it makes it very clutterd around my mid-section. Is that the way it supposed to be? Do You stagger the buckles?

Most newer divers switching from a Jacket BC to a BP&W with a SS plate will find they need about 10 to 12 lbs less on their belt.

This is due to three factors. The obvious one is the ~6 lbs of ballast that a SS plate and harness provides. Less obvious is the inherent buoyancy of many Jacket BC's and...the fact that many newer divers tend to be over weighted.

Nothing replaces a buoyancy check however, but this should get you in the ball park.

Tobin

 

[phuonguyen]

Just a little background info, my OWC teaching BCD is a Tusa Liberator as well, and I've moved to a BP/W for my Con Ed Teaching and "fun dives" and I wear from boardshorts & rashie, 3mm shorty, 3mm full and 5mm semidry year round when appropriate. My transition included 3-4 months of 'borrowing' an aluminium BP before purchasing my own SS BP. And seeing as I'm in a tropical/subtropical area, we use 11.4L aluminium tanks (AL80?), an every now and then I use a 12L faber steel. I'm also slightly negative naturally.

TUSA
Rashie & Boardies - 3lb/1.5kg (1 weight)
3mm Shorty - 6lb/3kg (2 weights)
3mm full - 9lb/4.5kg (3 weights)
5mm SD - 12lb/6kg (4 weights)

Alu BP
Rashie & Boardies - none
3mm Shorty - Didn't have suit when I was using the alu BP
3mm full - 6lb/3kg (2 weights)
5mm SD - 9lb/4.5kg (3 weights)

SS BP
Rashie & Boardies - none
3mm Shorty - none
3mm full - none
5mm SD - 6lb/6kg (2 weights)

Also when I use a Faber 12L standard, I need no weight at all across the board, I'm neutral with it and my 5mm.
That's just been my experience with my transition from a Jacket BCD to both alu and SS BP/W in regards to the weighting issue.
The buckles I've staggered so my WB is on my left hand side and my BP buckle is on my right hand side (of the crotch strap).

 

[Nitro91]

with a steel plate bp/w and steel tank, i use 3lbs with a 5mm suit