DIR and ankle weights

[Bismark]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I should have mentioned that I have been diving cold water (real cold) for about 25 years and didn't just fall off the turnip wagon. Having never used a BP/W before, It will be interesting to see how much bouyancy my old BC had when it was empty compared to this Apeks harness set up. My drysuit is a Whites Catalyst and fits well and I am all about diving with as little weight as possible so I will remove the ankle weights but there is no way in h... that less than 26-28 pounds would have kept me at my safety stop with 500 psi. Maybe this bp/w will be just the ticket but I will be pleasantly surprised. Any Pacific Northwest divers, (Puget Sound North) I would appreciate your "weighing in" (had to say that..) on this. What works for you people? No offense to you warmer climate guys (anywhere south of Seattle ) Also, when you said ditch the weight pocket0s, what do you recommend I use instead? Is a weight belt standard DIR kit? Thanks again.

 

[Ben_ca]

Bismark,
Yes stardard weight belt. BTW What type of tank are you using? AL I'm guessing... right?

Ben

 

[nadwidny]

Also, when you said ditch the weight pocket0s, what do you recommend I use instead? Is a weight belt standard DIR kit? Thanks again.

Yes a weight belt can be part of the standard DIR kit. With doubles there are more options (v weights, tail weights, etc) but with a single tank a weight belt is pretty much mandatory for cold water stuff.

 

[TSandM]

I dive a single steel 95 with a back plate, 18 pounds of weight on a belt, and two pounds in weight pockets on the cambands. This trims me out perfectly, and I'm just barely negative enough to keep tension on the line to an SMB at a ten foot stop with 500 psi in the tank.

My Fundies instructor was CONVINCED he was going to take a ton of weight off me, and he couldn't take any. Some of us wear a lot of undergarment and don't have much bone mass.

What's depressing is how much weight I still need to wear with the doubled 72s . . .

 

[dsteding]

It's funny because I dive with Lynne a lot, and we are at opposite ends of the spectrum, but I'm only 7-9 pounds of weight more than her. I'm 6'1", 215 (and dropping-I promised myself a new drysuit when I hit 195, and that promise is motivating me considerably) I dive a cordura drysuit, a 300 weight undergarment, a BP/W and steel tanks (LP 98s, 119s or 130s) and I have the following weighting with a single rig (and it is spot on in terms of weight at 500 psi/10 feet):

8 pounds on a weight belt.

A DSS plate (~5.6 pounds) with the 8 pound weight plates (14 pounds total).

3-5 pounds in trim pockets on my cam bands (5 with the LP 98s, 3 with the 130).

Toal of 25-27 pounds, with my can light which is about -1.5 pounds. I started a bit overweighted at 34 pounds, have been shedding it a pound at a time, and the last time I did a weight check (10 feet of water at 500 psi with the LP 98) it was just about perfect.

Some BCs are as much as 5 pounds positively buoyant, maybe more, so I wouldn't be surprised if you dive less weight with the BP/W than with your old BC.

 

[RJP]

Any Pacific Northwest divers, (Puget Sound North) I would appreciate your "weighing in" (had to say that..) on this. What works for you people? No offense to you warmer climate guys (anywhere south of Seattle)

Well, I'm not exactly a "warm climate guy" especially in April in NJ when temps hover around 40.

I'm with the other that have to figure that 22lbs on top of the BP sounds like an awful lot, especially if you're diving a trilam suit. Maybe get a STA w/weight? That'd take 6lbs off your belt anyway. Avoid the pockets. And switch to a steel tank if you're diving AL now.

I'm 6'2" and 180lbs. I dive a DUI TLS350 with 400g bare undies, plus at least one other layer of fleece, sometimes two. In salt water I kit up with a DR steel BP, Halcyon STA with 6lbs, and a steel 119 tank. Armed with that I need no additional weight. In fact if anything I'm two pounds heavy, but not sure how to take any more weight off. I suppose I could ditch the STA weight, and put four on a belt, but I'd rather be 2lbs heavy than have to don extra gear.

 

[Meng_Tze]

I dive a single steel 95 with a back plate, 18 pounds of weight on a belt, and two pounds in weight pockets on the cambands. This trims me out perfectly, and I'm just barely negative enough to keep tension on the line to an SMB at a ten foot stop with 500 psi in the tank.

My Fundies instructor was CONVINCED he was going to take a ton of weight off me, and he couldn't take any. Some of us wear a lot of undergarment and don't have much bone mass.

What's depressing is how much weight I still need to wear with the doubled 72s . . .

WOW, you must have hollow bones..

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

WOW, you must have hollow bones..

Actually, she just wears more undergarment than most folks ... goes from twiggy to piggy just suiting up ...

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find a place to hide for a few days ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TSandM]

Twiggy to piggy, huh?

I have a week to think of something fiendish to do to you on our next dive

 

[Robert Phillips]

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find a place to hide for a few days ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)