Preferred BC's/Weighting

[dtdesola]

I dove a Seaquest BC on Saturday with a 7mm suit and 30# of weight and was too buoyant. I have two questions of you fine Red Sox loving (Ortiz for Govenor anyone?) people.

1) I am about 5'11, 185. Base on your experience w/ outfits consisting of 7mm suits, hoods, boots, gloves, what would you expect to be about the right amount of weight. I am guessing 35 would have done the trick, but this amount of weight has surprised some that I have talked to.

2) I really disliked the BC I wore as I felt quite restricted in terms of movment. I hate to start WWIII as I know this is a really sensitive subject, but do any of you STRONGLY recommend a bp/w set-up for diving around here--for the reduced bulk, other advantages? A friend has been talking this system up, but I want to hear more opinions. So far the arguments for include:

a) streamlined profile in the water + ease of movement

b) relatively easy to pack for travel (I'd consider getting an AL plate so it could do double duty for warm as well as cold water + be light to carry in luggage)

c) better weight distribution for level orientation in water.

Reasons against include:

a) less comfortable, particularly out of water

b) not as easy to float on your back

c) pretty expensive in terms of what you actually get.

All that said, what do you think...what do you wear? Also, if you wear a bp/w, how much weight do you carry for NE diving and how much lift do you recommend for wings; e.g., 25#, 30#, 45#?

Based on my dive Saturday, I think I'm going to love diving in New England!

Thanks,

-d.

 

[mwilding]

I am 6'0" and 180 LBs and with a 7mm 2 piece, hood, gloves, a Zeagle Ranger BC and a steel 120 I am WAY over weighted at 18LBs.

Why do you say you were too bouyant?

When you enter the water, do you do a bouyancy check? With an empty BC and a lung full of air you should float at eye level.

 

[RICHinNC]

I dont think the bc made you too bouyant. It was the suit and you. I am 5' 10' 230lbs and sink like a rock with no weights in fresh water....10lbs in salt.

As far as which bc goes...its like buying a car. Pick the one you like but make sure to get it in the color you like. Meaning...it is nice to have opinions of what is better...but it is needed to be remember that the opinions really are pretty subjective.

I like SQ....have one...but if you dont like it thats ok. Try to get your hands on a bp and wing and give it a couple of dives. If you lose that restricted feeling and feel like you have better control...then go with it. Mount Blonc pens are great...but my handwriting still sucks.

 

[mer]

BCs: I dive with alot of people around here that dive with a BP/wings setup. They love them. I dive a BC and will prob only get BP/wings when I go to doubles... for economy purposes.
A bp/wings does have less inherant buoyancy than a BC, due to sheer volume of material. But what it comes down to is get something that fits you comfortably and is appropriate for the type of diving you do/will be doing. If you can find a BP/wings that work for you, I'd go for that... you will definitely not be out of place around here.

Weighting: When I first dove my BC I was using 35 lbs of lead, plus a tank that was -2 lbs empty. Turns out I had air trapping problems. Once I figured out how to dump air from the BC I went down alot on weight. Now I would need 30lbs if diving with an Aluminum (+2 when empty). The moral is you need the weight you need. Once you get used to equipment, you maybe be able to drop some weight. I was surprised when I started doing buoyancy checks with an almost-empty tank how much weight I needed to be neutral at the surface (empty BC and empty lungs).

Bottom line: Doesn't seem like you're that far off. Just use what works, feels good, is priced right, and is what you need. Experiement with gear and weighting until you get it right. The easier shore dives around here are perfect for working out these kinks.

 

[dtdesola]

Thanks for all the replies.

I am 6'0" and 180 LBs and with a 7mm 2 piece, hood, gloves, a Zeagle Ranger BC and a steel 120 I am WAY over weighted at 18LBs.

I say I was too buoyant because with all the air (that I could manage) to get out of the BC I did not sink. Also my orientation was odd once I managed to propel myself deep enough that I would not float back up--my feet were typcally higher than my head. My wife and I were diving with rented equipment, and we just guessed at the weight based on the dive shop reccommendations. We didn't want to slow up our group with a buoyancy check--they were all anxious to get on with the dive. We'll know better next time. Also we had AL tanks (with hot fills grrrr.)

The air trapping mentioned earlier may well have played a part. I was not convinced I had squeezed all the air out of the BC. I'll tell you what though, walking around with 30-35# extra pounds over the rocks at Foley Cove is no way to spend a day at the beach.

BTW saw a large number of lobsters in the middle of the cove. Most looked right on the cusp of legality. I don't have a license to take them so I didn't.

-d.

 

[Devils_advocate]

Try droping a bit of your weight. A problem that I have seen is head down trim due to OVER weighting. The weight belts tend to move around a bit at depth....regardless of how tight you put them on. When you descend the wetsuit compresses allowing some slip of the belt. If you try to maintain a proper horizontal trim the belt tends to come off your waist line and end up closer to the lower ribs. This can shift your fulcrom (balance) point and cause you to be head heavy. By reducing the amount of weight to the minimum required to maintain neutral at the end of the dive will minimize the effects of this problem. In fact it can eliminate it completely depending on your bouancy characteristics. Do a weight check and I think you will find yourself a bit heavy. Also try to be aware of where the weight belt is oriented during the dive. Even with a SS backplate and an aluminum tank and little to no weight on the waist you should not have a head down problem. Maybe the SS tank guys/galls can shed some light with the added SS weight and shorter tanks but don't think that it should be a problem even with them.

Try it and if doesn't work all you lost was about ten minutes of time playing in the water!

-David

 

[MASS-Diver]

Sounds like you were overweighted - I haven't dove wet for a while but with my old 7mm I used to wear around 20-25maxlbs with an al80 (I'm 6', 175lbs).

I don't have a singles rig right now (just the twins), and I'm not going to bash anyone that dives jacket style BCs, I can only speak to my expericne. I had a Seaquest Pro-QD, it was restrictive (it kinda wraps around you) and screwed with my trim. I switched to a Halycon Bp/wing setup and loved it.

As David said though, if you are overweighted you aren't going have proper trim no matter what.

 

[dtdesola]

I'm confuses as how some are suggesting that I was overweighted when I was barely able to sink...

 

[ERP]

People are stating that you were overweighted, because given your build and exposure protection, you were carrying a lot of weight.

The reason you probably had trouble getting down was most likely a combination of trapped air, being stressed on the surface and not exhaling fully.

When I first started I can remember dives where I had trouble descending, and yet at the end of the dive when I was a good 5 or 6 lbs lighter (due to used air) I could hold at 3 or 4 ft easilly. Going by what I wear now, I was a good 8lbs overweight on these dives.

Do a weight check at the end of a dive where you can safely hand off or drop weights I think you'll be surprised how little you need to get neutral.

 

[decapoddiver]

I have a 7 pocket soft weight belt. It started out full 4 years ago and now I have 3 pouches left in it. I would have sworn I was underweighted too back then