Lenmonster
Contributor
So, I think I'm getting close here. Last night, I tried a Transplate harness along with a DiveRite SS plate and rec wing in the pool. With a FULL tank (couldn't breathe it down much), I was neutral (eye level at the surface) with a 3.5 mm full wetsuit. No weight.
Here is where I get confused. First, because the tank is full, it's heavier than it will be late in the dive, so I assume I'll need to add weight for that. Plus (this isn't confusing), my eventual 5mm suit will also be more buoyant. When weighting at the beginning of previous dives, though, again, we were dealing with a full tank, and I had 12 lbs in the ocean and 6 lbs in the fresh water (where I was neutral). So, given that, if my tank is ending at 500psi, why wouldn't I be then potentially uncontrollably be floating to the surface as I got close?
So here are my questions...
1. Do all 5mm suits have generally close buoyancy amounts, or do they vary widely?
2. I'd like to add weight to the plate or near the top of my body, because I have heard that having a lot of weight on the belt will make it harder to trim easily.
3. If I do add to the plate (let's say those weight plates that can attach to a DSS plate), what if I need to ditch weights? Are there ditchable weights not in weight belt form?
4. How do you BP/W users divide your weights? I'm deciding between the Transplate harness, DiveRite SS plate, and Venture wing; and Tobin's DSS system. I like how Tobin's has the rubber thing for the single tank and the possible weight plates, but for travel, may need some type of other weighting system.
5. How the heck do I determine the weight I need? With a full tank, if I'm neutral, do I simply add the difference in buoyancy due to the empty tank, and add that to my weighting?
Thanks so much. I'm sorry to be such a newb.
Here is where I get confused. First, because the tank is full, it's heavier than it will be late in the dive, so I assume I'll need to add weight for that. Plus (this isn't confusing), my eventual 5mm suit will also be more buoyant. When weighting at the beginning of previous dives, though, again, we were dealing with a full tank, and I had 12 lbs in the ocean and 6 lbs in the fresh water (where I was neutral). So, given that, if my tank is ending at 500psi, why wouldn't I be then potentially uncontrollably be floating to the surface as I got close?
So here are my questions...
1. Do all 5mm suits have generally close buoyancy amounts, or do they vary widely?
2. I'd like to add weight to the plate or near the top of my body, because I have heard that having a lot of weight on the belt will make it harder to trim easily.
3. If I do add to the plate (let's say those weight plates that can attach to a DSS plate), what if I need to ditch weights? Are there ditchable weights not in weight belt form?
4. How do you BP/W users divide your weights? I'm deciding between the Transplate harness, DiveRite SS plate, and Venture wing; and Tobin's DSS system. I like how Tobin's has the rubber thing for the single tank and the possible weight plates, but for travel, may need some type of other weighting system.
5. How the heck do I determine the weight I need? With a full tank, if I'm neutral, do I simply add the difference in buoyancy due to the empty tank, and add that to my weighting?
Thanks so much. I'm sorry to be such a newb.