Potential Weight with travel style BC

anse cochon · Jan 14, 2012

I recently suffered a total achilles rupture on a dive vaca and decided everything from here on in will be lighter as I dont expect to be 100% after this. Had to leave my gear on the island and am buying new/used replacement

Previously used Aqualung Pro QD size L and either a Mares 1 mm skin with 11 lbs or a Pinnacle 3mm full suit with 14.

Picked up a Cressi Aqualight which is about 3 pounds lighter and has about 4 lbs less buoyancy rating. The weight pockets are like kids wallets. That has me thinking now and thats dangerous

Will my required weight be less with this lighter less buoyant BCD.

If this is simple math, can someone PM me if they dont want to post

RonFrank · Jan 14, 2012

It depends on how buoyant the BC's are. You may drop a lbs or two, or nothing at all. There is only one way I know to determine the proper weight, do a weight check. Gear is more alike than different. In the long run you may drop 5 lbs but that's it unless you purchase a steel plate. You also may be slightly over weighted but I have no way of making that determination. Remember salt vs fresh add 5-6lbs and full tank vs empty add another 5lbs. You could drop 5lbs by diving a neutral AL80, but hauling tanks around is not a good option. Most dive Ops don't carry neutral al80's.

anse cochon · Jan 14, 2012

Even dropping as little as 2 pounds would make the minute weight pockets OK.
Trying to avoid any additional belts or weights on the tank band.

Might be a little over weighted, but my first dives were with 16 so I cut back to 11 with the skin and only added weight this past year for 3MM full suit

Have to make certain I only go where/when I use the skin

Garrobo · Jan 15, 2012

How about an aluminum back plate and a horsecollar? Very little weight and uses a minimum of lead. On shallow dives you can get by with a smaller air tank also. Combine this with warm water diving, not needing a wetsuit, and you are home free. Of the dive shops I dive out of in the Upper Keys only one outfit wouldn't accept it in place of a BCD.

beaverdivers · Jan 15, 2012

anse cochon:
Will my required weight be less with this lighter less buoyant BCD.

The required wt does not change based on the amount of lift of a B.C.

What is your height, weight & % body fat?

I would agree with Ron, I think you are using a little TOO much wt. ( 1 - 4 lbs ) for a 1mm suit in salt water using an AL80.

RonFrank · Jan 15, 2012

A horsecollar? The Op wants to be streamlined not Vintage! :rofl3:

It is no big deal if you need 3 lbs +/- If you feel it is why? You will need the weight you need to dive. I do not understand why you left your equipment, or really what you are trying to accomplish....

Looking at the Discontinued Cressi aqualight it is hardly what I would label as ultra light at over 9 lbs. My Zeagle weights just under 7 lbs, but is a heavy duty travel BC. I think of light as sub 5lbs. 9lbs is not horrible, just saying.

fjpatrum · Jan 15, 2012

beaverdivers:
The required wt does not change based on the amount of lift of a B.C.

What is your height, weight & % body fat?

I would agree with Ron, I think you are using a little TOO much wt. ( 1 - 4 lbs ) for a 1mm suit in salt water using an AL80.

The required weight may be less if the new BC has less innate lift than the old one. IE the old one needs more weight to sink because it is more buoyant dry than the new BC.

My Genesis phantom was at least a few pounds positive versus my bp/w which is a few pounds negative. Obviously extreme examples, but the natural buoyancy of the BC will affect how much weight you need.

Garrobo · Jan 16, 2012

Ron Frank: I don't think that I can think of anything less streamlined and more uncomfortable than a BCD with all the attachments, belts, pockets, etc. On the other hand I don't even notice a horsecollar since I never put any air in it anyway unless I want to stay on the surface for a while, like waiting for the gaggle of divers ahead of me. It also lowers the requirement for a lot of lead in conjunction with diving without a wetsuit. What little lead I need is bolted to the backplate so I don't need a weight belt. Also, eliminating all the BS makes my air go further. You should try one sometime, then comment.

blake7 · Jan 16, 2012

Don't know if you want to go to a BP/W, but you will not be able to get a less buoyant rig than something like a DeepSeaSupply steel back plate with a Torus 17 wing. Other BP/W combos would achieve the same effect, but I have direct experience with the DSS gear so can speak about it. I went from an AquaLung Zuma with 14lbs in the pockets to a medium steel BP and Torus 17 with only 6 lbs. The BP/W is ~5lbs negative, so the Zuma was about 3 lbs buoyant--and the Zuma is a pretty minimalist BC at less than 5 lbs dry weight. Both examples were 3mm full suit in the same water back to back. The dry weight of the DSS BP/W + harness and cam bands combo is around 8 lbs.

An easy way to add weight to your BP/W setup is to just buy two XS Scuba Pocket Weight Belts WB101 pockets and put them on the harness on the waist straps next to the plate. Super easy to add/remove hard or soft weights.

halocline · Jan 16, 2012

Can you explain more clearly why you are replacing all your equipment? Are you trying to minimize your baggage weight or your on-land geared up weight, and exactly why? Thanks....

Potential Weight with travel style BC

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