BP/W Sizing???

[SereDiver]

Hey Tobin,

Finally going to make the move to BP/W hog harness setup, just need some sizing info from you. Here's my info:

1. I'm 5'9" 185#
2. I just moved from a 7 mm wetsuit to a White's Catalyst 360 (trying to get weight dialed in still)
3. Typically use a PST HP 100
4. Currently using a RipTide weight integrated BC
5. With the wetsuit 16# of ballast
6. With the drysuit 26# of ballast (maybe 24#)
7. Am I missing anything here?

My guess was a medium SS BP, the meduim weight plates, hog harness, and a T35 wing.

After my OW class I made sure I bought a weight integrated BC because I definately did not want to wear 24# (what my OW instructor told me I needed) on a belt. Since then I am rethinking the weight belt idea as I am realizing some of it's benefits. Although I hope to only wear 6-8# on a belt if possible. I really like the idea of your weigt plates.

Any input from you would be greatly apprecieated. Thanks in advance!

 

[cool_hardware52]

Hey Tobin,

Finally going to make the move to BP/W hog harness setup, just need some sizing info from you. Here's my info:

1. I'm 5'9" 185#
2. I just moved from a 7 mm wetsuit to a White's Catalyst 360 (trying to get weight dialed in still)
3. Typically use a PST HP 100
4. Currently using a RipTide weight integrated BC
5. With the wetsuit 16# of ballast
6. With the drysuit 26# of ballast (maybe 24#)
7. Am I missing anything here?

My guess was a medium SS BP, the meduim weight plates, hog harness, and a T35 wing.

After my OW class I made sure I bought a weight integrated BC because I definately did not want to wear 24# (what my OW instructor told me I needed) on a belt. Since then I am rethinking the weight belt idea as I am realizing some of it's benefits. Although I hope to only wear 6-8# on a belt if possible. I really like the idea of your weigt plates.

Any input from you would be greatly apprecieated. Thanks in advance!

At 5'9 you need a medium Plate. With buoyant suits the SS plate is the better choice.

Wings have to be sized for the most buoyant suit they will be used with, and that's your dry suit.

If looks like you are using about 28 lbs of total ballast, 24 lbs of lead, 2 for your reg and 2 for the empty HP100.

Your current BC is very likely ~4 lbs buoyant due to foam padding and perhaps a bit of trapped gas.

28 - 4 = 24 I'd estimate the buoyancy of your suit to be about 24 lbs. As you ability to vent your dry suit improves this may be reduced a bit.


With a medium SS plate and harness, regulator and full HP 100 your rig will be about - 18 lbs, and will provide about 10 lbs of ballast. If your suit is truly +24 you will need another 14 lbs of ballast.

If you use our 8 lbs bolt on weights your rig will be about -26 with a full tank, and it will offer about 18 lbs of ballast with an empty cylinder. That leaves about 6 lbs in a weight belt.

If your rig is potentially -26 lbs and your suit is +24 lbs I would recommend a LCD 30 wing.

30 >26 so your rig floats if you need to ditch it, and 30 > 24 so your wing can deal with a 100% failure of your suit.

Recap:

Medium SS Plate
Hogarthian Harness
LCD 30 Wing
(Cambands and wedge blocks are included)
optional 8.1 lbs (per pair) bolt on weights

Tobin

 

[SereDiver]

Thanks for the quick response Tobin! Looking forward to diving my new DSS rig soon........

Rudy