Weight Belt weighting?

[bkkchris]

So when diving in warm waters I use a Torus 27 with a medium SS plate, full 3mm suit and NO extra weight. I find I am perfectly trimmed out, but I know there are a lot of "issues" discussed with having no ditch-able weight.

What would the general thought be? Maybe wear an AL plate and put 4lbs on a belt?

I don't personally have a problem with having no ditch-able weight as I feel I could swim up my rig if I had a major wing failure... But just curious to peoples general opinion

 

[cool_hardware52]

So when diving in warm waters I use a Torus 27 with a medium SS plate, full 3mm suit and NO extra weight. I find I am perfectly trimmed out, but I know there are a lot of "issues" discussed with having no ditch-able weight.

What would the general thought be? Maybe wear an AL plate and put 4lbs on a belt?

I don't personally have a problem with having no ditch-able weight as I feel I could swim up my rig if I had a major wing failure... But just curious to peoples general opinion

People do exactly that on a routine basis. In a 3mm suit you just won't ever be very negative, maybe 6 lbs with a full cylinder. Easy to swim up.

With thin suits you more or less have to ditch the rig in event of a buoyancy failure + long stay on the surface regardless of how what you use for a plate.

Tobin

 

[tbone1004]

If you can't kick up an 8lb back plate with an AL80, you have to reconsider your propulsion techniques... Day one of our OW class is pulling a 10lb brick off the bottom of the pool. It's not that bad. I dive without a belt whenever possible, it's a PIA and if it falls off, it can be potentially disastrous. Had a buddy in a 7mm farmer john with an AL80 and his weight belt fell off. Thank God we were in a quarry and he could grab onto the dock we were playing around so he didn't shoot off like a missile, but in open water, it's dangerous IMHO. If you're down deep enough for long enough and you go up to the surface, that's potential to get Bent, not worth it. I think the big thing with non ditchable is for people that are grossly overweight *i.e. diving naked with double 130's and a SS backplate* or for those that can't get in an out of their gear quickly... which is a problem.

 

[bkkchris]

Yeah I agree totally with the comments so far.

Just seems like the question comes up a lot when I am on the boat/resort, esp in SE Asia. People don't see many backplate divers at general recreational dive resorts, and I have had Instructors give me the run around about not having ditch-able weight, etc., etc. But then again, they also label me a TECH diver just because of my gear, which I am not in any way!