anyone ever try wearing non-ditchable weight under their dry suit ???

[Stoo]

I'm a big guy myself and need about 22lbs of lead with my drysuit and cold water thermals and a steel tank.

I deal with with it by having a steel tank, using a back plate and wing (the backplate weighs 8lbs) I use a dui weight and trim harness for some weight. It doesn't squeeze because you don't have to have the belt that tight since it is a harness. I also have xs scuba pouches on my top cam band where I can put some of the weight to balance out. I only have to carry 14lbs of lead because of the backplate.

as for putting the lead under the suit I wouldn't so it. I would worry about falling in the water without your rig on and not being able to float.

This is all solid advice IHMO.

 

[rick00001967]

You're fishing for approval.

At least make sure your life insurance is up to date.

no. just find it interesting to hear what others think. i like working through "outside the box" ideas. sometimes you learn something totally unexpected

not worried about it if i did try it. i already explained the theory behind it. if you disagree thats totally fine. i probably won't do it. but you should be able to make an argument for or against it with facts, not just opinion. thats how we learn new ways of looking at a problem

---------- Post added April 6th, 2014 at 02:15 PM ----------

Do consider, though, if you put ten or more pounds inside the dry suit, what you will be doing to the amount of lift your BC needs if your dry suit floods.

i thought i tried to explain that scenario in the post just above

 

[Cave Diver]

if i had to remove my gear - i still float perfectly fine in my suit with hood, gloves, and mask/fins/snorkel. i only would put about 10lbs in the suit. and i know it takes about 28 lbs added to get me neutral when wearing just the suit,hood, gloves, mask/fins/snorkel. i know because i tried it

I agree with the others that this is probably not the solution you're looking for. If your weight belt is so tight that it restricts the movement of air inside your suit, there are other options you can explore.

Also, floating you on the surface is one thing. How about a worst case scenario/failure at the bottom? No way to get rid of that weight, will you be able to make it to the surface? Or could you maintain flotation at the surface under a worst case scenario?

 

[rick00001967]

I agree with the others that this is probably not the solution you're looking for. If your weight belt is so tight that it restricts the movement of air inside your suit, there are other options you can explore.

agreed

---------- Post added April 6th, 2014 at 03:00 PM ----------

Also, floating you on the surface is one thing. How about a worst case scenario/failure at the bottom? No way to get rid of that weight, will you be able to make it to the surface? Or could you maintain flotation at the surface under a worst case scenario?

from one of my previous posts.......what if my dry suit floods - at the start of any dive i am aprox 5 or 6lbs negative. if my suit were to completely flood i loose the aprox 28lbs of lift. my bc alone has about 28lbs of lift. if i ditch 5 or 10lbs from the bc and fill the bc, i now have 33 to 38lbs positive lift avail

 

[Stoo]

I know of several divers that use steels tanks a 6lb wings and don't dive with ditchable weight. To each there own'

Most of my friends don't have ditchable weight... me included. I wear HP 130s, and some kind of plastic backplate, a Viking and fat undies...

"Technically" I have three sources of floatation though... my suit, my wings and a 20# liftbag/SMB on my butt. I"m pretty much neutral with nuttin' in my wing, and just enough air in my suit to keep it from squeezing me. One way pr the other, I"m getting to the top, even it means climbing my anchor line...

If I'm wearing my LP 80s, I wear a 12# weightbelt...

 

[buddhasummer]

Save a weight belt under your drysuit, even the "non ditchable" weight you're wearing on your back is ultimately ditchable if the SHTF in a big way.

 

[swimmer_spe]

I need about 40lbs when diving dry, even with my steel 120s.

2 lbs on each ankle
12x2 in the weight pouches
2x5lbs in puches connected to my tank strap
2lbs hanging off the tank valve
sometimes 2lbs in one pocket.

There are many ways to attach weight to you. I almost went to adding weight in the tank boot.

 

[Smiler1968]

agreed

---------- Post added April 6th, 2014 at 03:00 PM ----------



from one of my previous posts.......what if my dry suit floods - at the start of any dive i am aprox 5 or 6lbs negative. if my suit were to completely flood i loose the aprox 28lbs of lift. my bc alone has about 28lbs of lift. if i ditch 5 or 10lbs from the bc and fill the bc, i now have 33 to 38lbs positive lift avail

You're on a rib. You have handed up your BC or Wing, you no longer have 33 to 38lbs of lift, you plummet to the floor. You feel free to give it a go. I'll leave all of mine on the outside of my drysuit. But that's just me. What ever you decide, stay safe.


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[rick00001967]

You're on a rib. You have handed up your BC or Wing, you no longer have 33 to 38lbs of lift, you plummet to the floor. You feel free to give it a go. I'll leave all of mine on the outside of my drysuit. But that's just me. What ever you decide, stay safe.


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sorry for my ignorance. i had to look up "rib" diving. just fyi, i don not do any diving like that. but i get the idea.
i suppose if i to take off my fully inflated bc at the surface when my suit was completely flooded i deserve what i get. but it should be obvious that is a scenario that would never happen.
but in the interest of science (haha) maybe i will play guinea pig the next time i am in the pool and i will flood my suit with 10lbs on to see exactly what happens.
anyone ever tried that for kicks ?? i think i will of course loose all my extra buoyancy, but i think i will be only slightly negative. shouldn't be any different than trying to snorkel with 10lbs on. maybe i am completely wrong. we'll see. isn't physics fun ??!!

 

[chrisch]

sorry for my ignorance. i had to look up "rib" diving. just fyi, i don not do any diving like that. but i get the idea.
i suppose if i to take off my fully inflated bc at the surface when my suit was completely flooded i deserve what i get. but it should be obvious that is a scenario that would never happen.
but in the interest of science (haha) maybe i will play guinea pig the next time i am in the pool and i will flood my suit with 10lbs on to see exactly what happens.
anyone ever tried that for kicks ?? i think i will of course loose all my extra buoyancy, but i think i will be only slightly negative. shouldn't be any different than trying to snorkel with 10lbs on. maybe i am completely wrong. we'll see. isn't physics fun ??!!

It would be easier (dryer) to just put the weight in the suit and throw it in the pool to see if it floats or not! Anyway, good luck getting the chlorine out your drysuit.

Like many others I would question what it is you're trying to achieve. In terms of comfort you can put weigh in lots of places that are not round your stomach on a conventional weightbelt. Harness is definitely worth a look if you find the belt uncomfortable. For a small amount of weight to get your trim right I don't see that it is of any concern if it is under the suit. When you talk about 10lb and still having this mid-body I can't see what you have gained.

As to having the weight ditchable in an emergency this is only a good idea when an ascent will not kill you