Trim and ballast

[MichaelMc]

OP has a bunch of weight on the top cam band but is head heavy. They are looking for places lower, but all on the belt makes them tail heavy.

Moving some to belt might work, and benefit them by keeping their body, sans rig, more neutral. A small belt is the easiest option.

Moving some to tank valve might allow moving more to belt, if they want to get their body closer to neutral, for any rig remove contingencies, or just as more weight in an easy ditch yet still stream-lined location.

If you absolutely have to put weight on a belt, use as little as possible.

Why?

 

[dmaziuk]

2) What are some ideas to move the weight off the cam band? Assuming 1) is OK, a weight belt puts the weight too low. Are there other ergonomic/streamlined ideas besides weight harness/suspenders?

I have my 8lbs in 2 DGX pockets on shoulder straps -- tied to triglides so they don't slide around -- and they can be moved precisely where I want them. It is not optimal, though, in a couple of ways.

 

[tomfcrist]

Why?

Because weightbelts suck. The majority of divers have weight integrated BCD’s...where The weight is higher up than the hips in all but oddball cases. If wearing a BP/W, and still needing weights...pockets can be added to accomplish an integrated rig. Mind you that’s not a great place to put all your lad either. But at least they don’t fall off of as many people as weightbelts do.

As far as where the optimal place is to add ballast, think of a seesaw....the optimal placement is in one location right at the center of gravity...which for most people is around the navel...not the hips. Less ideal would be to place ballast at either end of the seesaw...ie: cylinder valve and ankles.

 

[MichaelMc]

I totally get the seesaw, center of mass, and center of buoyancy. I teach them. Yes, all on the belt, or the integrated, is usually bad for trim.

But a benefit of some weight on the body (normally a weight belt) is that the diver has more independence from their rig. They are not so much a ballon if they remove their rig underwater. Yes it comes at a cost that other weight has to be higher, hence Ray's discussion of a way to move some higher. Some divers may be incapable of wearing a weight belt. The OP does not seem to have that issue, just that putting all the weight there makes them too tail heavy. Putting some there may solve their problem.

There are drills at the OW (Padi) and DM (NAUI) level of remove and replace the scuba unit underwater. That is much harder if all the weight is on the rig, leaving the diver to be a ballon. One might feel that those drills are a way of suggesting that all weight on the rig is not a good plan. We are talking single tank, AL 80, open water; not cave, heavy doubles, or rebreathers here. And not adding extra weight just to put it on the belt.

 

[tomfcrist]

I get the removing the rig piece...but honestly 1) I can’t think of 1 time in 30years that I’ve actually needed to take my rig off underwater(except training). 2) being positively buoyant if you do have to take your rig off isn’t the end of the world....even in a drysuit...just hold onto your gear...then you are still nuetral (albeit probably off balance).

 

[NorCalDM]

Some of it you’re just going to have to work it out everybody is different 12 pounds total would be too much for me but maybe not for you. My aluminum plate with STA weighs 2.8 lbs and with an aluminum cylinder and my trashed 3/2 full suit I need no added lead but with my new 3mm full suit I need to add 4 lbs of lead and your body make up has a lot to due with it as well. I’m 6’ 185 but my wife who weighs less than me uses more lead than me in the same set up. You also said you are head heavy and all your added weight is up high, standard aluminum cylinders are light in the bottom go set one in the water and the valve will sink and the bottom comes up which my be making the problem worse. I would move the weight lower and if that helps you can also slide the cylinder up towards your head slightly but make adjustments one at a time don’t change to many things at one time and then note it in your log book.

 

[Magnus Lundstedt]

For me it seems that many people try to overthink this.

If you have all your weights on the top, and you get top heavy, move it down, try the lower camband.

If that get you foot heavy, keep some on the top and some on the lower band.

If you still are top heavy whit the weight on the lower band, move some of it to a belt or the waist belt of the plate.

If you have all your weights on your belt and still is top heavy, then get negative fins or ankle weights.

If you problem are that you are top heavy, i do not understand why people tell you to move weights further up to the valve.

 

[MichaelMc]

If you problem are that you are top heavy, i do not understand why people tell you to move weights further up to the valve.

It may have been from thinking the desire was to spread out the weight from the cam strap.

Rather then wanting to just shift weight down to change the center of mass and fix the trim.

I think every one has the plan, its a seasaw, its not complicated.

But once you get past that its a seasaw, you can split the weights if you want... Its the center of mass that matters, not were all the individual bits of lead are.

 

[Aloha Joe]

I was mostly wondering about ways to get lead from my rig to my body, higher than a waist belt. Like the shoulder strap idea, but using a harness, just that that seems like a bit much just to move 4-6lbs.

I’d also like the weight in front of me to balance the weight of the plate when I roll.

Maybe I’ll just try pockets on my BC shoulder straps... or some of those streamline weights or whatever.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I din’t know if steel tanks are an option in HI, but sometimes with aluminum 80’s, when they begin to empty they get tail light. What this can do is pry up your ass end and make you head heavy. Do the weight check like has been mentioned, hold a stop at 10-15 feet with a near empty tank and make sure all your air is dumped out of your wing. You should be able to hold a stop with breath control alone.
Once you know exactly how much over all weight you need (all considered) you can redistribute it around as needed. One place you could put a couple two pounders is threaded on each side of your waist straps. Your Freedom Plate is just under 5 lbs. (you got the medium correct?). Add 4 lbs (2 lbs. each side) on the waist straps (pushed all the way back to the plate out of the way), and use a steel 100, you might be right in the target zone for your three mil. If you need a few more lbs. use a rubber freediving belt and put a few lbs. on that.
I would keep weights off the cam straps, it’s awkward and can cause roll. You can also ride the tank a little lower which will move some weight lower if you are head heavy. You may not be able to reach back to work your valve, but diving a single tank we aren’t doing valve drills either so who cares? Just make sure it’s on before you jump in.
*IF* you must cam band extra weight on an aluminum 80, I would get an extra cam band/buckle and string a few lbs. on it and strap it on to the bottom of the tank. This will cure the annoying tail lifting typical of aluminum tanks and will help keep you more level.