BP/W and DUI weight harness

[Silty Sam]

Does anyone have experience wearing a DUI weight harness as the sole weight handling system (other than the backplate) with a BP/W system?

Will the two pieces of gear play nice together?

With my drysuit and cold water undergarments, I would need to wear ~30 pounds in the harness with a steel 100 tank, depending on the possible use of 5# trim pockets on each side of the tank.

I don't want to wear a belt. As I dive now, I have my "wetsuit weight" in the pockets of my AquaLung back inflate, and I add my "drysuit weight" using the DUI harness.

 

[eelnoraa]

I used one long time ago when I first started with bp/w. The only way for me to work was to have the weight pocket below and under the backplate harness. I am 5'6", was about 28" in waist at that time.

The "under" part was fine and expected. The "below" part made my weight too low on my body, and later when I add canister light, it got in the way. So I stopped using it soon after.

Here is a few things I changed to.
1. Weight belt about 10lb. It is still small and very easy to handle.
2. Weight on STA, that is 6lb.
3. I have xs scuba trim pockets on lower cam bands. They said it fit 5lb each, but in reality, it is more like 4lb each max. Total of 8lb if I need to.

Together I can carry up to 24lb of lead. On top of a SS plate and STA 6lb together, that is up to 30lb ballast, more than I need so far.

 

[rhwestfall]

Before I went to a 16# plate, I used one. For me, it caused the proverbial (controversial) face plant due to the location of the weight. This was because of the amount of weight I needed for my dry suit.... I still use it when I ice dive for a little extra lead so I can run my suit fuller for warmth.

All in all, they aren't a bad way to carry weight, and the shoulder straps were a plus if you don't have hips.

YMMV

 

[VsubT]

Does anyone have experience wearing a DUI weight harness as the sole weight handling system (other than the backplate) with a BP/W system?

Will the two pieces of gear play nice together?

With my drysuit and cold water undergarments, I would need to wear ~30 pounds in the harness with a steel 100 tank, depending on the possible use of 5# trim pockets on each side of the tank.

I don't want to wear a belt. As I dive now, I have my "wetsuit weight" in the pockets of my AquaLung back inflate, and I add my "drysuit weight" using the DUI harness.

Yes and yes.

I’ve used a DUI harness under a Halcyon Infinity rig for 200+ dives, both dry and wet. My drysuit weight requirement is very close to yours.

As others have mentioned, the DUI harness needs to be adjusted to sit just below the BPW waist belt, which can impact trim (feet down). Upper cam band weight pockets and a SS plate help balance this. I like the idea of distributing weight between the rig and what I’m wearing on me, mainly to keep each as close to neutral as possible.

Lance

 

[Silty Sam]

Before I went to a 16# plate, I used one.

I didn't realize I could look for a 16# plate. That would solve some issues.

 

[rhwestfall]

I didn't realize I could look for a 16# plate. That would solve some issues.

Sadly, no more... DSS (Deep Sea Supply) is no longer in business. It was a plate with bolt on weight plates.

They do show up every now and then used...

 

[lexvil]

You can add weight to a FP with rail, how much depends a lot on the wing, I have 7lbs on my FP with the VDH 35, with the Diverite 35 I can get 10 to 12 (more open center area of the wing)

 

[MichaelMc]

I didn't realize I could look for a 16# plate. That would solve some issues.

You can increase plate weight by attaching flat 1lb lead ingots, such as with zip ties and gorilla tape. Twice as heavy should be easy. With a single tank, there's lots of free space on the plate. It does decrease lift a little bit. The shoulder slots make zip tying high up easy. Or add ingots inside the channel, taping 3 lb. into a longer bar and zip tying through the cam band slots.

Lead Mini Ingot Pure 99.9% ~ 1 Pound

If anyone wanted to design an adjustable weight and trim plate, a row of small holes a bit in from the edge for zip ties would be the ticket. Similar to halcyon's traveler plate but without the fabric pockets. If you wanted to get fancy, maybe with another row of registration holes by the edge to match bumps in the bottom or outer sides of the weights, but gorilla tape stabilizes the ingots well and covers the zip ties.

 

[VsubT]

A weighted single tank adapter (STA) might be helpful to shift more weight to your back.

Does anyone use additional weight pouches on shoulder straps to get weight forward? Thought about trying that, but found other workable solutions first.

Lance

 

[eelnoraa]

Sadly, no more... DSS (Deep Sea Supply) is no longer in business. It was a plate with bolt on weight plates.

They do show up every now and then used...

What size of DSS plate + weight plate can you get to 16lb? I used to have regular size plate, measured to 5lb-1oz. Both weight plates (thick version) together measured 8lb-1oz. Together, they are 13lb-2oz.

A weighted single tank adapter (STA) might be helpful to shift more weight to your back.

Does anyone use additional weight pouches on shoulder straps to get weight forward? Thought about trying that, but found other workable solutions first.

Lance

In terms of Halycon, the regular size plate is measured 5b-2oz. (Halcyon says 6lb.). STA with weight insert measure to 6lb-2.5oz. Together 11lb-4.5oz.

I would say regular size DSS plate + weight plates is very compatible to regular Halcyon with weighted STA.

As for weight pouches on shoulder strap, I have done similar. I have tried threaded weight on shoulder strap above the d-ring. The mount of weight that high, even a bit change, change the balance significantly. Threading weight there makes adjustment time consuming. So why not weight pouches? I found if you put 1-2lb on a 5lb weight pouch like XS scuba, it is actually very cumbersome. Weight move around inside at that position isn't too comfortably. I guess with better weight pouch design for smaller weight, it will be OK. I don't do this anymore tho because I found for single tank diving, posture can correct a lot of trim issue. For double, it is not where I need weight