ps. Using weight pockets means you have your waist belt (or a weight belt), and two different tank strap locations to choose from for where to position the weight. That definitely helps to dial in your trim.
Ditchable weight with a BP/W: What to buy, how much on the belt?
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What kind of underwear do you have for your drysuit and what style of drysuit is it? That will make a big difference too! I have a shell drysuit and normally wear DUI xm 450 underwear, SUPER fluffy! With that I have to wear 20lbs but if I wear thin undies which I tried a few weeks ago in warm water, I only had 5lbs weight and could definitely have left those 5lbs on shore!
Interesting point.
I have seen other folks in dry suit-specific undies that looked very fluffy.
I recently got a full set of Fourth Element Arctic undies (shirt, leggings, and socks). The best way I can describe them is feeling "dense". But it is warm as heck. Totally warm in 40-ish degree water. And I only added 4 pounds of weight (in a V-weight soft pouch) to my BP. With no undies (just board shorts and t-shirt) and double 120s, my only weight is my SS BP. With the new undies, SS BP + 4#. I may be a little over weighted with no undies, but if so it can't be much. My 120s are PSTs, so they're only -1.5# when empty.
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filmguy123
Contributor
I have Under Armour cold gear - both base 2.0 (standard for skiing/snowboarding) and base 4.0 which they only sell in the really cold states, or online - that supposedly keeps you warm just SITTING in below 20 degree temps for hunting.
So, base layer 2.0-4.0 UA. Here's the 4.0:
Men’s UA Base™ 4.0 Crew | Under Armour US
And the 2.0 I'm sure people are familiar with. I also have non warmth giving sweat wicking layers if all that would be too warm. Pretty well set there from my other hobbies (snowboarding/motorcycling in PNW)
And then I have the USIA Exotherm II for under my Techniflex:
Exotherm 2
How should these affect buoyancy? Will the USIA exotherm be pretty fluffy/buoyant?
So, base layer 2.0-4.0 UA. Here's the 4.0:
Men’s UA Base™ 4.0 Crew | Under Armour US
And the 2.0 I'm sure people are familiar with. I also have non warmth giving sweat wicking layers if all that would be too warm. Pretty well set there from my other hobbies (snowboarding/motorcycling in PNW)
And then I have the USIA Exotherm II for under my Techniflex:
Exotherm 2
How should these affect buoyancy? Will the USIA exotherm be pretty fluffy/buoyant?
I have a couple: the above and the $10 version, and they are both bigger/bulkier than I'd like. They're too much in the way on the shoulder straps, and on the waist strap with a utility pocket there's hardly enough room left to tighten the belt. That's on basically bare waist, though. On the plus side they are big enough to take a couple of 5-pounders each so if you need 28 lbs, you might need them this big.
I agree with dmazuik. I had a couple of the XS Scuba trim weight pockets and sold them. They were bigger than I liked also. I think I'm going to order the DGX trim weight pockets for $10 each to try. I haven't been able to find actual dimensions, to be sure that they are smaller than the XS Scuba ones. But, they claim to hold less weight, so I'm hoping they are a little smaller. If not, oh, well. I almost never had a need for weight pockets anyway. And $20 for a pair is chump change compared to the rest of scuba....
cmburch
Contributor
Northern California Kelp Diver. On SCUBA, I use SS BP/STA/40lbWing/crotch strap, HP100/HP130. Very stable unit for hiking our coastline. Well balanced with SS BP/STA over lung area. I only use a rubber weight belt to keep it simple.
The rubber weight belt is the most comfortable, easy to adjust and depth compensating. You need a thick rubber weight belt though. There are many rubber weight belts available with different high quality stainless steel buckles. I would look at what your buddies and other divers in your area are using so you can make a more informed decision by touching/trying the actual belt. Mako does offer this.
I use a Marseillaise "thick" rubber weight belt with Tinman pinch weights for Freedivng.
For SCUBA, a rubber weight belt with pockets and SS QR buckle (DiveRite and Omer). I think there are 3or4 XS SCUBA pockets connected together on each side of the rubber belt.
The rubber weight belt is the most comfortable, easy to adjust and depth compensating. You need a thick rubber weight belt though. There are many rubber weight belts available with different high quality stainless steel buckles. I would look at what your buddies and other divers in your area are using so you can make a more informed decision by touching/trying the actual belt. Mako does offer this.
I use a Marseillaise "thick" rubber weight belt with Tinman pinch weights for Freedivng.
For SCUBA, a rubber weight belt with pockets and SS QR buckle (DiveRite and Omer). I think there are 3or4 XS SCUBA pockets connected together on each side of the rubber belt.
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