Need suggestions ASAP - weighting with backplate

[Kryssa]

I currently dive a Dive Rite Transpac and have for 200+ dives now. I love it but have always wondered about a backplate.

My husband isn’t diving tomorrow and offered to let me dive his Deep Sea Supply steel backplate and I need to know how much weight to take off. I’m pretty much perfectly weighted - can barely hold a safety stop with 700 psi in my tank so definitely don’t want to underweight.

We’re in Hawaii and I need suggestions by 7:30 am local time.

Thanks so much!

 

[Raphus]

Depends on the backplate(weight)
And the amount of padding your bcd had(which is positive buoyant)
I would take the normal amount of weigth. But include the backplate.
So if you have 6kg normally. And backplate is 2kg then take 4.

This way you might be a bit over weighted, but not too much and you can try how much u need to remove.
Or take a kg more to be safe.

If the backplate harness has paddings or weightpockets this wont work so well, because its less negativ buoyant.

If not sure take more weigth. Its better then popping to the surface.

 

[DiveClimbRide]

On you first dive take your normal amount of weight less 1.5kg/3lbs. Than at the end of your first dive remove weight to get it perfect and use that for the rest of your dives

 

[Oldbear]

I use to dive the Dive Right Transplate before switching to a DSS BP/W so I have and idea what you are looking at.

Your TransPac is going to weight about 4 1/2 lbs. Your husband’s BP/W is going to weight about 6 1/2 lbs. Luckily you will weight the same regardless. The BP/W is definitely negative buoyant by about 5 lbs. The TransPac, I assume is positive buoyant...not 100% sure. For quickness, I would start out anywhere from your normal weight to 4 lbs less. Just do a quick buoyancy check prior to your first descent.

 

[Ayisha]

You could probably safely take off 5 or 6 lbs for the first dive and then check if the wing has much air in it at your safety stop.
If it does, you might be able to take out another lb or 2.
The Transpac has more buoyant material than a typical bp/w, so the ballast difference might be a little more than the weight of the plate itself.

If the wing is pretty much empty and you can easily hold a 10 foot stop with a nearly empty tank, you're correctly weighted.

 

[inquis]

Assuming an AL80 tank, if you want to check at the beginning of the dive, take off 5 lbs from what you think you should use. If you float eye level with mid-breath, that's perfect for the start (add or subtract as needed, even just holding weights in your hands or on a belt you hold until you get the right total amount). THEN ADD 5 LB TO THAT (for the air you'll consume) and go dive. Takes 2-3 minutes next to the boat to figure out. If you're first in the water with someone to help on the swim step, you'll be done before everyone is in the water.

Trim-wise, if you find that you're head-heavier than you're used to, compensate by extending legs or bringing hands toward your waist.

 

[Doc]

Use your Transpac for tomorrow morning’s dive.

Why hurl yourself into a past-the-point of no return when you don’t have to?

Experiment with unknown elements at a more leisurely moment.

press to MECO <- Google that!

 

[Kryssa]

Thanks all! I read through all the posts as we were driving to the harbor. The answer was 6 lbs!