Question on where/how to carry weight

[Scratch_Monkey]

So first, thank you all for your insight. Interesting to see the different point of view!

I dive with a Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD but, so far, have only taken it on one trip (18 dives in Roatan). That BCD comes with interchangeable waist straps. The standard waist belt has integrated weight pockets and the "travel" waist strap is just a strap of webbing. It has two trim pockets on the back.

For that trip I brought the travel waist strap and not the waist belt with the integrated weight pockets. So when I started we guessed at 12 pounds (6 in the back trim pockets and 6 on a standard weight belt) based on my logs from my last trip. However, over the course of the week, I was able to drop down to just six in the trim pockets and, as I've mentioned, it was really nice. I would empty my BCD and just use my breath to control my buoyancy with no problems at the safety stops.

So if I need six pounds with just the travel strap, and the standard belt with the two weight pockets weighs about 3 pounds more than the travel strap, that means I would need (just guessing here?) 3-ish pounds in weight using the integrated weight pockets to equal the six pounds that I used on my last trip (everything else being equal).

While that would get me in the ballpark for proper weight, the weight would not be in my trim pockets and I really liked having weight there. I live in Chicago so at some point I will be diving in Lake Michigan where I will need a thick wetsuit and I'm sure the integrated weight pockets will be great for that. But when diving in warm water, I really like just using the travel strap.

Next time I dive (which will hopefully be in a few weeks in Belize) I think I'll bring my integrated weight strap and try various combinations and just see how it goes. Maybe two pounds in each waist pocket and two, one pounders in my trim pockets.

@MichaelMc I have a ScubaPro Hydros Pro BCD, and a 3mil shorty wet suit and always dive with a single AL80 tank. I just received a Trilobite about a week ago and will start carrying that with my on future dives.

 

[OceanEyes]

It is essential for a new diver to have the ability to ditch weight as quickly and simply as possible. The OP noted that he or she currently requires 6 lbs of lead to achieve proper weighting. That is a relatively modest amount of weight to carry and a simple belt with quick release buckle is all that is required, and unless Scratch Monkey has an extremely unusually shaped body, the small mass of this amount of metal should not lead to substantial trim imbalance. Scratch Monkey’s dive buddies and other companions should also be shown the courtesy of being able to assist him or her in dumping that weight instantly should the need arise.

Many moons ago I had a delightful husband and wife pair attend an open water class that I was instructing. They were fit, funny, considerate, and possessed very strong watermanship skills prior to joining the class. They were dedicated, confident, and attentive students who were a joy to have in all respects, and were so enamored with the concept of becoming divers that they had already invested in sets of full SCUBA gear and wetsuits before coming to their second pool session. The only shop-owned gear that they required for the remaining pool sessions was weight.

When the day arrived for their first open water dives they arrived with the gear that I already knew about and had purchased some “charming” his and her lead weights for each other. He sported a nylon belt adorned with a pair of 4 pound weights shaped like hand grenades and painted a subtle OD green. She was similarly arrayed except her weights were day-glow pink and shaped like Valentine’s Day hearts. We shared a laugh and admired the cleverly, (if not tackily), designed keepsakes that they had given to each other, and then I explained that I thought that it would be best if they return them to the shop they were purchased from, or find some other use for these works of art rather than use them for diving. My reasoning was that weights should be readily discardable in the twinkling of an eye, and I would not wish for them to hesitate to ditch these bits of lead because of any sentimental, monetary, artistic, or other perceived value aside from their intended purpose. They both saw the logic in my perspective and gladly used the shop-owned weight for their open water dives.

 

[MichaelMc]

So if I need six pounds with just the travel strap, and the standard belt with the two weight pockets weighs about 3 pounds more than the travel strap, that means I would need (just guessing here?) 3-ish pounds in weight using the integrated weight pockets to equal the six pounds that I used on my last trip (everything else being equal).

The Hydros integrated pockets may weight 3 lb. more on land, but they are likely close to neutral in the water. So your lead needs are likely the same. There are other, possibly smaller, integrated pockets you could put on that travel belt instead if you want. But the Hydros ones are likely a decent place to start.

I disagree that moving your only 6 lb. from mid back to waist will not have a substantial trim effect! There is a reason those are called trim pockets! But you are stuck in a conflict between trim and ditchable. I would take the integrated pockets with you, move a few pounds to them, *and* try frog kick as it will restore some weight forward, that of your lower legs and fins. Ideally try all that in a pool before your trip, particularly the frog kick resting pose. Easy horizontal trim is a good thing. It will let you enjoy diving more. Moving all 6 lb. from mid back to weight belt is not, in my view, a good solution.

Or make your own small weight belt from webbing, weight belt buckle, and two small pockets such as the divegearexpress 2-3 lb. trim weight pockets. It will fit snug, not be in the way, and some lead on your body is nice. The argument for weight belt ditch is universally understood is true. With just the travel BC belt you may be able to wear the weight belt fairly high and thus have not much more effect on trim than the Hydros integrated pockets.

Edit: Those back trim pockets and removable waist integrated pockets are not meant as a means of saving 3 lb. in luggage by putting all your weight in the trim pockets! The trim pockets are to allow some essential vertical weight placement options for trim. The removable integrated is a nice move on ScubaPro's part that allows more modularity of other ditchable options such as other pockets that fit that travel waist belt or a weight belt.

 

[CT-Rich]

So first, thank you all for your insight. Interesting to see the different point of view!

I dive with a Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD but, so far, have only taken it on one trip (18 dives in Roatan). That BCD comes with interchangeable waist straps. The standard waist belt has integrated weight pockets and the "travel" waist strap is just a strap of webbing. It has two trim pockets on the back.

For that trip I brought the travel waist strap and not the waist belt with the integrated weight pockets. So when I started we guessed at 12 pounds (6 in the back trim pockets and 6 on a standard weight belt) based on my logs from my last trip. However, over the course of the week, I was able to drop down to just six in the trim pockets and, as I've mentioned, it was really nice. I would empty my BCD and just use my breath to control my buoyancy with no problems at the safety stops.

So if I need six pounds with just the travel strap, and the standard belt with the two weight pockets weighs about 3 pounds more than the travel strap, that means I would need (just guessing here?) 3-ish pounds in weight using the integrated weight pockets to equal the six pounds that I used on my last trip (everything else being equal).

While that would get me in the ballpark for proper weight, the weight would not be in my trim pockets and I really liked having weight there. I live in Chicago so at some point I will be diving in Lake Michigan where I will need a thick wetsuit and I'm sure the integrated weight pockets will be great for that. But when diving in warm water, I really like just using the travel strap.

Next time I dive (which will hopefully be in a few weeks in Belize) I think I'll bring my integrated weight strap and try various combinations and just see how it goes. Maybe two pounds in each waist pocket and two, one pounders in my trim pockets.

@MichaelMc I have a ScubaPro Hydros Pro BCD, and a 3mil shorty wet suit and always dive with a single AL80 tank. I just received a Trilobite about a week ago and will start carrying that with my on future dives.

A belt is the cheapest solution since it they can be has for $20. If you don’t want the belt, I would invest in the parts to add ditchable pouches. 6 lbs is nothing added to the weight of your other kit. I am not a fan of the idea that you could cut yourself out of your BCD. Even with the right tools, it is not an easy task that requires you to dump a lot of kit you might need at the surface (SMB, whistle, mirror etc.) not to mention breathing gas. Cutting tools are more for clearing entanglements than getting out of you rig. Weights are cheap and easy to replace.

I doubt moving weights from the back trim pockets to the ditchable pouches will significantly change your trim. The angle you keep you knee will have a much greater effect on you center of trim than pouches versus belt. Being a new diver you will make a lot of small tweaks to your gear over time and it will be a while before you are experienced enough to really see any differences. Having ditchable weight is much more important to a diver in trouble than having ninja like trim.

 

[mcohen1021]

Do you think that it's okay to wear all my weight in this fashion

Or just wear a weight belt with two one pounders? I really don't want to wear a weight belt if I can help it.

The main reason we were taught to have easily ditchable weights was that in the event of an emergency, people could more easily assist you, or you could more easily surface. If you are wearing a total of 6#, anyone trying to help you that can’t deal with 6 extra lbs isn’t going to be able to help you anyways. I also dive with 6# and do the same thing.

So I say stick them in the trim pockets and forget about it.

 

[johndiver999]

The argument that a 6 lbs weight belt will necessarily preclude proper trim is demonstrated to be false - hundreds or thousands of times per day.

If a particular diver can not make it work comfortably due to the variability in tank, bc, exposure protection, body composition and size, then I can accept that. But to make general, all encompassing statements that a very modest weight belt won’t work is not something I agree with.

As others have tried to explain, it may be the simplest, cheapest, and most easily ditched option available. So try that first?

 

[MichaelMc]

Scratch, Some questions:

Are you using flutter kick or frog kick?

When you stop kicking, does your body stay at the same angle? Rotate to point more vertical? Or go head down?

Are you wearing your BC and tank particularly low, or at a normal seeming height for the BC, and tank where it does not bang your head but you can still manipulate the valve.

What about using a weight belt do you not like?

 

[CT-Rich]

The main reason we were taught to have easily ditchable weights was that in the event of an emergency, people could more easily assist you, or you could more easily surface. If you are wearing a total of 6#, anyone trying to help you that can’t deal with 6 extra lbs isn’t going to be able to help you anyways. I also dive with 6# and do the same thing.

So I say stick them in the trim pockets and forget about it.

Actually diving is more about self rescue. If you roll off the side of the boat and hit the water with a full tank that was turned off (s-happens) you are 5 lbs negative. You swim to the surface and are moving away from the boat with the current and no breathing gas or power inflator. You want to stay at the surface. This is the most likely situation. Or the dump valve gets sand in it and won’t close, so no matter what you do the air just dumps. This happened to me on a night dive. I handed off the weights to my buddy for the swim in.

Dumping weight is mostly about keeping you comfortably at the surface when everything else goes into the sh*tter. Your wetsuit is your redundant buoyancy.. drop the weights and you can stay on the surface with no effort.

 

[Scratch_Monkey]

Scratch, Some questions:

Are you using flutter kick or frog kick?

When you stop kicking, does your body stay at the same angle? Rotate to point more vertical? Or go head down?

Are you wearing your BC and tank particularly low, or at a normal seeming height for the BC, and tank where it does not bang your head but you can still manipulate the valve.

What about using a weight belt do you not like?

All my diving so far has been in warm, tropical water and I've used a weigh belt most of the time up until my most recent dives. It just seems cleaner not to use one and I think I'm going to try the route of using my integrated weight pockets to see how I like it. I will try to spread the six pounds between those pockets and my back, trim pockets and see how it goes. It's a journey.

With regard to my trim, when I had my weight solely in my trim pockets I think it was pretty good! From the one picture I saw of me swimming (and not posing for the camera) my body was vertical and my legs were up. I use a flutter kick but am going to work on my frog kick moving forward. When I use my integrated weigh belt, I will ask my DM or a buddy how I look.