Questions for all of you SoCal Vets

[jenazah]

Although I rarely post any thread in this board. I do read it almost everyday so I feel like I know some of you here and I really value your opinion. My question is about surprisingly, BP and Wings. Now before you guys refer me to countless other threads about BP and Wings. This is SoCal related, somehow.

I got certified last year, during my class I used a jacket style BC and a one piece 7- mm wetsuit. I'm 210 pounds I used 26 lbs of weight during training and it seems to be working fine. Once I got certified I bought an Aqualung Malibu and a 2-pieces Bare 7-mm. Instead of losing weight, now I need 28 lbs. Because my new BC has a lot of inherent buoyancy and I added more wetsuit.

I love doing shore diving, but full gear with 28 pounds of weight and a hike up in Malaga Cove is just too much for me. I know, I need to get in shape, and I 'm already start jogging because I love diving so much. But I still need to cut down my weight.

I was thinking if I change my BC, which has about 3-4 lbs of inherent buoyancy, with a 6 lbs backplate, that's about 8-10 lbs swing. Am I right ? And then if I change from Al-80 tank to Steel 80 or Compact Neutral Al-80. Thats another 3-4 lbs. So I could trim down my weight from 28 to maybe 18 lbs ?

So what do you guys think ? Am I right on this ? Please be brut and honest. Spare me the "go with what you comfortable, try it first and see what you like" replies. Do you think I should change to BP/W and Steel tank ? Is it worth the investment ? It's probably going to cost me about 750+ bucks.

 

[Mo2vation]

Although I rarely post any thread in this board. I do read it almost everyday so I feel like I know some of you here and I really value your opinion. My question is about surprisingly, BP and Wings. Now before you guys refer me to countless other threads about BP and Wings. This is SoCal related, somehow.

I got certified last year, during my class I used a jacket style BC and a one piece 7- mm wetsuit. I'm 210 pounds I used 26 lbs of weight during training and it seems to be working fine. Once I got certified I bought an Aqualung Malibu and a 2-pieces Bare 7-mm. Instead of losing weight, now I need 28 lbs. Because my new BC has a lot of inherent buoyancy and I added more wetsuit.

I love doing shore diving, but full gear with 28 pounds of weight and a hike up in Malaga Cove is just too much for me. I know, I need to get in shape, and I 'm already start jogging because I love diving so much. But I still need to cut down my weight.

I was thinking if I change my BC, which has about 3-4 lbs of inherent buoyancy, with a 6 lbs backplate, that's about 8-10 lbs swing. Am I right ? And then if I change from Al-80 tank to Steel 80 or Compact Neutral Al-80. Thats another 3-4 lbs. So I could trim down my weight from 28 to maybe 18 lbs ?

So what do you guys think ? Am I right on this ? Please be brut and honest. Spare me the "go with what you comfortable, try it first and see what you like" replies. Do you think I should change to BP/W and Steel tank ? Is it worth the investment ? It's probably going to cost me about 750+ bucks.

SoCal Ken here.

A couple of years ago, I did the same thing you're talking about. My first step was to move to an HP100.... much more favorable buoyancy than that wack AL80 I was renting.

Then I moved to the BP/W. I dive DRY, with a BP/W and my e8-130, and I dive with 8 pounds of lead. I'm 5-8 163.

Its more that just a total weight drop - you're also changing the distribution of the weight by going to a steel tank, and BP/W. Its very different, but it shouldn't take too long to get in the groove.

Its a solid solution.


Now go to the search function and read up....


---
Ken

 

[scottfiji]

if you want to cut down your total weight, switching to steel 80 looks like you can loose up to 9 1/2 pounds total, between the tank weight difference and the buoyancy difference. Your al-80 is most likely a catalina S80.

Look at the chart here:
http://www.huronscuba.com/equipment/scubaCylinderSpecification.html

26 pounds sounds like a lot if you weigh 210, with a 1-piece suit. How are you checking your weight? I check mine at 10ft depth at 300-500 psi. I'm about that and I can go with 19 or 20 pounds, with an AL-80 and a jacket bcd.

If you are having trouble at Malaga cove, you aren't diving there enough. Dive there more and it get easier and easier!

hope this helps
Scott

 

[dgallo]

Let me start off with a disclaimer: I have not had the chance to use a BP/W setup.

I dive with a Catalina Compact 80, Zeagle Ranger, 16-18 lbs of weight (about 6 lbs in the rear, the rest in the front). 7mm one-piece wetsuit. I weigh about 195 currently.

With that out of the way...

It sounds like you are looking for a way to get rid of some weight? In my opinion, you are just transferring that weight from your pouches to the BP and the tank. You aren't really getting rid of the weight, it's still there with you for that long trek up the slope from Malaga. It's just in different places now. So I don't know if that's really going to help you. I'm sure there are others who are better informed who might disagree with me.

I had some of the same concerns when doing beach dives, and I just worked on trimming weight off period. I went from needing 24 lbs in my weight pouches down to about 16 by simply working on my buoyancy. Those 8 pounds made a big difference.

I don't know how your fitness is, but you might also consider some workouts to help you build your legs and back a little to help out - possibly some aerobics as well.

I think it comes down to this: no matter how you slice it, the walk up from Malaga in full gear just sucks!

 

[jenazah]

Scott,
The last time I used 26 pounds with my BC and 2 piece wetsuit in Casino Points. I have to hold on the rope during my safety check (15 feet). With 500 psi and my BC fully deflated, my tank is still pulling me up. The next dive I added 2 lbs, and I was fine. I know for sure my BC has a lot of inherent bouyancy. I tested it in the pool and I read a Rodale review that concured this.

Also there is no denying here that I'm overweight and I need to lose a lot of fat.

Thank's for your reply and I'll see you in Malaga Cove never ending climb.

 

[jerryn]

My beach diving rig

ss backplate 5 lbs
ss sta 3 lbs
wing
7mm wetsuit

w/ s72 or al80s 8lbs on a belt
w/ catalina 80 10lbs on a belt

5'7" wt 165

I find that there is a real advantage in going through the surf having weight off of your hips and with a bp and wings you are more streamlined and strapped down. It makes beach diving a lot more enjoyable for me. I just hate getting creamed by waves on entry and exit.

Jerry

 

[jenazah]

Dgallo, I agree with you Malaga Cove climb sucks but the diving is pretty good and it's closer to me than Laguna beach. Even a far away parking spot in Laguna Beach could be a torture for me. As far as exercising concern, don't worry about that. Its part of my plan, hell I'm even taking up Yoga now because I want a healthier back for scuba diving. Scuba pretty much change my life, now I watch what I eat and I'm exercising.

Can you elaborate more on how I can cut down my weight by working on my bouyancy. On the above reply I mentioned that I had a problem doing safety check with 26 lbs. It's just simply dangerous.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[hermosadive]

Jenazah, you will drop weight by switching to a backplate configurations...at least you should.

I was diving with an Atmos XT BC prior to moving to a backplate. With my Atmos and an AL80, I was using 26-27# of weight. After switching to a stainless steel backplate with a weighted single tank adapter, I dive with only 22# (bp & STA are 12lbs + 10lb weight belt). I weigh more than you so weight numbers are not important, but you will probably be able to drop 4-6 pounds. That has been the experience will all the BP divers in my circle.

Don't get hung up on the number of pound you are using. Do what Scott suggests and test your bouyance at the end of the dive with about 500psi. If you can hold your stop, breathing normally, with an empty BC bladder...really empty, then you are weighted correctly. If you find yourself sinking or laying on the bottom remove one 1# and try again. If you are floating up, add 1# on your next dive. Just do 1# at at time till you get it.

I personally wouldn't worry about a getting a neutrual AL80. Once you dial in your correct weight you won't really think about the tank.

Join us for a beach dive.

 

[Frank O]

Hi jenazah, just to pile on here ... pretty much same story from me as the others. When I got certified four years ago, I wore about 28 lbs on the belt with an aluminum 80 tank, 6mm full wetsuit and rec-style BC. Now, with a PST E7-80 (steel 80) or E7-100 (steel 100) and a backplate/wing with a 6-lb backplate, I now wear about 6 lbs on the belt with the same wetsuit.

When I was shopping for tanks, I did a lot of calculations based on the tanks' dry weight and buoyancy to come out with the net overall weight on land when going up or down those bluffs. My experience is that the high-pressure PST's in this respect are better than Fabers, and lightyears ahead of aluminum tanks. PST's are in short supply these days, but a lot of shops intend to start carrying new tanks from another manufacturer called Worthington when their new high-pressure line comes out this spring. From the specs I've seen, these are very similar to h.p. PST's.

My weight has gone up and down, by the way, by as much as 15 pounds or so in the past few years. I don't see an appreciable change in the amount of lead I need to wear based on these weight changes. However, I do see a huge positive impact when I'm in shape and drop some weight -- I get winded much less easily, and it's much easier to get up and down those inclines in dive gear.

Good luck with optimizing your gear.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is experience. I see in your profile that you're a new diver. Nearly all new divers use twice as much weight as they need. Moving your hands and arms without realizing it, moving too quickly, constantly kicking even when trying to hover, shallow breathing due to the excitement of being underwater and trapped air in a bulky BC will all cause you to float upward. For most of us, it took many dives to get close to being neutrally buoyant. For some, it hasn't kicked in after hundreds of dives.
As your buoyancy skills improve, so will your air consumption. If you're relatively new to diving I recommend diving as often as you can. You will reach the point where you find being underwater comfortable, even peaceful as you slowly glide through the kelp forest, perfectly trimmed and neutrally buoyant. With decreased air consumption comes longer bottom times.