Removing and putting back kit underwater with integrated weights

[BlueTrin]

In a pool session I moved most of my weights to my bcd pockets.

I tried practicing removing and putting back your kit underwater.

However as I didn’t have enough weight on my belt and was wearing a wetsuit, I started floating.

My question is should I always carry enough weight on my belt to not be positively buoyant when not wearing my kit ?

 

[rongoodman]

Only if you plan on taking it off under water. Why would you want to do such a thing?

 

[g1138]

At 20-30ft or deeper your wetsuit should be compressed enough that you'll be neutral to slightly floaty. In a 12ft pool your wetsuit still has near maximum buoyancy as you've found out.
It is a preference of risk VS reward. If you find it very unlikely to have to take off your BC UW AND under those circumstances you'll be below the threshold of depth where your wetsuit is very compressed, then it's low risk for the reward of.....whatever makes you like integrated weights over weightbelt.

Me personally I split my weight between the weightbelt and integrated. With my small stature I tend to fall forwards if majority of my weight is loaded in the weight pockets. Distributing it allows me to hold trim and roll easily in any orientation which benefits me during class teaching.

 

[CuzzA]

In a pool session I moved most of my weights to my bcd pockets.

I tried practicing removing and putting back your kit underwater.

However as I didn’t have enough weight on my belt and was wearing a wetsuit, I started floating.

My question is should I always carry enough weight on my belt to not be positively buoyant when not wearing my kit ?

Yes. It makes sense. The skill is taught because there's always a possibility you will have to remove your rig at depth. Could be something trivial like a comfort adjustment or something worse and less likely, like entanglement. I'd rather be neutral or slightly negative than positive.

 

[JackD342]

Sounds like you were doing an OW class. In PADI, that is the last and only new skill in Module 5.
Yes, with integrated weights only, that can be a challenge for anyone - and the difficulty escalates for more buoyant divers, or divers wearing more buoyant suits.

So you have to ask "when would I even need to do this" and then think about how you would deal with that in real life.
The example I give is if your 1st stage is tangled in some fishing line or kelp, and you need to cut/untangle it yourself because your buddy is off in a world of his own. As long as you are able to stay connected to your BCD while you do what you need to do on your 1st stage, you will be okay. Far easier said than done, and since it would be best to practice mid water with some room above and below, it is very difficult to practice in a pool with a limited water column. I suppose another scenario is if your cylinder isn't turned on all the way and you need to finish opening the valve.

So, I can't provide a definitive answer for you, but I agree with @g1138 that it depends on how much risk you will accept, perhaps joined to what kind of diving you do, and where you do it, with what kind of gear. At the very least, do some visualization of just how you are going to hold on to that BCD for dear life while messing with a tangle, and how you are going to best avoid going feet up while doing so. I will suggest that gripping it between your knees while troubleshooting might be the best way if you are that buoyant.

 

[guruboy]

I would suggest never taking your right arm out of the shoulder strap.

 

[homerdoc]

Agree with Guruboy, I make my girls practice this at least once a trip. Keep a firm grip and you are still neutrally buoyant. If you just let it flap around you will float above it. I make them practice in like 15 feet of water after the safety stop.

 

[northernone]

With 14mm wetsuits and the possibility of needing to remove a bcd underwater quite likely I keep most of my weight on a belt. For warm water diving I am fine with weight system/BCD being one unit.

 

[Bubblesong]

If you float, then your bcd could slip out of your control and sink, so my goal is to distribute weight so both are neutrally bouyant. I also had better trim with some weight on weight belt. The weight on weight belt would be the emergency-ditchable subset of weight as well.

 

[TMHeimer]

I would suggest never taking your right arm out of the shoulder strap.

Good idea. Must admit I don't think I ever thought about it since here most every diver (wetsuit at least) must use integrated plus belt.