Steel back plate and wetsuit not a good idea for solo?

[AbyssalPlains]

Hi all,

Last weekend I completed my SDI Solo Diving cert. One of the things I quickly realized was that my current jacket-style BC has some serious issues with going solo. Actually, I should say "being self-sufficient" because I don't anticipate to actually go solo a lot, but I get very involved with photography under water and that was my rationale to take the course. One of the things we talked about in the class was redundant weight distribution, meaning to wear some of the weight separately from the BC so I don't float up if I have to take my BC off and fix a problem. For various other reasons, I am now looking into getting a BP/W, preferably Hogarthian. After reading a lot on this board as to when to use steel or aluminum backplates, I gather that for cold water wetsuit diving (which I do most of the time), steel is the way to go, whereas for warm water diving in a 3mm (which I do occasionally), an aluminum plate might be better, especially if the operator at the destination rents only steel cylinders. However, some people favor a steel back plate for warm water diving, too, as it can make you almost neutral and you don't need a lot of, if any, additional weight. Sounds appealing, except that for solo diving, I see a potential danger here: I do want to have some weight that is not attached to my rig, for the above-mentioned reasons. Also , not having any ditchable weight as a solo diver seems dangerous. From the last time I used a weight belt (that was with a jacket style BC with no integrated weights), I must say that I absolutely hate it and the less weight I have to put on my belt, the better. On the other hand, I guess this clashes with the idea of having some weight on your body in addition to your rig. Btw, I am not planning to use doubles any time soon, neither a drysuit.

Is the answer to buy a steel AND an aluminum BP? If so, how much of a pain is it to switch them?

Thanks all!

 

[ClayJar]

My steel backplate basically offsets my aluminum tank's buoyancy. With a thin wetsuit, I might not use any weight on a belt, but even at the beginning of the dive, I can swim it up with no problem (even without fins). With a thicker wetsuit, I'll need more weight, and I'll have a greater loss of buoyancy. I may put some of that on a belt or other ditchable location, but I can swim it up, and I've got a wing, a lift bag (alongside the plate), and a sausage-style SMB (back ring), too.

Regardless, I can't think of anything other than airline travel that would get me in an aluminum or kydex plate. If I *did* get one, I'd just get a second harness (and cam bands if it's STA-less, like all the ones I like are these days). If you're just swapping the wing over, that's *utterly* trivial (since you should keep the wing separate to protect the wing from the plate). If you have two harnesses, you can have each plate fit precisely to you in the respective suit.

(Obviously, I ended with a steel plate, which serves me well from swimsuit through drysuit. If I ever need surface flotation, I've got three or more options, so it doesn't bother me at all when I'm solo in it.)

 

[spectrum]

pteranodon,

The concept of distributed weight is one I consider important for any diver. Even in a buddy pair in poor visibility if the following diver gets entangled the lead diver can easily be out of visibility range before noticing that the follower is missing. At that point you have an unplanned solo entangled diver.

Obviously some weight needs to come onto your body to neutralize that cold water wetsuit. This need not be evil or torturous.
* Position weight to keep them off your hips. when hanging below the hips they should not be a bother. Use weight keeper to lock the set-up.
* Having weights where the webbing laces in and out the backside as opposed to the straight shot through the center will help.
* A soft weight belt is enjoyed by some. There are some durability, drip and pollution drawbacks but they are a valid option and are more comfortable.
* A weight harness such as offered by DUI or SeaSoft distributes the weight better topside and opens up a host of positioning option during the dive.

At the end of the day the SS plate probably represents the trim weight most of us need to negate lung volume and 2X neoprene on the core and it won't pin you to the bottom if you must ditch your rig and perform a CESA even with a steel cylinder. Trim weight is usually on a cam band or in inaccessible non ditching pockets. This is especially true since as a solo diver you are not likely to be diving to the deepest depths thus retaining significant neoprene lift.

Pete

 

[Dive-aholic]

First, I've never taken a solo diver course, so I'm not speaking from that perspective. Why would anyone encourage ditching weight? If, and that's a big if, you had to remove your rig underwater you should still be able to maintain enough control over it to not let yourself make a buoyant ascent. The reasoning is faulty and sounds more like it's coming from a recreational instructor who someone got rated to teach a solo course.

Now to answer your question about back plates. When I was diving a bp/w (I now dive side mount which is better suited for solo diving), I chose an AL plate. In a 3mm with the AL plate, I don't wear any additional weight and am still a little heavy. When I put on a 7mm I simply add a channel weight to provide more weight along my center of balance. None of it's ditchable, but I don't believe in ditchable weight.

 

[Darnold9999]

I think the concept is not so much ditchable weight as separate weight so that if you need to take your BCD off in an entanglement situation your boyancy isn't seriously changed. When diving dry, or wet with significant neoprene, this is an issue as a solo diver.

At one time I considered integrating 10 lb of lead into my backplate and keeping the other 6 lb on a belt. During my solo course I had to get out of the backplate to disentangle myself. After trying to control just a steel tank and steel backplate I changed my mind and continue to wear all my weight on a belt. The steel plate and tanks at that part of the dive would have been about 10 lbs negative which made me about 10 lb positive when I took it off. While possible to manage it was not easy and I wouldn't want to make it any more difficult than that.

For example if you have 20 lb of integrated weights and you need to remove the BCD your BCD is now at a minimum 20 lb negative and you are at least 20 lb positive. That is very difficult or impossible to control. Much better to retain the weight on a belt so that when you remove the BCD the swing is much lower. For those diving warm this is not so much an issue, but when diving dry or in a heavy wetsuit the boyancy swing is large and needs to be considered when deciding where to wear your weights.

In warm water I have tried both a steel backplate and an Al plate and am slightly negative with steel and slightly positive with Al depending on what tank I'm using. In these situations the swing is not one I worry about as I don't become seriously boyant if I take the backplate off. The rig doesn't become seriously negative either so it is pretty easy to control.

 

[divad]

I use a SS plate with no weights in 3MM wetsuit and the same plate with XS Scuba weight pouches behind the waist D-rings with a drysuit. I'm considering an AL plate with pouches for travel. Either way, I'm not going to use a weight belt. I don't like weight belts at all.

 

[b1gcountry]

Obviously some weight needs to come onto your body to neutralize that cold water wetsuit.

This is one valid equipment choice, but carrying all of your weight on your rig is also a valid alternative, and one that is chosen by a large portion of divers. I would point out that this isn't really a BP/W specific question either, it would be the same scenario with a weight integrated BC. The question of ditchable weight vs. non-ditchable is another choice.

Two of the factors involved are the issues of how secure you feel your ballast needs to be, as well as how likely you feel you would be to remove your rig underwater. I generally consider removing my rig as a last ditch option, but I have done it several times without incident in the past. Last time was in saltwater with a 5/4/3 jumpsuit and about 8lbs lead attached to cam bands on my AL BP/w. The rig was about 8 lbs negative I would guess, and I didn't have any problem holding my depth mid-water while fiddling with it (I was moving the weight on the cam band around a bit, not entangled.)

A steel BP should be about 5-6lbs of ballast. A steel tank with first stage and STA will be about 4-5lbs ballast. The weight of the air is going to be offset by the air in your Wing, but you will also have air in your wing to offset your wetsuit compression (maybe about 10-12 lbs buoyancy). So your rig by itself will probably be pretty close to neutral at depth assuming you don't add any ballast to it. Even if it isn't exact, you should be able to handle it pretty easily.

Tom

 

[digital_steve]

First, I've never taken a solo diver course, so I'm not speaking from that perspective. Why would anyone encourage ditching weight? If, and that's a big if, you had to remove your rig underwater you should still be able to maintain enough control over it to not let yourself make a buoyant ascent. The reasoning is faulty and sounds more like it's coming from a recreational instructor who someone got rated to teach a solo course.

Now to answer your question about back plates. When I was diving a bp/w (I now dive side mount which is better suited for solo diving), I chose an AL plate. In a 3mm with the AL plate, I don't wear any additional weight and am still a little heavy. When I put on a 7mm I simply add a channel weight to provide more weight along my center of balance. None of it's ditchable, but I don't believe in ditchable weight.

What sidemount rig do you dive? Golem gear, dive rite?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I dive solo often and the probablity that you will need to remove the scuba unit underwater is much. much higher since you don't have a buddy to help untangle you. For this reason alone, you should be able to control the scuba unit when it is off.

In warm water, with an aluminum plate and a steel tank, I am sometimes OVERWEIGHTED with zero lead. If you are going to dive in warm water, with a steel tank, then I would avoid a steel plate

 

[Dive-aholic]

What sidemount rig do you dive? Golem gear, dive rite?

The Nomad.