"Taking it off the weightbelt"

In the Tanks thread it was mentioned again-

<I agree, but hopefully I can get 300 bar fills most of the time.

Also the extra weight may take some lead from my weights.>

I've always wondered why people would rather herniate themselves by heaving
around huge twin sets with pounds of extra lead wedged between the tanks.

What's wrong with lifting a 7kg (was for me with twin 10's) shot harness and
wrapping that around your waist before getting into the now easier to handle
harness + twins?
The only benefit I could see is it would be impossible to jump in, only to
remember the weight belt when you can't sink.

People say the keel or vee weights are better for trim. I've never tried them,
I imagine someone with neg buoyant steel tanks, 5Kg or more of air, stainless
steel backplate and lumps of lead hanging off their back, with nothing to
counter all this weight in front of their bodies.

What happens if, when kitted up this way you swim horizontally then turn your
whole body 90deg to swim on your side? Is this kit well balanced or are you
constantly working to maintain this attitude? The test would be to just stop
and passively wait to see what happens, do you turn turtle (I had to mention
one), sink head first, feet first or what? (The trim test)

I know air in your wing should reduce the imbalance but not all of it, you
still have extra weight to be able to stay neutrally buoyant, all of this
behind you with the buoyancy- neoprene or drysuit covering both your front and
back.

No theory or physics responses please. Who's actually done a trim check as I
describe and repeated it after moving weight, what were the results? Did you
find the optimum trim? I'm not convinced that "taking it off the weight belt"
is the best solution. What will our collective (there I go again) knowledge
come up with?

On a safety tack, I integrated weight for a short time but in wrecks when
looking up at rusty overheads, I imagined myself helplessly stuck to the
ceiling after resorting to de-kitting to get out of small holes should that
ever be necessary, the weight belt went back on!

Rob H

"Rob Hampton" <rhamp3601@nojunk> wrote in message
news:20031104062026.26583.00000028@mb-m05....
> In the Tanks thread it was mentioned again-
>
> <I agree, but hopefully I can get 300 bar fills most of the time.
>
> Also the extra weight may take some lead from my weights.>
>
> I've always wondered why people would rather herniate themselves by
heaving
> around huge twin sets with pounds of extra lead wedged between the tanks.
>
> What's wrong with lifting a 7kg (was for me with twin 10's) shot harness
and
> wrapping that around your waist before getting into the now easier to
handle
> harness + twins?
> The only benefit I could see is it would be impossible to jump in, only to
> remember the weight belt when you can't sink.
>
> People say the keel or vee weights are better for trim. I've never tried
them,
> I imagine someone with neg buoyant steel tanks, 5Kg or more of air,
stainless
> steel backplate and lumps of lead hanging off their back, with nothing to
> counter all this weight in front of their bodies.
>
> What happens if, when kitted up this way you swim horizontally then turn
your
> whole body 90deg to swim on your side? Is this kit well balanced or are
you
> constantly working to maintain this attitude? The test would be to just
stop
> and passively wait to see what happens, do you turn turtle (I had to
mention
> one), sink head first, feet first or what? (The trim test)
>
> I know air in your wing should reduce the imbalance but not all of it, you
> still have extra weight to be able to stay neutrally buoyant, all of this
> behind you with the buoyancy- neoprene or drysuit covering both your front
and
> back.
>
> No theory or physics responses please. Who's actually done a trim check as
I
> describe and repeated it after moving weight, what were the results? Did
you
> find the optimum trim? I'm not convinced that "taking it off the weight
belt"
> is the best solution. What will our collective (there I go again)
knowledge
> come up with?
>
> On a safety tack, I integrated weight for a short time but in wrecks when
> looking up at rusty overheads, I imagined myself helplessly stuck to the
> ceiling after resorting to de-kitting to get out of small holes should
that
> ever be necessary, the weight belt went back on!
>
> Rob H

V Weights, Chunks etc are better - for exactly that trim - try putting bean
shot into the back of your Yellow box of luuvvv, trim will also be better
and you can get rid of the head banger weight on the top :-)

Simply you ride the bubble in the wing and remain horizontal, why would you
need to turn on your side 90'?

The only place you'd ever want to dump weight would be at the surface, so
you just take the rig off....

Ponder on.....

/F

/F

>V Weights, Chunks etc are better - for exactly that trim - try putting bean
>shot into the back of your Yellow box of luuvvv, trim will also be better

My shot belt trim pockets were occupied with pouches when weighted for fresh
water (now rectified). I did put additional pouches inside the yellow box to
compensate for sea water buoyancy. After a few dives in the Farnes my back was
aching like hell! They moved about and I was arching my back to stay level. I
aggree that close to the back is where to put them, drilling little holes in
the case and using bungee loops would secure the pouches when I know where to
put them.

My head banger weight is 4Kg and appears to keep the box in trim. Out of
curiosity I'll check it in a ready to dive state (holding, not wearing it),
optimum loop volume on a shallow beach and check the units trim. I'm exploring
the pinnacles at Dotty this weekend, I'll check it there- After the dive!