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Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum. I'm doing some cave training soon and I was wondering... I've got double 104 steels and a stainless back plate. I'll be diving a cf200 dui suit or a 7mm wetsuit. Am I going to need a weight belt or are the tanks and the backplate going to be enough in fresh water? Thanks for the help!
Since the water in the caves is between 68° and 72°, divers in wetsuits, or drysuits with thin undergarments, almost never need any weight. In fact, we almost never see steel backplates. Virtually everybody uses aluminum backplates.
I'm thin and usually use LP80s, so I'm on the border. But if you use LP104s, I can't imagine you'd need weights. With a steel backplate, I'd put money on "no."
Ditto on what Sludge said. I dive an AL plate and need no additional weight with 85s or 95s. This is both in a DUI CF200 and a 7mm wet (with a 3mm shorty underneath when I'm in the 68-69 degree caves).
ok, thanks for the help!
I float well enough to easily nap on the surface of water, and diving 85's with a steel plate I am somewhat heavy. 104's could be used as anchors for an aircraft carrier even when filled with 100% He; the main attraction over the years has been that the bouyancy does not shift much (they are just about as heavy in water near empty as they are when full.) I would seriously consider an AL plate for those monsters and sticking with the drysuit when you dive them.
I've already got a steel plate for northeast diving. Is it plausible to just use the steel plate and maybee add some air to the BC?
But just understand if you are grossly overweighted you are going to have a larger profile and burn more gas due to drag. Also if you are diving where you have to swim up a failed wing you will have a hard time of it. Do a search for proper weighting and see where you stand.
Curt
I switched out my steel backplate for an aluminum one due to overweighting problems with the steel (and 104's). The steel plate is reserved for saltwater diving, where the bit of extra weight is useful. At first I resisted buying the aluminum plate and harness (already had the steel, why have two?), but I'm glad I did. It doesn't seem like much I know, but the five pounds or so of reduced weight keeps the wing smaller and my air consumption is lower - I had no idea that such a small difference would really matter. It did. Never underestimate the power of proper weighting.
-skip
Okay, thanks a lot for the advice. The aluminum plate alone is cheap enough, i've already got the wing so it's not that bad. I'll probably end up bringing down both in case. Never know when you find a good saltwater place. Thanks again!