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Cam, the permanent weighting should be about equal to the lift from the drysuit insulation. Usually, 104's full do exactly this. Then the light adds more and is an emergency dropper as well as being what it takes to hold you down in a low-on-gas situation. The rig with all accessories should hold you down with little or no gas in the tanks. You can make it all extrenal weight, but some find this uncomfrortable and a balance problem. The key ideas are 1) be balanced 2) be able to swim up by dropping something, and 3) be able to stay down when low on gas. Whatever does that is fine, but keep in mind that you do not want to mess up the rest of the rig, so think it all the way through. Of course, convolutions are not acceptable. Cam Banks wrote: > > The weighting aspect of DIR is one area that's not crystal clear to me. If > one is diving a drysuit, is it okay to have NO droppable weights? > > For example,in my drysuit, using SS backplate, double LP 80's, canister > light, and 3-lb ankleweights, I may not need a weightbelt of any type. I > can add a v-weight if needed or p-weight for single tank. Am I now DIR in > this no-belt, no-pockets, no-drop config? > > If you're guessing that I'd prefer no-drop to the hated weightbelt, you'd be > right... PS I'm not a fattie; I don't need all that much weight. > > I read George's answer carefully, but what exactly is a normal rig in the > sentence below? Thanks. > > Cam > > >Weighting can be added in backplates , wedges etc if a drysuit is used > >and it still balances, but with a normal rig, the weight needs to be > >removeable and separate from the harness completely, other than the > >cannister light , which also must be removeable and unblocked. > > >From: <kirvine@sa*.ne*> > >Reply-To: kirvine@sa*.ne* > >To: Cam Banks <cam_banks@ho*.co*> > >CC: techdiver@aquanaut.com > >Subject: Re: DIR bits & pieces > >Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 14:49:51 -0500 > > > >Compass on one arm, timer on the other. I put the timer on the right > >since that arm is on the scooter and I need to see the depth all of the > >time as part of the cave navigation and data recording process. I hold > >the light on the compass every once in a while so it glows and I can see > >it if I want to. > > > >I leave it the same for ocean to be consistant, even though the compass > >is the more important tool there, and I leave everything the same > >whether I am swimming or scootering for the same reason. Nothing ever > >needs to change and that makes my whole game safer. > > > >No , "integrated" quick release weight schemes are NOT DIR. Anything > >that convolutes or compromises the obvious system is not DIR. Anything > >that forces modification after modification to use standard gear is not > >DIR. I believe the weight thing from Halcyon is for Police and Fire > >rescue units that are kept in the trunk of a car with a 30 cu bottle and > >find their origin in the Brownies belt for the floating compressor. Down > >here the cops are constantly fishing people out of their cars in the > >canals that run along most of the roads which were dug to get material > >to build the roads up so they do not flood with the tropical rains. They > >grab this thing, throw it on over their clothes and jump in . In fact , > >one such dive finished off one of my buddies from ever diving again > >after he went in for a rescue and jumped right onto an alligator. He did > >not get hurt, but he quit diving altogether. > > > >Weighting can be added in backplates , wedges etc if a drysuit is used > >and it still balances, but with a normal rig, the weight needs to be > >removeable and separate from the harness completely, other than the > >cannister light , which also must be removeable and unblocked. > > > >A weightbelt is a beautiful thing and has always been a key element in > >how the game is played. For harness with a dryusuit, you put it on under > >the harness and it takes two steps to remove ( yet will not fall off by > >itself since the harness catches it), but then it is generaly not a dire > >need to ditch it since you have both a bc and a drysuit and the drysuit, > >if it is a shell with insulation, maintains is buoyancy characteristics, > >and if it is a wetsuit, you put it on over the harness so you can lose > >it fast, just like always. For the fat boys ther are suspenders for > >drysuit weights, but then the obvious solution there is to double or > >triple up the steel backplates and make a harness just for diving the > >shell shit with thick insulation, like we do for our decompressoin rigs > >which are nothing more than weighted backplates with with harnesses > >identical to our regular rigs to which we attach stages ( the back tanks > >or rebreather have been removed). They are not "integrated", they are > >for the drysuit only and compensate for the 20 or more pounds of lift > >generated by the drysuit insulation under a shell at any depth just as > >the 104's and cansiter light do . > > > >Any other arrangement is NOT DIR. If you want a "transpac" type thing or > >other "tec" bc, or whatever, go get one, but don't turn a great system > >into a mess. > > > >The beauty of a harness is tht the harness works for all applications > >interchangeably without modification or any change - if you goober it > >up, you might as well buy a "tech" bc or "transpac" type bc. > > > > > >Cam Banks wrote: > > > > > > So, the DIR spot for my compass is on my arm? I can barely get my > > > computer/bottom timer strap over my drysuit above the glove. Is it okay > >to > > > wear the compass on the other arm? Most days in Monterey, I need the > > > compass, unfortunately. > > > > > > Weights: why are the Halcyon ACB pockets not-DIR? (I hate > >non-integrated > > > weights) > > > > > > Solo Diving: if you're diving solo, non-DIR by definition I know, what > > > changes should be made? Besides getting a buddy. Thanks. > > > > > > Cam > > > > > > ______________________________________________________ > > > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > > > -- > > > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. > > > Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. > > > >-- > >Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. > >Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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