Posted by Joe R on September 06, 2001 at 22:34:39:
In Reply to: Ken Kurtis gave an excellent summary emphasizing wt ditching posted by Karl S. on September 06, 2001 at 13:08:50:
I'm not a DIR advocate, but most people who are using backplates
don't have a weight belt (or very little weight) and properly weighted are near neutral at the end of a dive.
The DIR style they can drop thier light (and lose 2-4 lbs of negative weight)
Personally in my area (ny) this really isn't an option so why rig it DIR style.( the DIR advocate will probably
say use your backup light but my primary is easier to use) no light means you cant see until
you get near the surface. When I dive in L.I. sound I lose ambient light anywhere from 20-50 feet depending
on conditions, the ocean is usually better.
with my drysuit and heavy undergarments I use 4-6 lbs (in salt water)
depending on what accessories I bring with me.. I can dive without this lead
but in the unlikely event of having to breath the tank near empty
I want to be able to do my deco stops with very little effort, even without using by bc
I can easily swim to the surface if necessary, on ascent I frequently dump all my air from wings b4 ascent
and all buoyancy is from the air in the drysuit and its displacement.