Over vs underweighted

[Phil G]

Maybe I'm wrong, but personnally I think being a bit overweighted is A LOT better than being underweighted.

For example, I once had a dive where once in the water (saltwater) I realized i needed more weight. I added a few more pounds and thought-hoped it would be enough.

I wasnt, during all of the dive, I had to work really hard not to shoot up to the surface, making the dive both unpleasant and unsafe.

( I know, I could have cancelled the dive...)

Personnally, I think it's better to be a bit overweighted than to discover too late that you were underweighted.

What do you think?

Phil

 

[Twistedarts]

if not weighted properly, then over is better. If nothing else than to avoid the ICBM issue.

 

[battles2a5]

If I HAD to be either one, I would choose overweighted. But a much better option is to invest the time and effort to get your trim and weighting right in any configuration you plan to dive. A couple of trips to the pool/quarry/shore can get this knocked out in no time flat.

 

[Phil G]

Hi guys,

Of course, you're right.

To my defense, it was a last minute dive, in saltwater, and I couldnt resist diving there.

I realised that adding unfamiliar equipment, with unfamiliar conditions is kinda risky

Phil

 

[friscuba]

I gotta agree with you.

Often on the boat we'll get divers who insist they have to have exactly 13/15 pounds of weight in their pockets. We'll suggest they should consider going to 14/16 so they'll be weighted evenly on both sides and they say they don't want to dive overweighted.... it seems a rather large percentage of those divers spend the last 10-15 minutes of their dives diving head down feet up burning extra air trying to stay down.

You're definitely ahead of the game overweighted by a pound or two than underweighted by a pound or two in most situations. Invariably there will be someone who says they know exactly what they need and they don't want to waste all that air in their BC offsetting that extra pound. Well, a pint's a pound the world around, and unless you're radically zig-zagging your profile and having to constantly dump and replenish the air in your BC, you'll need at most, one pint of air added once to offset that extra pound over part of the course of an easy dive.... what's that, probably something like a fourth or sixth of a single normal breath? Most divers should be able to naturally adjust adjust their breathing a hair to offset a pound or two on the heavy side.

 

[Teamcasa]

Too many people obsess of being exactly right in weight. The fact is, most any competent diver can compensate for being overweighed, even by several pounds without affecting their dive. However, if you are even a pound or two light, then you are going to work that much harder to stay in good trim and maintain good buoyancy, particularly at the end of an otherwise good dive.

 

[goodive]

This is one of those thread, where we all most likely agree. So I guess next post will be from someone who prefer to go down underweighted and at the end of the dive picks up couple of rocks.

 

[siikik]

In terms of being overweighted upon beginning a dive, I agree. Being exactly neutral at the beginning of a dive tends to make one positive at the end of the dive, due to air consumption... something we don't always consider, until we hit ICBM stage.



Ken

 

[ligersandtions]

Obviously you want to be weighted correctly, but if that's just not an option, I would much rather be overweighted. My wing should be able to compensate for me being overweighted.

Being underweighted, someone can generally pull you down far enough that you have sufficient compression to be neutral, and then add some air to the wing and make you neutral as you go deeper. The issue, however, comes when you've spent a significant amount of time at depth, breathed most of your tank (which then makes you even more underweighted), and want to make a safety stop....guess what?!?! You probably won't be able to hold your safety stop (you may be able to swim facing downward and force yourself to stay at your safety stop). The last thing I want to do is not be able to hold my safety stop at the end of a dive, especially if it's one where I'm pushing my NDL.

I'd much rather deal with being overweighted and being inefficient (due to more drag, from both the weights and the excess air compensating for them) than to deal with blowing my safety stop and risking health issues.

 

[Teamcasa]

This is one of those thread, where we all most likely agree. So I guess next post will be from someone who prefer to go down underweighted and at the end of the dive picks up couple of rocks.

That's funny! I was on a dive boat in Hawaii and they ran out of weights before I could grab what I needed. (Long story way but not the point) I was only a few pounds short and thought, no problem, I'll just grab a few rocks. (A common solution when I first started diving)

One problem, most of the rocks at that site, were volcanic. I spent most of that dive hanging on the mooring line watching everyone else having a good dive.