"Correct Weighting" Identified as #1 Needed Improvement in SCUBA Diving

[The Chairman]

No one is trying to "run you off".

Yeah... if that were the case I would just ban him. Not my style. Not our style.

 

[TMHeimer]

Being over-weighted with weights is one of the most common problems when you see divers. when you look at them in the water their legs are pointing in an angle to the bottom and their head is pointing in an angle to the surface. This results in swimming most likely up, and getting a shark teeth dive patron. Another negative part is when they swim, dive like this the divers are less streamlined and will use more air during the dives.

It has to start in the courses how to dive, how to position yourself during the dive. Its not only about weight, its about buoyancy. This should be checked during every dive. And for an instructor it is easy to help the students with good advice.
But a lot of people who are certified and diving not on regular base are saying when they will do a dive, i always dived with this amount of weight. Not knowing that the wetsuit has changed, the salt concentration has changed, the metal of the tanks has changed etc.... I think it should be good if all dive operators will tell this in the briefings before the divers go into the water.

Agree about operators mentioning variations in weight needed and what a normal range may be for said location and equipment being used. In the PADI PPB Adventure Dive there is the Basic Weight Guidelines chart-- though change of tanks isn't listed. This may serve "vacation" divers better if it were in the OW manual as well.
I don't check my weight or buoyancy every dive since my body weight doesn't vary much. I also know what amount of weight I need for each of my equipment setups, and I dive in the same places most of the time. Ei., I know what I need in Nova Scotia with the 7 mil, in CT. in summer with the shorty, etc. No need to check each dive.

 

[REVAN]

Stop being so thin skinned when people simply disagree with you. No one is trying to "run you off".

I think I've had to developed more thick skin calluses than just about anyone around here. Scuba Board is, by far, the most hostile online environment I have been a part of.

Look, I know that my methods for diving don't comply with the dogmatic views of some others here on Scuba Board, including the owner of the web-site. There is no way that we can come to an agreement on these issues given our initial positions. That conclusion is a predicted mathematical outcome, and there is really no point in debating the issues further. I also understand that some of those folks are very irritated that I have continued to be a vocal advocate for alternative views that don't conform to their ways of thinking.

Maybe folks can just lay off the name calling a bit? It would make the environment seem a little less hostile.

 

[Bob DBF]

Scuba Board is, by far, the most hostile online environment I have been a part of.

Don't get out on the interwebs much, do ya.


Bob

 

[george_austin]

If you need to put air in your BCD at any time during a dive (wetsuit) - you're overweighted. If you're uncomfortable making any dive without a BCD - you need to go back in your training and find out why, take corrective action and continue self training.

IMO, all OW students should be taught initially without BCD's - they're a crutch and a way to cover up improper training in weighting.

BCD's are a luxury item and ought to be thought of as such -

 

[Patoux01]

If you need to put air in your BCD at any time during a dive (wetsuit) - you're overweighted. If you're uncomfortable making any dive without a BCD - you need to go back in your training and find out why, take corrective action and continue self training.

Yup, sure. How 'bout you come and prove that with 14mm of neoprene like people do here in a wetsuit?

 

[lermontov]

If you need to put air in your BCD at any time during a dive (wetsuit) - you're overweighted. If you're uncomfortable making any dive without a BCD - you need to go back in your training and find out why, take corrective action and continue self training.

IMO, all OW students should be taught initially without BCD's - they're a crutch and a way to cover up improper training in weighting.

BCD's are a luxury item and ought to be thought of as such -

I so want to see you dive to 40m wihout putting air in your BCD

 

[george_austin]

Yup, sure. How 'bout you come and prove that with 14mm of neoprene like people do here in a wetsuit?

I do it in 12mm as much as I want. If you can't, you're telling me that the laws of dive physics are different from location to location.
Are you saying you wear two 7 mil wetsuits at the same time - one on top of another or are you just wearing another partially doubled up set of 7 mil?

I'll wear a 7 mil full suit, boots and gloves with a 5 mil hooded vest. 10 lbs of lead on a belt and a steel 72. That means I'm +16 at the start of my dive past 50fsw and + 12 or so at the end which, granted, is probably a little light with that much rubber but I'm only going to be concerned with that if I'm doing a blue water safety stop or included in a dive plan is a bunch of swimming around at 20-30 fsw where I'm going to have to carry around a rock.
A line drop to 80-130fsw and a return to the anchor line at the end is a preferred plan with weighting myself as above.

I know people who dive with 12 mil and a steel 85 like a Faber Blue and wear no weight at all and certainly no BCD

 

[george_austin]

I so want to see you dive to 40m wihout putting air in your BCD

I DONT WEAR A BCD! You haven't been listening.

 

[The Chairman]

I DONT WEAR A BCD! You haven't been listening.

You're not wearing a wetsuit either. It's hard to take your babbling seriously.

BCDs are a safety device, not a crutch. A tool for making your diving more enjoyable and yes, far safer. They allow you to be positively buoyant at the end of your dive as well as compensate for wetsuit crush.

I've made hundreds of dives without a BC. I definitely prefer one. I made hundreds of dives without an SPG. I definitely prefer one of those too. I've made hundreds of dives without an octo. Hell, those don't even benefit me directly, but I still dive with an octo. I've made hundreds of dives without an SPG. Oh yes, I prefer to dive with an SPG as well. These are tools, not crutches. I get your desire to think you're a superior diver for not using these tools. You're not. You're in the minority for good reasons. Every agency out there requires students and instructors to use a BC. Learning to dive without one is not an option.