How to (politely) advocate for more weight?

[boulderjohn]

Saying that you have always needed a certain amount of weight or showing a logbook will not do a lot of good. Most divers in the inexperienced range--and even getting into the experienced range--are overweighted, sometimes seriously, so a dive operation will likely assume that you are just asking to carry on a tradition of being overweighted.

I was once doing OW checkout dives in fresh water with students in 7mm suits. One of the students announced that in preparation for the class, he had done all his pool work in a 7mm suit, and his pool instructor had worked carefully with him on weighting, so he knew for an absolute certainty that he needed 22 pounds. I looked at his slight stature and build and thought "no way." By the time we were done, he was happily diving with only 10 pounds, and he was thrilled by how much easier it was to dive that way.

In contrast, I have known two very experienced and skilled divers who absolutely needed more weight than I would have believed possible. Both talked about experiences where people refused to believe they needed that much.

So do you need as much as you think you do? I don't know. I would love the opportunity to check you out. In the meantime, my suggestion is to ask for weight this way: "In my experience, I need more weight than people think I should. The amount I am asking for will seem like a lot, but I assure you that I do indeed need it."

Maybe they will believe you. Maybe they won't.

 

[Asteve]

I have fought this my whole time I have been diving. I could never figure out why it was so importance to other people if they thought I was carrying 5 extra pounds of weight, I mean I got a BC that will give me 35 pounds of lift.
I have just gotten hard core and say "just give me the dam weight" I have had to many dive spoiled because I did not have enough weight.

 

[johndiver999]

Lead shaming, the new fat shaming??? lol

 

[columbus jones]

So do you need as much as you think you do? I don't know. I would love the opportunity to check you out.

If I'm ever in your area I'll DM you! It is entirely possible that I don't need as much as I think I do. I know I am inexperienced and still getting the hang of things. But I also know that last week I had 14lbs in my pockets (they wanted me at 12) and an empty BCD (DM checked, haha), and I simply could not descend. Not "buoyancy issues once underwater" but "DM had to grab me by the fin and pull me under to give me more weight." I've never been told I need less weight after someone sees me dive or try to descend. It's always before.

Thanks for the advice on the wording, I will give that a try. And if a few dozen/however many dives from now I do realize that I don't actually need that much weight, I will definitely be back here with a mea culpa.

 

[Marie13]

Lead shaming, the new fat shaming??? lol

It’s a race to the bottom among some on SB to see how little lead they can dive with.

 

[boulderjohn]

It’s a race to the bottom among some on SB to see how little lead they can dive with.

It is very common for divers to dive with the least possible weight. I used to be there myself. Today I am happier with a few extra pounds than the supposed ideal. With too much weight, though, it becomes more difficult to manage buoyancy, especially in shallow water. You control buoyancy by a combination of the air in the BCD and the air in the lungs. The more excess weight you carry, the more air in the BCD. The more air in the BCD, the less control you have through simple breathing--the expanding and contracting air in the BCD becomes too much to overcome with lung volume.

On the other hand, it is nice not to have to struggle to find and release that last puff of air from the BCD, either on descent or ascent.

 

[Rose Robinson]

Hi! Quick question for you lovely folks.

I'm a newer diver, and apparently I'm extra buoyant. I've done warm and cold salt water diving, and folks are almost always surprised by how much weight I need to weight check/descend/stay at depth based on my size/gear/etc (when I was certified my instructor spent extra time with me to make sure my weights were good, since he thought it was high. But he said I looked/dove great at the weight, and that some people just need more).

Recently, I've been having issues with dive shops straight up refusing to give me the weight I ask for, so I end up in the water needing more weight after a weight check or after being unable to descend with an empty bcd. They've been apologetic afterwards, but I was wondering if there's a good and polite way to express "yes I know this sounds like a lot of weight, but based on previous dives I think I need it so can I please just start with this weight instead of having to get more once I'm in the water?" I mean, other than using those exact words. Cuz I've tried using those exact words.

If I'm just being a Karen and this is standard, don't hold back, I can take it. It's just annoying when I can't descend at a weight one day, and tell folks that the next day in the same location/conditions/etc, and they want to give me even less than the day before, haha.

Mr. Jones,

Not knowing your weight or kit, it is possible you do not need more ballast.

I would strongly suggest taking a peak performance buoyancy course.

I do not own any ballast, never have. I weigh 120 pounds, dive with a dry-suit full time, and dive with a negative kit.

What you need is more practice, preferably under the watchful eye of a professional, not more lead!

All the very best with your progress! You'll get there!

Rose

 

[boulderjohn]

But I also know that last week I had 14lbs in my pockets (they wanted me at 12) and an empty BCD (DM checked, haha), and I simply could not descend. Not "buoyancy issues once underwater" but "DM had to grab me by the fin and pull me under to give me more weight."

I want to understand this correctly. You seem to be saying that you could not submerge, but once you were down and doing the dive, you were fine. Most importantly, were you fine all the way through the dive, including a safety stop? If so, then you had enough weight. Your failure to get down initially could have been trapped air somewhere in the BCD bladder and/or a failure to exhale on descent.

 

[lowwall]

It’s a race to the bottom among some on SB to see how little lead they can dive with.

They have to race because if they stop kicking, they'll float back up.

 

[boulderjohn]

But I also know that last week I had 14lbs in my pockets (they wanted me at 12)

Can you ell me more about the dive? What kind of thermal protection were you wearing? What kind of BCD? What kind of tank? That does not seem like a ridiculous amount of weight.