To weight or not to weight

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i just have about 7 dives.
Im about 5'6" using a .5mm wetsuit and I dive in warm salt water. using AL80 tank Luxfer.

at present im using 10.5 lbs of weight still trying to drop of more weight.

is it possible to drop to 9 lbs basing on what i have now? i usually drop .5 lbs at a time. I use custom weights.
 
Everyone's buoyancy is different, and I don't know if your BCD has a metal back plate which would add weight to you. My BCD does not have a metal plate so I have to dive with some weight. I am 5'2 and dive 2 lbs of weight in salt water when I have no wetsuit. So I suspect you could drop a couple more pounds. However, do it safely. Continue dropping weights .5 to 1 lb at a time until you reach your proper buoyancy.

Congratulations on geting certified and I am glad you are focusing on getting your weight down.
 
Hi BettyRubble, Im a newbie and I'm just as enthusiastic in diving as you. I admire you for taking diving seriously (well it really is a serious matter) and for sharing your experiences and lessons you've learned here with us.

I have the same problem with buoyancy/ weights. I used to add 10 pounds and I tried to cut 2 punds so now im using 8 pounds. My buddies and I observed that Im a little overweight with 10 and I also think that way because the belt drags my waist down. Problem with 8 pounds is towards the end of the dive I cant control my ascend and it really scares me that I wont be able to do safety stop.

I'll be diving this weekend though and I will try to do your advice about exhaling slowly and inhaling few air during ascend. I really hope that this will work. I will let you know about the result when I get back from my dive :)
 
Hi BettyRubble, Im a newbie and I'm just as enthusiastic in diving as you. I admire you for taking diving seriously (well it really is a serious matter) and for sharing your experiences and lessons you've learned here with us.

I have the same problem with buoyancy/ weights. I used to add 10 pounds and I tried to cut 2 punds so now im using 8 pounds. My buddies and I observed that Im a little overweight with 10 and I also think that way because the belt drags my waist down. Problem with 8 pounds is towards the end of the dive I cant control my ascend and it really scares me that I wont be able to do safety stop.

I'll be diving this weekend though and I will try to do your advice about exhaling slowly and inhaling few air during ascend. I really hope that this will work. I will let you know about the result when I get back from my dive :)


This is a good time to also think about what other factors impact weighting: equipment, clothing; tank size. Note what equipment you dive with regularly and how it affects your weight. With my SMB, reel, and two dive lights I need 1-2 pounds less then when I dive without some of that. Be sure to note what equipment you are using each time you adjust your weighting so you can really tweak your weighting.

Also, depending on the water temperatures note what you wear and whether you can adjust your wet/dry suit configuration to be less buoyant (ie, I dive the thinest undergarment lininig I can get away with but still be warm....my rule is if I am 'toasty' then I am 'overdressed'...by doing this I need less weight)

Tank size - are you using the same tank (al or steel, 80, 100 or larger?)consistently when checking your weighting. Note your tanks in your log because each manufacturer and of course steel versus AL affect weighting, especially at the end of a dive.

For now, sounds like you may need a half to 1 pound to be at 8.5 or 9 pounds. Does your BCD have trim pockets? That is a nice way to add a pound and keep it off your waist. For me, the weight belt was a problem - it pulled on my back too much. If you don't have trim pockets, you can research ways to add them and it also helps with getting you 'trim' in the water if the weight belt is affecting your ability to be level when diving.

Safety stop is important and you never want to risk free ascent. So add weight if you have to. Just be sure you are evaluating all the ways your weight is impacted (equipment, clothing, tank size).

I now have a chart in my log book showing my typical dive configurations and related weighting. It makes it so easy when I switch between dive environments.
 
A good thread and an interesting read. Unfortunately at entry level training too many instructors don't seem to want to spend the time teaching proper breath control and simply massively overweight their students under the misguided impression that it makes their lives easier as their students won't float up so much. What they don't understand is that they are making it much more difficult for their students to control and fine tune their buoyancy and are actually making it dangerous for them. As has already been discussed being overweighted means that you have to have too much air in your BCD, causing you to have more drag in the water and meaning that you have to work harder. It is also near impossible to fine tune your buoyancy using breath control. It is also more likely to make you float up too much, as if you go up slightly the volume of all that air in your BCD increases. Not to mention the danger of losing your weight belt if you have lots of air in your BCD.

Good buoyancy control is like learning to drive a car. At first you have to really concentrate, but as you gain experience it starts to come more naturally. It is the mark of a good diver.
 
I have heard that if you dive with a pretty thick wetsuit you shall have about 10 percent of your bodyweight added in your belt...I´m about 60 kilograms and has 4,8 kilo in the belt in a 7 mm suit. And I think I can cut of about 0,5 kilos lead. I´m gonna try it next time I dive.
I think there are many factors affecting how much lead to use.
Are you diving in fresh or saltwater?? How your physique looks like affecting even more.
 
this is a good read... so far 7.5 lbs lead now. I'll probably try 7 lbs next time... but... I think im at the edge ... gona have to build muscle to go lower than 7 lbs heheh
 
Dear Lance, it also depends on your weight. I and 5'6" 72kg. and dive a 5mm with 10L steel tank. I use 4kg. or 9 pounds of weight. The less weight will be easier on controlling your buoyancy, but if you go too light at the end of the dive you will start to float when in the shallows. If I use a AL80 I use 10 pounds.

Hope this helps.
 
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