Do experienced divers need to carry less weight?

[TMHeimer]

But the additional weight helps overcome some of that trapped air in a dry wetsuit. And I want enough weight to keep me from having to fight to stay down until my tank is empty. So I am never perfectly weighted because I avoid running out of air.

Right. You don't have to be exact. You do whatever works as long as the dive is enjoyable and you meet your objectives.

 

[johndiver999]

I completely agree that many new divers are over-weighted and carry more ballast than they need. This complicates ascents and makes buoyancy control more tenuous. This is primarily because the excess weight causes them to “manage” a bubble in the BC that is larger than would be otherwise needed.

However, I know quite a few very experienced divers who clearly are diving with a modest amount of lead that is greater than would be needed to hang neutral at a shallow depth with their tank low. Why would a diver choose to wear more lead than the absolute minimum?

I can think of a few reasons, one primary one is the ability to drop to the bottom and be stable in a high current environment. Being 6 or 10 lbs heavy on the bottom can greatly reduce exertion by the diver.

Another reason, might be to be able to hang heavily under an smb at the end of the dive and still be able to completely relax and pull the smb down so that one end is submerged and the other end is near vertical. That can be a strenuous task if the diver is neutral or light at 10 or 15 feet.

Another potential benefit of carrying a little extra lead is that it allows the diver to descend more rapidly and with little or no kicking, which can reduce workload and probably air consumption. Of course, this practice presents its’ own challenges, dangers and is presented as something to avoid when new divers are being taught. That doesn’t mean that I don’t see some experienced divers doing it however.

Also some instructors and guides might carry some extra lead that they can donate to a diver who finds himself light. It is often much less inconvenient to pass off a 3-lb weight at the surface (or just below) than to abort the dive, reboard the boat, add lead and then start a new descent.

Wearing extra lead, means the diver must manage the ascent more carefully and the extra lead will be “paid for” by a little extra drag associated with a slightly more inflated BC, so a diver probably should have a good reason why they are deciding to wear more lead than they absolutely could get away with.

 

[Diving Dubai]

The cause is the Fight or Flight Reflex

I'm shocked that some of the more experienced people on here, haven't written this already (or don't understand)

Explanation

The Fight or Flight (FoF) is one of our primeval survival reflexes. It's 2 part, The second part is the adrenaline release your body kicks out in times of stress to get your heart beating faster

The first part (which affects divers the most) is that our bodies increase lung volume to capture more oxygen to enable us to fight the sabre tooth tiger or flee.


In practice when we are nervous, agitated, anxious or scared, our diaphragm drops which increases our lung volume making us more buoyant thus (in newer divers) needing more weight

Hence the adage as you relax you'll need less weight.

In reality you become more comfortable to the sensations the more you dive, thus you brain is more " relaxed"

Divers only diving on vacation will notice (if aware) that their weighting needs are less at teh end of the vacation than they are at the start.

Even frequent divers can notice it to a lesser extent on the initial part of the first dive of the day, until their brain settles down


Task loading, again can trigger it. Hence people become suddenly buoyant learning to shoot a dsmb etc

The only way to control it, is by being relaxed, however by understanding that this reflex is a contributing factor to a lot of diver woes, helps you relax

 

[Wibble]

Do experienced divers need to carry less weight?

No.

Experienced divers carry the right amount of weight. Not too much, not too little, just like Goldilocks.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Put simply, yes, as they are more relaxed and can figure out the correct amount of weight needed.

Also as your wetsuit gets older, it loses buoyancy, so a little less lead is needed.

 

[rick00001967]

every answer given above is totally incorrect.

the REAL reason instructors can get away with less lead is because we are all extremely fit, muscular, lean, mean, highly trained athletes.

 

[Marie13]

every answer given above is totally incorrect.

the REAL reason instructors can get away with less lead is because we are all extremely fit, muscular, lean, mean, highly trained athletes.

 

[jadairiii]

There are very few instructors, or training agencies, that actually teach proper weighing and buoyancy to new divers. Its much easier to just stick the new students to the bottom and teach them, than teaching them proper buoyancy. Because of that, divers go for years carrying extra weight needlessly. That is all they know, and 99% of diving a diver can get away with that.

.....In practice when we are nervous, agitated, anxious or scared, our diaphragm drops which increases our lung volume making us more buoyant thus (in newer divers) needing more weight

And the idea that new divers hold more lung volume is somewhat misleading. Poorly trained new divers, being trained by bad/lazy instructors, will be "...nervous, agitated, anxious or scared...." because their instructors are the cause of those feelings.

I have witnessed, first hand, bad instructors with students and good instructors with students. I have seen students, day two of class, having perfect trim and buoyancy with minimal weighting. It just takes competent, relaxed instructors. You get what you pay for.

 

[boulderjohn]

Sometimes (often) new divers are overweighted from the time they do their OW course. From what I understand, it's quite common for some instructors to overweight students so it's easier for them to stay down. Of course that's not all instructors, but it does happen.

This is very true. Many and perhaps most students are very much overweighted because they need to be overweighted in order for them to be stable when doing skills on their knees. I was once called upon to assist an instructor when the assistant scheduled for his class got sick. He knew I instructed neutrally buoyant and in trim and told me to forget all that nonsense for his class--he was doing it the right way, by golly, on the knees. In our shop, we were very sure to follow all the standards, so when it came to the weight check, he growled that it was a real waste of time (as he was sure I would agree) since students actually needed much, much more weight than the weight check indicated. He did not realize that teaching neutrally buoyant means using much less weight, so I did not agree.

However, I know quite a few very experienced divers who clearly are diving with a modest amount of lead that is greater than would be needed to hang neutral at a shallow depth with their tank low. Why would a diver choose to wear more lead than the absolute minimum?

In my earliest years of recreational diving, I strove for perfection in weighting, but today I am happier with a few extra pounds. Perfectly weighted, it takes a long time to descend unless you swim down. At the end of a dive, when you need to burp out that little bit of air from the wing, you need to twist and turn to get that tiny bubble to an exit point. It's much easier with a slightly larger bubble.

 

[Diving Dubai]

And the idea that new divers hold more lung volume is somewhat misleading

No, it's not. It's biological fact. And it applies to all divers. If they encounter a situation where they're not relaxed. The reflex kicks in to different extents

Yes of course basic teaching with the correct weighting as well as reinforcing the importance of it is paramount. Still post course as their subconcious gets more relaxed so their weighting needs will reduce a little