A "real" weight question

[psusnyder]

I went to my local dive shop to try out my new BC (Zeagle Escape) and with my 3/2 wetsuit on and all my gear, I was able to get down without any weight with a AL80 cylinder. I wasn't really negative, just barely, as I couldn't get down until my wetsuit was good and full of water to get all of the air out of it.

So my question - how much weigh do you think I need in saltwater and to compensate for an empty AL80 cylinder? I'm going diving in Cozumel next week and won't really have an opportunity to check my bouyancy in salt water with an empty cylinder before my first boat dive.

Thanks.

 

[jepuskar]

I would add 20lbs and 4 ankle weights.

 

[Cacia]

2-4 #?

 

[Charlie99]

Start off with adding 12 pounds, assuming that you were checking your weighting with a full AL80 in fresh water. For your very first dive, you might even add 2 additional pounds, for a total of 14, just to make sure that you can hold a safety stop with a near empty tank.

Figure 6 pounds for the weight of the air in the AL80. About another 6 pounds for fresh to saltwater (this assumes that you + all dive gear weigh around 240 pounds - add about 1 pound of lead for every 40 pounds total dive weight).

Charlie

p.s. When you get back, be sure and post what you eventually found to be the right weight!

 

[countryboy]

Depending on the pool, my weight is the same as in salt water.. If you were able to get down (just barely) then I would start by adding 6lbs to equate to the air in an aluminum 80..

**Let the DM know you have new gear and will need to check the weight (they usually carry a couple of extra weights anyway)..**

Measure what you need at the end of the first dive with ~ 500 psi in the tank.

Even if you overweight yourself an additional 5 lbs for the first dive, it will not be that consequential, not optimal, but will not severely affect you. You will just have extra air in your bc to compensate for.

Enjoy your vacation...

 

[Divingguy]

I agree with 12 minimum as an estimate, 6 for the saltwater, and 6 for the cylinder. I would be surprised if you did not actually need more. I am not sure that "flooding" your wetsuit is giving you accurate results. If you are wearing a hood you may need more. The real concern is always being able to "hold" at your safety stop. Better to be slightly overweighted than to be unable to make the stop. You really need to do a proper weight check after your first ascent, when you only have 500 psi left in your tank.

 

[Walter]

Get on a scale (dry) with all your gear (including lead). Take your weight, multiply it by .024. That is the amount you need to add for the switch from fresh to salt. Add another 6 lbs for the air you'll use during the dive. If you inflated your BC prior to your weight check, that's it. If you didn't, but do usually inflate your BC prior to entering the water, add another 4 lbs for the air your Zeagle will trap.

 

[Charlie99]

Depending on the pool, my weight is the same as in salt water.. ..

Saltwater pool?

Although I've never ever been in a pool on scuba (even my "pool dive" for OW cert were in the ocean), I have found that 6 pounds is the proper correction when going back and forth between ocean and fresh water cenotes.

--------------------

If you keep a couple pounds in a BC pocket rather than on your belt, then you can do a weight check at your first safety stop. If you have more than 500psi at the safety stop, or if you do a short checkout shore dive upon arrival and have quite a bit of air left in the tank, just remember that with a 3000psi 80 cubic foot tank, that the air weight is pretty close to 1 pound per 500psi. For example, if you remove weight until you are neutral at 10' or so with no air in your BCD and 1500psi in the tank, then your ideal weighting is 2 to 3 pounds more than the weight at that time.

 

[herman]

I am about the same and I dive 6 to 8 lbs in salt water in a Zeagle Scout.

 

[Nomad]

I'm not sure you have really established your nuetral bouyancy weight in fresh water yet.

Put on all your gear. Put your reg in your mouth and jump in the pool.
Get to the surface.
Dump all the air out of your BC.
Take a deep breath and hold it.
If you are properly weighted, you should float with the water surface at eye level.
Note that if you are weighted properly by this method, you may have a difficult time staying at 15 feet for your safety stop when your tanks are low on air, so you might want to add 2-4 pounds.