ok i bought a few used bare supra drysuits and i want to do this right..i went in the water with a friend and had 22 lbs of lead and couldnt sink...made sure that all the air was out of the suit before i geared up..was wondering what the norm was in terms of how much weight to start off with.i am only 5 foot 3 and 105lbs..also does what you wear underneath add to the boyancy of the suit?would apreciate any help..by the way in case anyone is wondering..i bought both suits because i got them for very cheap and no neither one leaks..
amount of weight to use..
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Well I don't know the exact suit that you have. What type of material is it? What undergarments are you using? What type of tanks do you dive? And what type of BC do you dive?
Aside from that, I dive a trilam dry suit, with just sweatpants top and bottom, AL 80's no back plate and 18lbs of lead in salt water.
With a little more information on your part, you'll get some better responses.
ds
Aside from that, I dive a trilam dry suit, with just sweatpants top and bottom, AL 80's no back plate and 18lbs of lead in salt water.
With a little more information on your part, you'll get some better responses.
ds
spurtill
Guest
What you wear under the suit affect the weight you need in a huge way. Its down to how much air the clothes under the suit trap.
Also bear in mind that your bottles gets lighter as the dive goes on, so you may be perfectly weighted at the start of the dive and find up are too light at the end.
the process that was recommended to me was to drain the bottle to about 50 bar or slightly less. wade and try to sink. Add weightuntil you can sink. This means that at the end of a dive you will still have enough weight to be neutrally buoyant IF you never go below your reserve. for that reason it is recommended you add 2 lbs to what you had on your belt with 50 bar in the tank, in case you ever have to go below your reserve.
Makes sense when you think about it.
Also, even though you got all the air out before you went in the water, there is still air in your suit and as you try to sink, ensure you are dumping this air.
Don't worry too much about how much weight you need, just get it right and you can play with it after if you feel you need less.
Also bear in mind that your bottles gets lighter as the dive goes on, so you may be perfectly weighted at the start of the dive and find up are too light at the end.
the process that was recommended to me was to drain the bottle to about 50 bar or slightly less. wade and try to sink. Add weightuntil you can sink. This means that at the end of a dive you will still have enough weight to be neutrally buoyant IF you never go below your reserve. for that reason it is recommended you add 2 lbs to what you had on your belt with 50 bar in the tank, in case you ever have to go below your reserve.
Makes sense when you think about it.
Also, even though you got all the air out before you went in the water, there is still air in your suit and as you try to sink, ensure you are dumping this air.
Don't worry too much about how much weight you need, just get it right and you can play with it after if you feel you need less.
I've only been diving dry for a short time but 22lbs doesn't seem like a lot for a 7mm neoprene suit. I dive in a trilam with Softwear 300 wt fleece and I use 16 lbs (6'5"/220 lbs). The 7mm neoprene alone is going to take a lot of weight and add any additional air inside the suit.
How much do you use in a 7mm wetsuit? Adding 50% or so to that for a 7mm neoprene drysuit doesn't sound unreasonable.
How much do you use in a 7mm wetsuit? Adding 50% or so to that for a 7mm neoprene drysuit doesn't sound unreasonable.
diverlady
Contributor
With my 4mil compressed neoprene suit I wear 23lbs and double ankle weights(~6lbs). However, I also tend to wear a lot underneath.
Diverlady
Diverlady
If you want to do it right take a drysuit course with a qualified instructor that can help you work out the weighting issues so that you don't almost kill yourself again ala ignorance almost killed me ...
Mike
you need a dry suit class. Insulation will of course effect buoyancy and cotton is a no no.
thanks for the help ladies and gents..it is apreciated and mikeS..i posted this thread for a reason,you didnt have to throw that back in my face..i know i should take a course but there isnt one offered here at all..any ideas?or maybe there is someone in michigan that offers the course..anyone know of someone?
Boogie711
Guest
When you went to do a weight check, did you go out solo again?
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