Another weight question

[martinjc]

Hi All! In fresh water with a 3MM shorty I have been using 18 lbs of weight (10 in my BC and 8 on my belt). I weigh 340 lbs. Any idea how much weight I'll need to add to dive in Salt Water? (I may get a chance to dive around West Palm in October).

If a 3MM shorty will be inadequate for that location in October - I am looking to purchase a 7MM Titanium jump suit or a 6.5 MM two-piece wetsuit. How much additional weight do you think I'll need to add for that? Let me know what you think...thanks!

 

[NINman]

This is a difficult questiong to answer. The only advice I can give you is for you to get the wetsuit you want and bring some extra weight with you when you get to the ocean and do the frog-eye's test.

Brad

 

[martinjc]

I was kind of figuring that would be the answer. If I get to make the trip - I'll just have to make sure the dive boat has an extra weight bag or two - and I can get a few extra minutes in the water to to the test...

 

[daylight]

As a suggestion, you might try to get in a checkout shore dive prior to the boat dive.
I have found this to bee very beneficial to make sure my equipment is functioning properly, my weighting is correct, and everthing is where is should be. A 15-20 minute checkout dive has saved me major hassles on the dive boat and allowed me to correct problems so that I am ready to go when I board the boat.

DSAO

 

[Liquid]

Well, the wise words were said, the only way to know is to test.

Now let's try to estimate. without seeing you it's a bit hard, but I'll do my best, so you can get the proportion- usualy the difference between salt and fresh water-is about 4 lbs (for the red sea, a bit more). as I take it you are quite a big guy, the difference would be bigger- I'D say- 6-8 lbs on the same suit. for a different suit though, it might be trickier- usualy-it's 4 lbs more for every "level" of suit you use- longer sleeves, thicker suit. With a complete 7mm suit it can get reall heavy- I have a 6.5mm jumsuit and use 20lbs with it, while with a 3mm shortie I use about 4 lbs. you can try and figure the differential from here.

And still- trying is the best way

 

[scubakat]

As daylight said, try your new weight on an easy shore dive if possible. Test & adjust, that's the only way to go...

-kate

 

[TwoBitTxn]

The frogs eye test works best with 500 lbs or so in your tank. (Aluminum) Considering this will allow you to take into account the positive bouyancy of the tank.

Tom

 

[svs3]

Personally, I think the I ideal weighting is to be neutrally buoyant at 10-15 ft with no air in my bc and around 500-750 psi in my tank(s) and trimmed so that I naturally assume and maintain a horizontal orientation with as little effort as possible. Otherwise, it seems to me that one would constantly be strugling to maintain depth during a safety stop.

Sam

 

[Liquid]

I agree with sys3, but i know different people have different weighting philosophies, some want to be a bit heavy from the beginning, so they'll sink easily, and some want to be neutrall all the time.

I do not belive the "Frog eye test" is usefull for a simple reason-
With exactly the same equipment, the test will work fine for me with 2 lbs of wegiths, and with 12 lbs. I know I got relatively big lungs (I am quite a big person) but still, think that the capacity of lung that a person can control is about 4 litters, witch means about 8 lbs of weight can be controlled only with the lungs (In my case tested to work with 12 lbs)

 

[martinjc]

Thank you everybody! I will do the shore test...