Best way to approach being overweighted?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

mdoreen

Registered
Messages
13
Reaction score
3
Location
UK
# of dives
25 - 49
Hi all - I'm a shiny new diver who is trying to get a good handle on the fundamentals. I'm going out with my buddy this weekend, and I want to use the dives to try and figure out my weighting a bit better.

As was suggested to me in my intro post, I am planning on doing a proper weight check at the end of the first dive, etc etc. But there are a few factors that I'm a little unclear on how to account for.

First of all, I think I'm definitely overweighted right now, using the weight recommended to me by my instructor and the dive shop. I can barely get off the bottom without really inflating my BCD - I'm going through gas like crazy too, which is annoying. But when I tried with 6lbs less, I couldn't descend. That seems like a big difference to me. Is it normal that such a small difference in weight would affect buoyancy like that, or were there maybe other factors at play?

My other question is whether I'm meant to account for the buoyancy of a neoprene drysuit? I know neoprene gets less positively buoyant at depth - is it still correct to just add enough weight to be able to descend at the surface, and I just have to accept the fact that I'll be a bit too heavy underwater?

TIA for the tips!
 
First of all 6lbs is a BIG difference try 2lbs change first. Next weight yourself so that at the start of your dive you float at eye level with a normal breath(empty bcd and normal drysuit) . Then add 4lbs (this is for the weight of the air you'll use during the dive). Now at the end of the dive on your safety stop you want to be comfortable holding that depth with a normal amount of air in your drysuit and 40b/500psi in the tank with no air in your wing. If you aren't adjust your weight by 1lb each dive or try handing off bits to your buddy during the stop.
 
I'd suggest considering one of these methods:

How I weight students in open water courses

Pete Murray’s Weighting methods

What does "recommended to me by my instructor and the dive shop" mean exactly? Did they just look at you and guess?

Thanks for the links. That is actually exactly what I mean . . . during my course we did weight checks in the pool, but never actually changed our weight at all. After that when I went in to rent gear, the dive shop employees just asked what drysuit I was using and gave me weight. Obviously I should be a bit more responsible for my own diving, but I figured they probably knew what they were doing.

Also, good to know that 6lbs is a big difference, DiveClimbRide! I felt crazy when it impacted buoyancy so much, I think I will probably be a bit more successful in smaller increments lol
 
Thanks for the links. That is actually exactly what I mean . . . during my course we did weight checks in the pool, but never actually changed our weight at all. After that when I went in to rent gear, the dive shop employees just asked what drysuit I was using and gave me weight. Obviously I should be a bit more responsible for my own diving, but I figured they probably knew what they were doing.

Also, good to know that 6lbs is a big difference, DiveClimbRide! I felt crazy when it impacted buoyancy so much, I think I will probably be a bit more successful in smaller increments lol


Do not assume staff in a dive center can know what weights you need. You need to tell them. I like to be slightly over weighted as I see so many divers head down finning as they are underweighted for end of dive so I can give them a weight.

Your BCD is there for being used at depth so use it for it's purpose. Air consumption can vary due to cold water diving, exertion on dives, not being totally relaxed etc. if you are at depth and need some extra air in the BCD that's fine. You use of air is not related to that alone there are other factors that account for air consumption.
 
The first time I jumped in with twin tanks I was wallowing around unable to submerge for love nor money divers disappearing all around me the boat was drifting away I was in the ocean alone and as embarrassment panic was about to set in I did a duck dive. It's amazing how long five seconds can last
 
Your BCD is there for being used at depth so use it for it's purpose. Air consumption can vary due to cold water diving, exertion on dives, not being totally relaxed etc. if you are at depth and need some extra air in the BCD that's fine. You use of air is not related to that alone there are other factors that account for air consumption.

I guess my issue is that it seems like I'm having to add much more air than my buddies, and still feeling too heavy. Maybe this is more normal than I think though. I suppose I won't know until using some of the weighting techniques mentioned above.
 
I guess my issue is that it seems like I'm having to add much more air than my buddies, and still feeling too heavy. Maybe this is more normal than I think though. I suppose I won't know until using some of the weighting techniques mentioned above.

Even if you add a bit more air it would not account for your I'm going through gas like crazy too.

To do that you would have to be continually adding then purging air. Lets say I go to 40m depth, I will add some air to my BCD. If I stay at that depth I am not using any more air in the BCD. As I ascend I will let some air out when I become positive buoyant.
As a new diver you are still getting used to your equipment setup and your diving techniques. Your air consumption will improve when you become relaxed. I don't move a lot on my dives so do not use a lot of air. If you are constantly finning because you are fighting going deep add more air to your bcd until you stop descending when you are not finning. You need to practice this at different depths.

Hope you are diving with a partner who can assist you and has more experience they can pass onto you when you dive.

PS I thought in Canada you used kilograms not pounds? lol
 
once you get comfortable with completely emptying your lungs at the surface to begin your descent, you will find your perfect weight. I have found that besides the surface check, just enough weight to get me down those first 3 meters works out great for the rest of the dive, including safety stop.

It is an amazing feeling that first time you get your buoyancy spot on and you can do the Mission Impossible stop and hover 1 meter off the bottom. Man, I wish I was doing that right now.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom