Best way to approach being overweighted?

[mdoreen]

What tank your using? What's your exposure protection? Drysuit type and undergarments?

It is common for new cold water divers to struggle with getting down from the surface. You may need to swim down the first 10-15ft. Are you sure you are dumping all the air from the bcd and drysuit?

I was using an AL 80 at first, on those dives I had more buoyancy issues. Switched to a steel tank my last 2 dives and I liked it more, so I think I'll stick with steel. Using a very, very old whites polar flex drysuit. The top is fabric (bilaminate? not sure), and the legs are crushed neoprene with rock boots. 7mm hood, 5mm gloves. Undergarments I tend to wear a wool shirt and leggings under the rented fleece undergarments.

I did learn the very fun lesson during my OW dives that if you wear multiple layers of fleece sweaters, you will be nice and toasty but also a little bit too floaty . . .

It is possible that I'm not dumping all the air from my BCD, I find that air gets a bit stuck in it. It's a wing style, and underwater if I vent it I have to actually roll slightly onto my right side to get the air to travel to the LPI. Will think about that while descending this weekend. The drysuit and I have a love-hate relationship (I love the suit, the suit hates me), and I put very little air in it otherwise it seems to get stuck in my feet, or the air expands before I can vent it while ascending and I'm suddenly at the surface. So I don't think air in the drysuit is contributing too much.

As someone else mentioned, I know that part of difficulty descending is nerves. I think the idea of continuing to exhale for the first 10-15 feet will also be helpful - crazy how much easier it is to stay down than get down.

Very much looking forward to trying weight-checking methods given here and seeing how it feels, thanks again for the help!

 

[TMHeimer]

Once you are properly weighted (with good trim), becoming quite good with buoyancy should take very few dives. That was the case with me, I think. I don't think my buoyancy abilities have changed much since maybe my first 5-20 dives.
Aside from using your lungs for small changes, it's just a matter of fine tuning your adding and releasing of air. As my OW instructor said to our class.. "small bursts".

 

[nolatom]

Pardon if this is old news or "Thank you, Captain Obvious", but Learn to love your rear dump valve when you're beginning your descent on a line, once you're horizontal and want to get deeper, and whenever you're angled downwards and want to stay that way. It's your friend.

 

[mdoreen]

Pardon if this is old news or "Thank you, Captain Obvious", but Learn to love your rear dump valve when you're beginning your descent on a line, once you're horizontal and want to get deeper, and whenever you're angled downwards and want to stay that way. It's your friend.

Actually, this is the opposite of old news to me. We obviously learned where they were/what they do, but never learned when to actually use a dump valve. Would definitely be easier/less embarrassing to let a bit of air out without having to summersault to exact position for air to reach the LPI hose (although it is kind of fun to roll around underwater).Thanks for pointing it out!

 

[wnissen]

Just to follow up on a few things you mentioned, the difference between steel and aluminum is also around 5 lbs. So make sure when you log your dive that the tank type is part of your record along with the amount of weight. The PADI log book that I was given didn't have a space for that, which is unfortunate. I would always think "I'll remember how much weight I need", but there are so many variables that writing it down is the only way to remember.

And I do a weight check every time I descend. Takes only a moment to hold a normal breath, handy to orient yourself. The point of the check is to adjust, though. The fact that you're even aware of the need to dial in your weight puts you way ahead of a lot of people who just hold down the inflator button until they get "neutral". Good luck!

 

[mdoreen]

Just to follow up on a few things you mentioned, the difference between steel and aluminum is also around 5 lbs. So make sure when you log your dive that the tank type is part of your record along with the amount of weight. The PADI log book that I was given didn't have a space for that, which is unfortunate. I would always think "I'll remember how much weight I need", but there are so many variables that writing it down is the only way to remember.

And I do a weight check every time I descend. Takes only a moment to hold a normal breath, handy to orient yourself. The point of the check is to adjust, though. The fact that you're even aware of the need to dial in your weight puts you way ahead of a lot of people who just hold down the inflator button until they get "neutral". Good luck!

I was told by the dive shop that the steel tank is the equivalent of 5lbs, so they gave me 5lbs less than what I was using with the aluminum tank. Does this sound about right? Just want to know how to account for it correctly when I'm renting weight. I know the aluminum tanks get positive when empty so you have to add more weight to account for that, is there a similar rule of thumb with steel?

 

[napDiver]

I was using an AL 80 at first, on those dives I had more buoyancy issues. Switched to a steel tank my last 2 dives and I liked it more, so I think I'll stick with steel. Using a very, very old whites polar flex drysuit. The top is fabric (bilaminate? not sure), and the legs are crushed neoprene with rock boots. 7mm hood, 5mm gloves. Undergarments I tend to wear a wool shirt and leggings under the rented fleece undergarments.

I did learn the very fun lesson during my OW dives that if you wear multiple layers of fleece sweaters, you will be nice and toasty but also a little bit too floaty . . .

It is possible that I'm not dumping all the air from my BCD, I find that air gets a bit stuck in it. It's a wing style, and underwater if I vent it I have to actually roll slightly onto my right side to get the air to travel to the LPI. Will think about that while descending this weekend. The drysuit and I have a love-hate relationship (I love the suit, the suit hates me), and I put very little air in it otherwise it seems to get stuck in my feet, or the air expands before I can vent it while ascending and I'm suddenly at the surface. So I don't think air in the drysuit is contributing too much.

As someone else mentioned, I know that part of difficulty descending is nerves. I think the idea of continuing to exhale for the first 10-15 feet will also be helpful - crazy how much easier it is to stay down than get down.

Very much looking forward to trying weight-checking methods given here and seeing how it feels, thanks again for the help!

That's good. For cold water (7mm+ or Drysuit), AL80 are the main culprits for smaller volume divers or divers with lots of exposure. They just aren't very "sinky" at the start of a dive on the surface and you have to add extra weight to compensate for them being positive at the end of your dive. LP Steels are good. HP Steels are great.

You will be practicing weight checking a lot as you dial in your exposure protection. Makes notes on your weight, if you were under/over weighted at the end of the dive, and the different in your configuration (especially your undergarment changes).

DUMP Drysuit
You should have drysuit squeeze when you trying to descend from the surface. If not, try to dump more from your suit. So make sure you put your shoulder dump all the way up and try to get all the air out as you are in a vertical position. Your hand should be on your chest to not build up air in the elbow to wrist section.

DUMP BCD
You are correct, if you are in trim position... you need to twist to get the dump valve to the highest position. You want the dump basically facing the sky and pushing your butt up towards the sky helps get the last bit of air out.

Lastly, if you must. SWIM DOWN. Lots of small volume divers do in cold water if they don't have very negative tanks.

The continuing exhale... The whole idea is to get your body volume as small as possible. Basically take your lungs to as low as you can maintain... say 20% volume with all the air out of your belly. You can inhale when you need to, but it should be small and quick. Exhaling is a lot longer. It may take up to a minute to get down, be patient.

Sounds like you are on your way and will figure it all out in time. Happy diving.

 

[napDiver]

I was told by the dive shop that the steel tank is the equivalent of 5lbs, so they gave me 5lbs less than what I was using with the aluminum tank. Does this sound about right? Just want to know how to account for it correctly when I'm renting weight. I know the aluminum tanks get positive when empty so you have to add more weight to account for that, is there a similar rule of thumb with steel?

Give me tank pressure when full, manufacturer and size. I'll tell you on paper what the difference is

 

[TMHeimer]

Just to follow up on a few things you mentioned, the difference between steel and aluminum is also around 5 lbs. So make sure when you log your dive that the tank type is part of your record along with the amount of weight. The PADI log book that I was given didn't have a space for that, which is unfortunate. I would always think "I'll remember how much weight I need", but there are so many variables that writing it down is the only way to remember.

And I do a weight check every time I descend. Takes only a moment to hold a normal breath, handy to orient yourself. The point of the check is to adjust, though. The fact that you're even aware of the need to dial in your weight puts you way ahead of a lot of people who just hold down the inflator button until they get "neutral". Good luck!

Along those lines, I have a list (somewhere) of what weight I need for which of my 3 suits I use. I have only AL80 tanks, so that never changes. My list is for salt water then of course the rare time I dive fresh water I take away 5 pounds. No need to write this stuff into your log book--it won't change unless you gain or lose a ton of weight or have a drastic change of equipment.
I think the only time I did an official weight check was somewhat right after I took OW in 2005.

 

[wnissen]

I was told by the dive shop that the steel tank is the equivalent of 5lbs, so they gave me 5lbs less than what I was using with the aluminum tank. Does this sound about right? Just want to know how to account for it correctly when I'm renting weight. I know the aluminum tanks get positive when empty so you have to add more weight to account for that, is there a similar rule of thumb with steel?

Oh, good. I didn't quite get that from your post, but I could have misread.

Air weighs about 1.2 grams per liter, and if you consume 90% of an aluminum "80" (which is further than I would typically feel comfortable), you'll use 2000L of gas, so that's 2.4kg or 5.4 lbs. But that calculation doesn't change between aluminum and steel, it's just the weight of the air. A high-pressure steel 100 is going to have about 20% more gas, so the swing would be another .5kg or 1 lb. Probably not a big deal unless you are significantly underweight.