Buoyancy in salt water vs fresh

[Dive the World]

I will have a thicker wetsuit. I don't own one yet so I'll be renting

Don't rent a wetsuit - never rent a wetsuit.

As for the rest all advise sound - nothing like a bit of trial and error - be on the safe side and take a bit more weight and work around it.

 

[chrpai]

I just did my first saltwater dive last week. I asked my LDS to ballpark my weighting based upon what I did for fresh water and their recommendation was perfect. In short, just ask.

In short, you are a certified diver and you should know how to figure this out yourself, not ask an LDS.

 

[jonnythan]

In short, you are a certified diver and you should know how to figure this out yourself, not ask an LDS.

Tough to figure out when you're putting on gear you've never worn in the water before

A local DM who has dealt with weighting on a thousand divers before you in the place you're going is a good place to start.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

To get back on my soapbox, ALWAYS do a weight check if you are using a new piece of gear, even if it like the old, or if you are diving in new conditions. If you replace a 150 dive 2 year old 3 mil wet suit with a brand new one, you will need to add weight. I have 4 different bcd's, and they vary from plus 1 pound to minus 2 pounds. I have told people what I think is a good starting point when they ask, but then we DO THE WEIGHT CHECK. Take a minute to get it right and you will have a much better diving experience.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Texasguy]

When you take a boat ride to a diving location, you may have new rented gear, etc. When do you get a chance to get properly "weighted" in the water?

 

[Ghetto Diver]

^ this happened to me last year....I told DM that I want to go last to weight check (after breifing) so I wouldn't hold things up.
Did my check and carried on

 

[ADeadlierSnake]

I add 6 lbs going to salt and subtract 6 when going to fresh. This tends to work for most people (or at least most divers I dive with). That is, if you arent changing your gear

 

[boulderjohn]

I'm still trying to perfect my buoyancy

Me, too.

I'm serious. You are going to have to play with it and experiment. If you keep diving, the numbers you come up with for this trip will be totally different in the future.

 

[acteg]

Just in case you are unsure of how to do a weight check, this link may help

http://www.thedivingblog.com/how-to-perform-a-simple-buoyancy-check/

 

[CT-Rich]

I would take the advice of the DM, assuming you are using a weight belt. If you are light in the water you can always stick a few pounds in them BCD pocket. It seems like a hassle, but mostly it will make you appreciate owning your own gear. I have to agree about wetsuits, in the olden days a quick wiz would warm up them up. I was never into that but it certainly made me want to own my own (and keep it pee-free).