Question Cheap method to check balanced rig/trim weights?

[rsingler]

For those who are less familiar with the Optimal Buoyancy Computer, it was an educational tool created to prove mathematically (due to changing wetsuit buoyancy on ascent) why you could partially ditch weight on the bottom and not immediately rocket to the surface and suffer DCS. It was created to answer the chorus, "Weight pockets are only dumped at the surface to float you in an emergency. If you dump them in an emergency on the bottom, you may not drown but you'll likely get the bends." It was created to answer an argument about whether balanced rigs should contain a few pounds of ditchable weight.
Thread Buoyancy, Balanced Rigs, Failures and Ditching – a comprehensive tool

Alas, this experiment has, not unexpectedly, degraded over the years from an educational tool into a weighting calculator. But I can't complain, it's still useful.

 

[johndiver999]

You could.. throw the wetsuit in a mesh bag, swish it around in the water to remove air bubbles, add enough lead to the bag to sink it... hang from a string from a scale and see how much it reads. then remove the wetsuit and do the same with just the weight in bag. the difference in readings is the suit buoyancy, not so complicated nor iterative, if you select enough weight to start. And the wife won't kill you for wrecking her luggage scale.

You could actually do the same thing in a deep body of water and measure at known depths, which would give you the wetsuit compression data that might be interesting.. good project for an elementary school kid's science fair project!

 

[inquis]

this experiment has, not unexpectedly, degraded over the years from an educational tool into a weighting calculator

Don't sell yourself short -- anyone going to the trouble to think about their weighting is being educated, IMHO. The fact you've exposed the myriad of variables facilitates that knowledge growth. The concept that "weighting" is more than the lead carried is huge.

 

[L13]

Alas, this experiment has, not unexpectedly, degraded over the years from an educational tool into a weighting calculator. But I can't complain, it's still useful.

I think the weighting calculator is an outstanding and serendipitous side result of the experiment. It is one of my favorite dive calculator tools.

Every time I change my setup, I quick check the calculator, change weight accordingly, and end up within 1 lb. of perfect.