Cold water to warm, how much weight can I shed?

[Lenaxia]

Fellow cold water divers.

I'll be doing my first real warm water dives here next week in Hawaii (checkout dives excluded) and I'm trying to figure out how much weight I should expect to have.

I typically dive a 7mm with a 5/3 hooded vest and a 6lb backplate and HP100 and have 12lbs on my belt (probably could do with 10).

Anyone else have more experience on weighting in the warm waters of Hawaii?

 

[Jon Nellis]

While Hawaii is warmer than Monterey, water temps are low to mid 70's and I was glad I had my 7mm one piece when I was there. My wife was getting cold in her full 5mm. The DM only bought full 3mm suits and would were two during the day and three at night, so if your 7mm is a one piece, I'd recommend you dive that and skip the hood and gloves. It's easy to cool off, but tougher to warm up.

As for weight, when you get there grab an empty tank (500psi 'ish) and use that to get your weight.

If you are going to Kona, don't miss the manta ray night dive and bring a big light.


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[ChrisV]

You can do a quick calc if you know your total weight including you and all your gear and weightbelt.
What you want to do is basically calculate your volume you take up in fresh water and then take that volume and calculte the equivalent weight in salt water.

For example on me...
Fresh water I wear a 3mm with 6 pounds of lead.
Total weight = 155(me) + 20(rig) + 40(tank) + 6(lead) = 221 lbs
That volume for me in fresh water would be 221/62.4 = 3.54 ft3

now take that volume and calulate the weight of salt water in that volume
3.54*(1.025 *62.4) = 227 pounds

take that total weight and subtract out you and your rig and tank
227 - 155(me) - 20(rig) - 40(tank) = 12(lead)

So I need 6 pounds in fresh and 12 pounds in salt (these are the actual weights I use and the calculation backs that up)

 

[adelman]

You can do a quick calc if you know your total weight including you and all your gear and weightbelt.
What you want to do is basically calculate your volume you take up in fresh water and then take that volume and calculte the equivalent weight in salt water.

The ocean in Hawaii is salt water. The salinity is typically slightly higher than Monterey, but not in any meaningful way that affects a diver (1 part per thousand).

My wife and I dove dry in Hawaii, and we weren't the only drysuit divers on the boat. The water was COLD there (73-75F in March). If you do the Manta dive, you'll be colder than normal, since you sit still the whole time. Thinner insulation than Monterey, but that was only a few pounds change in weighting.

 

[ChrisV]

Oops, im sorry, by cold water I thought you meant fresh water.

 

[Lenaxia]

Really. Even compared to diving in Monterey, the 75 degress is cold? And I'm going to Kauai

I'm not going to be doing a lot of diving, 4 dives total (one niihau trip and one discover scuba with my gf).

If I have room in my luggage I may ring my wetsuit then and shed 2-4 lbs for the loss of the hooded vest and gloves.

Actually I may just keep my weight... since I'll probably get stuck with AL80's which are like balloons.

Thanks for the feed back guys

 

[bperc]

I dove in Maui in June. I did 4 2-dive boat trips and 2 shore dives. On the boat trips I rented a 3 mil shorty and was comfortable doing 50 minute dives. The two shore dives were 80+ minutes at 25 to 30 fsw in a swim suit and rash guard, and I wasn't cold. Just another perspective on the wet suit.

 

[TSandM]

Hawaiian waters do vary in temperature, from the low 70's to about 80. Up until the last couple of trips, I have been in a 5 mil suit and reasonably warm for an hour, but shivering immediately upon getting back on the boat and in the wind. I carry eight pounds, IIRC, with an Al80 and a steel plate. I think you'd be really happy in your 7 mil suit, but you'd have to add a few pounds for that pernicious aluminum tank

 

[kyjellyfish]

Your cold water setup is similar to mine. I dive with a 6lb steel backplate and HP100 except I'm in a drysuit/undergarment. For this I have 16lbs of lead. To give you a perspective here was my final weighting/setup for Bonaire waters which tend to be in the high 70's, low 80's: 5mm full suit, 6lb steel backplate, STA, Al80 tank - 8 lbs of lead. Obviously you'll want do a weight check but hopely this helps a little.

 

[fisheater]

I used a 1/2 mm skin and a 3 mm shortie in Kauai in early June and was perfectly warm, even on hour+ dives. That said, most everyone else was in 5 mm fulls

With my SS backplate and an AL80, I used 18 lbs less ballast than with my steel tank and 7 mm FJ and 28 lbs less ballast than with my DS.

Can you make a test dive with your tropical gear in a pool before you go? I hopped into an LDS pool with my tropical gear and a partially filled AL80 that they'd set aside for me after a class. I adjusted my weights until I was neutral at 10' with 500 psi. Then I added 2.5% of my total me + gear weight to adjust to salt water. It worked perfectly for me.


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