Do I have the right weight?

[m.gong]

I am 185 lbs and diving with 7mil wetsuit, boots and hood in salt water. I was told that i should have 28lbs weights, and when i feel more comfortable with diving, gradually remove the weight to about 24lbs. does that sound right? I used 20lbs (i did run away to the surface once) in my OW class (also wearing 7mils), 28 seems to be a big increase.

 

[vdive]

Trying to figure out how much weight you need is always a pain. It depends if you're in fresh water or salt water.

I have this article from the Oct 07 issue of dive training magazine and the guidelines on weighting for someing in a cold water 7mm suit (2 piece suit w/ hood and boots) is as follows:

Begin w/ 10% of your body weight plus 3-5 pounds -- this means that you should be around 22-27 pounds so 24 pounds seems about right. However it does also depend on the buoyancy of your underwear, bc, etc.

Try looking up the 10/07 article in dive training magazine named "Weighting For Diving, Asssitance From Buddies, Lightening Strikes"

 

[Shawley]

dosent it depend on type of tank being used?

 

[texdiveguy]

This will get you headed the write way...........*remember this is just a 'rule-of-thumb' guide!

 

[haha49]

that chart is dead on what i use.... not a bad chart about right depends on how boyant you atcually are though everyone is a little diffrent but that chart matchs most of my dive logs...

 

[Twiddles]

The least amount required to keep you neutral with 500PSI in 15' of water with an empty BC (in a horizontal position, not holding on to a rope ). All the rest varies to the point of being confusing.

 

[RS]

You may find you're going to really want that "extra" weight at some point.
Those guidelines above work for me. But I don't get how somebody my size (6'4", 260obs) can get away with 12 lbs in a 3mm when I need 20 lbs in a t shirt. I must breathe really deep. And I'm not too fat.

 

[DiveNav]

I am 185 lbs and diving with 7mil wetsuit, boots and hood in salt water. I was told that i should have 28lbs weights, and when i feel more comfortable with diving, gradually remove the weight to about 24lbs. does that sound right? I used 20lbs (i did run away to the surface once) in my OW class (also wearing 7mils), 28 seems to be a big increase.

Hi,
you can practice changing weight - while diving Casino Point using our brand new dive simulator available here -> www.ediving.us

No risk of getting bent if you run away to the surface.

It is now in beta testing so it is free.

If you decide to try it out, please post you feedback comments on DiveNav subforum on ScubaBoard.

Regards,

I_AM

 

[parrothead600]

The least amount required to keep you neutral with 500PSI in 15' of water with an empty BC (in a horizontal position, not holding on to a rope ). All the rest varies to the point of being confusing.

I agree with this logic, but I want to be slightly negative @ 15' and neutral @ the surface. I can always add or dump air to my BC to get neutral @ my safety stop, but it's hard to dump air out of an empty BC.
At the end of my dive, w/500psi in my tank, I will comfirm my weighting. At the surface, w/an empty BC, I will exhale & see if I decend. After my head goes below the surface, I inhale to see if I ascend to the surface.

 

[del_mo]

The runaway in class could have been because you didn't let all the air out of your BCD, even though you think you did. Lot's of ways to trap air.

Can't you get in the water, do a buoyancy check prior to the dive, then add 6 lbs to compensate for an empty al 80?