Dry suit weight starting point

[Octopusprime]

In a couple weeks jan 10-11. I have a trip to Mermet Springs in IL. Due to conditions I'm taking the opportunity to do my drysuit Speciality. Water temp 42 deg at surface 52 deg at depth. I will be renting a dry suit from Mermet.

I usually dive with a 7ml bare one piece wetsuit and need 17-19 lbs of lead depending on hood, gloves, and other gear. 5'7" 220lb.

Im im just wondering with a full undergarment hood and gloves what is a good starting weight with a dry suit. Mermet is a DUI dealer and I doubt it will be crushed neoprene. I have a little spare weight but if I will need more weight due to inflating suit I want to pick up extra weight before leaving.


Just want want to make sure I am prepared and have enough weight. It is a 7 hr drive

 

[TSandM]

I'd make sure you have at least 30 - 35 pounds of lead with you. At those temperatures, I use 31 pounds of ballast. My husband uses 30. Those numbers assume no need for weight to sink a positive BC, and a steel tank. You could need as much as 7 pounds more if you are using a floaty BC and an aluminum tank.

 

[Keith.M]

Never a bad idea to have more than enough weight, but wouldn't you be able to rent some weight at the shop where you rent the dry suit?

I have only just touched on dry suit diving at this point, but of the two dives I have done, the first one I used the same amount as I use with 7mm and I had an issue holding a safety stop. The next dive I used 4 more lbs and I was fine.

I have had questions before about where you add air and there are two schools of thought.
Just enough air in DS to take of the squeeze and wing for any additional.
Use wing only at the surface and use your drysuit for your buoyancy.

Now I am surprised at how much weight TSandM says she uses but...

I found that even though I was fine with the second dive and my safety stop, I would have been more comfortable if I had been able to add more air to the suit. As it was, there is no way I could have ever used the wing for buoyancy because I could never really get all of the squeeze relieved. I would have been more comfortable and warmer if I could have added a bit more.

So I suspect that this may be why I hear dry suit divers using as much lead as they do.

 

[Octopusprime]

Yea I allways have extra but if I need 10 lbs extra I'll have to dig out my old hard weights. They have to be in the garage somewhere. I had 16 lb hard weight I don't keep it with the gear because all the extra weight..

Can not take everything on every trip unfortunately...

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

I generally dive with about 10 pounds more weight dry than wet. But I do not weigh as much as you do, and dive in water that is 10 degrees warmer, so you will probably need more than 10 pounds. Try doing shallow dives until you have your weight dialed in. There is a real chance of either being significantly over weighted or not being able to stay down for the stops at the end of the dive. Not something to add to an otherwise difficult dive. If you add or subtract 2 pounds each dive it will take 3 or 4 dives to get real close.

 

[Octopusprime]

Yea.. I figure I will need to refigure my boyancy checks as part of the course. I may need to bring my weight belt too, and look to see how much I can put in my integrated pockets. I think it is 30lb. I may need to distribute weight.

 

[NAM001]

My tls350 meeds 38# with the 300g undergarment. when i go to a 100g undergarmaent i need 19. BTW i am diving with steel tanks often a lp95's or lp120.

 

[Octopusprime]

So I completed my drysuit my regular weight is 18 lbs. first dive I added 4 lbs and was able to get down however the longer I stayed down with the temps I was getting cold. My instructor suggested adding another layer and adding more air when I was down and to do that I added another 4 lbs. worked out great. 28lbs was perfect.

It helps that I had an awsome instructor Steve at Mermet Springs IL. He is a professional public safety rescue diver and has almost 2000 dry dives. He was great. I look forward to going back and exploring the park.

 

[tennjay]

I will dive dry this weekkend for the first time. If I use 30lbs with a 7mm semidry suit, I'll need about 40lbs dry. Does that sound right?

 

[gcarter]

For those of you who use plates - when answering questions such as this, does the weight you state include the weight of the plate or is it additional to the plate?