Farmer John Compensation

[Sauerkraut]

So, recently I bought my first wetsuit. I did a no-no in buying it online @ bodyglove.com. But, for the price i got it for, it couldnt be beat. For $100 i bought a 7mm farmer john-jacket combo. And luckily it fit perfect. My question is this, knowing that the two piece is more buoyant then a one, about how much more lead should I look at putting on(saltwater)? I still havnt dove with the suit. Also, since i am more buoyant, should i look at getting a steel tank instead of an aluminum one to take some weight off my hips? Thanks for any advice!

 

[herbdb]

I rented a similar setup last year for my fresh water quarry dives. The dive shop was pretty close recommending 10% of body weight plus 5-6 pounds with an Aluminum 80. Seems like a lot, but it worked. If I got in the water with just the suit, I would float at about armpit level.

Make your best guess and take some extra weights to the dock or boat for final adjustments.

I had a lot of trouble with buoyancy control using the 7mm farmer john. At first I thought it was just me, but then I realized that I had to anticipate some pretty large changes as all of that neoprene compressed.

Just got back from the Keys where I used a 3mm shortie. I could complete an entire dive without playing with the BCD. Sure was a lot easier.

 

[SubMariner]

So, recently I bought my first wetsuit. I did a no-no in buying it online @ bodyglove.com. But, for the price i got it for, it couldnt be beat. For $100 i bought a 7mm farmer john-jacket combo. And luckily it fit perfect. My question is this, knowing that the two piece is more buoyant then a one, about how much more lead should I look at putting on(saltwater)? I still havnt dove with the suit. Also, since i am more buoyant, should i look at getting a steel tank instead of an aluminum one to take some weight off my hips? Thanks for any advice!

A steel tanks is always a good option for taking weight off your hips. However, given that this is your first wetsuit, the amount of neoprene you'll be wearing AND diving in salt water, you really need to do an in-water buoyancy check to truly figure it all out.

That being said, herbdb had some good starting points...

 

[Crush]

So, recently I bought my first wetsuit. I did a no-no in buying it online @ bodyglove.com. But, for the price i got it for, it couldnt be beat. For $100 i bought a 7mm farmer john-jacket combo. And luckily it fit perfect. My question is this, knowing that the two piece is more buoyant then a one, about how much more lead should I look at putting on(saltwater)? I still havnt dove with the suit. Also, since i am more buoyant, should i look at getting a steel tank instead of an aluminum one to take some weight off my hips? Thanks for any advice!

I own a 7mm Farmer John two-piece. Sometimes the two pieces are less than 7mm thick (say 5mm) where they overlap, but you will still be pretty buoyant. I can't really answer your question without knowing your body's surface area, but if I were you and you didn't have time to check your buoyancy ahead of time. I would try adding 4-6 lbs (as compared to a one-piece 7mm) to my belt and hit the water, having the diver operator standing by with 2 or 3 lb weights to cram into the pockets of your BC as needed.

In general, while walking it is preferable to have your weight on your hips rather than on your back.

As per tank material, what you want is the highest tank-pressure to tank material volume ratio possible - the thicker the tank walls, the more water it displaces, the more positively buoyant it will be (and the more lead you will have to carry). With the exception of composite materials, I believe that (please correct me if I am wrong) stainless steel offers a significantly higher tank-pressure to tank material volume ratio than does Al. In practical terms, this means that you will be able to have the same volume of air while carrying several (four to eight?) pounds less total weight on your body.

 

[Sauerkraut]

Thanks for the great advice, everyone. Im reenrolling the the scuba class at my school as a TA to help in confined water, ill take that advice and talk to my instructor and see if he can help me fiqure my buoyancy out.