How much lead weights do you use?

[Robert H. Diver]

Can’t help you . 4 dives…checked 4 times. Boat captain even came over to count the weight on the floor. I guess I’m super floaty (read over weight).

Bare skin in a pool in just the bcd and an AL80 tank I was needing 6lbs to even begin to make a dent.

I’ll get another chance to check with a new set of instructors in freshwater in couple months. We’ll see…

You’re exhaling, deflating your wing completely, and not kicking your feet correct?

 

[Eric802]

My recent experience was in the Caribbean. SS bp/w, AL80, rashguard - I hadn’t dove this setup before and I was planning on trying 4lbs in ditchable pockets. The DM said there was some surface current and wanted us to descend promptly, and suggested 6lbs. Worked fine, didn’t seem overly heavy and was able to hold at 15 feet with 500psi without issue. I’m 6’0” and 185lbs.

Same bp/w with a nearly empty (like 300psi) AL80 and a 5mm wetsuit in my pool, I needed 13-14lbs to stay down. I’m taking that setup to Maui in a couple months and figuring on 20lbs for salt water.

FWIW.

 

[dmaziuk]

At 6'0"/180 lbs, did you have an air bubble around your midsection in the 5 mil? Did you try pulling the neck seal and letting water in? Although it sounds about right for what I needed diving locally in rental 7mm and I was about 185 lbs at the time (at 6'1") -- and I had to *gasp* let the cold green muck in to get down.

 

[inquis]

and not kicking your feet correct?

Crossing your ankles will guarantee you're not. I've seen people swear they weren't kicking... that were. (Just something to think about next time @quietlife4me.)

 

[Eric802]

At 6'0"/180 lbs, did you have an air bubble around your midsection in the 5 mil? Did you try pulling the neck seal and letting water in? Although it sounds about right for what I needed diving locally in rental 7mm and I was about 185 lbs at the time (at 6'1") -- and I had to *gasp* let the cold green muck in to get down.

I don’t think I did, but no way to be positive. Suit fits pretty well and I know I had water in it. My weighting is a work in progress so that 14lbs might come down as I get more experience.

 

[Thrasherg]

Just got back from 2 weeks diving in Hawaii (Main island), I am 175lbs, 6'2" tall and was running a 3mm full wet suit with boots, we where using 100L Aluminium tanks and I needed 12lbs to sink in salt water.. No idea if this is good or bad (have been diving for 25+ years and always needed about this much weight). Saw this post and as it was fresh in my mind (just got back!!) I thought I would post. I know when I used to dive in California (Monterey) we would wear two 5mm wetsuits (a full suit and a shorty on top of the full suit with gloves and hoodie) I would need 25+lbs to sink!!
I do believe as we all get more experienced we do a better job of not holding as much air in our lungs (breathing more shallowly which leads to longer dive times), so over time we need a bit less weight, I belkieve we just need whatever weight we need to sink, but I like to reduce the amount of weight as it makes getting in & out of the water more easy!!

 

[Jake 10]

I am 5 foot 9 230 lbs, I wear an (always new) Oniel heat 4/3 and a Waterproof UH-1 hooded vest, and I need 28 lbs to go under. What are you wearing and how much weights do you need? I would like to compare.



Thanks

in salt water or fresh water ?
with accessories or without?
with Jacket BC or BPW?
with AL-80 or Steel-100 tank?
with boots or without?
with small fins or large fins (like Aqua Lung Phazer)?
*** most important - are you negative, positive, or neutrally buoyant?

there are many variables, and each requires you to do a proper weight check.

 

[rongoodman]

I am 5’9” 155 lbs, with AL tanks, 12 lbs with 3/2 full wetsuit and 16 lbs with 5mm wetsuit.

That's pretty close for me too, except I'm 5'7" and 150#.

 

[bradlw]

PS..... I personally prefer to be few lbs negative because I can compensate for that.

reminds me of my dive "on" the wreck of the Sapona, over in Bimini
18ft max depth as logged, 6 pounds wearing my 3mil shortie. I was just a hair light but apparently ok on the previous dive. This dive was shallow and the surge was killing me. I found a nice rock and carried it in my hands for the entire dive!

and this thread also reminds me of the time on a charter boat in West Palm or somewhere down that way.... a couple of other divers on the boat were "Navy Divers". Very young and obviously active duty based on haircuts, etc.... using rental gear. When asked how much weight they needed everyone on the boat turned their heads! It was a very big number. The boat's DM eventually got them squared away.
I figured they were probably trainined to dive dry suits or helmets or some such thing to inspect the ships bottom in the arctic. They didn't seem at all comfortable with warm water recreational dive operations.
and I really felt bad for the guys.... there was a bit of a swell out there that day, and getting back up onto the swim platform (belly flopping lake shamu) one of them didn't time it well and face planted into the stern...knocked out a tooth, blood everywhere when I finally climbed the ladder & stepped back aboard (no belly flopping for me, thank you). It was not a great day for those guys.

 

[Belzelbub]

I'm 6'0" and approximately 185 lbs.

Looking at Subsurface stats, my weight use has been between 6 lbs and 20 lbs. I don't dive cold water, but do use wetsuits when it gets chilly.

The 20 lbs is worst case, and was done with a 3mil suit, extra neoprene vest, AL80 tank, and most likely a costume (for an aquarium show) so a bit extra buoyancy.

The 6 lbs was in the summer, and is more typical of my personal gear. Steel tank (then 133), rash guard and swim suit.
On a typical aquarium dive I normally use 17 lbs. This is with an AL80 and 3 mil wetsuit. I could get away with less, but at the shallow depths, and nature of the dives, being a bit negative is preferable. No need to hold at a safety stop.

What others use is not always relevant, as people are all different. However, it can lead to some good questions if a divers usage is significantly higher than a comparable diver in comparable gear. Not saying that the lower weight should be adopted, but that a weight check might be in order. Proper weighting is important, but better to be slightly heavy than slightly light.