How much weight do I need?
- Thread starter rickc
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First of all, Welcome to the board. I noticed this is your first post.
Secondly, I'm assuming this is all relative to Saltwater. How old is the six mil? It may be squeezed out to the equivalent to a 4 mil suit. Assuming it hasn't lost its bouyancy, I would quess you may be able to shed 2-4 lbs.
You just need to check your bouyancy when you get rigged out with the 4/3 mil suit.
Secondly, I'm assuming this is all relative to Saltwater. How old is the six mil? It may be squeezed out to the equivalent to a 4 mil suit. Assuming it hasn't lost its bouyancy, I would quess you may be able to shed 2-4 lbs.
You just need to check your bouyancy when you get rigged out with the 4/3 mil suit.
Rickc,
I seem, viewing the number of official posts you seem to have, to be the first to greet you! And I do with warmth from coolth Northern California. You have come to the right place for all your scuba questions!
Unfortunately, you picked to ask the only one we cannot answer!
Well, let's try anyhow... How did you settle on 32 lbs for your current set-up? That is probably how I would tackle the your new set-up. See, you really did not need us!
However, what I might do is as follows: if I were planning on doing a boat dive for my first try in a new set-up, I would start with, say, 25 lbs. However, I would put 3 2-lb wts in my pocket(s) and see how my buoyancy was on my first dive. If I needed to put a lot of air in my BC to maintain buoyancy, I would leave 2 to 4 lbs of the wts in my pocket(s)at the anchor or mooring eye and see how that felt. And so on until I got it right.
Also, I would tell the captain or DM about what I was doing and ask that they have a few lbs nearby on the boat. Thus, if I could not descend, I could swim over to the boat and get some more wt to stuff in my pocket(s).
I hope this helped and I hope we "see" a lot more of you--with or without wts!
Joewr--striking another blow for scuba freedom!
I seem, viewing the number of official posts you seem to have, to be the first to greet you! And I do with warmth from coolth Northern California. You have come to the right place for all your scuba questions!
Unfortunately, you picked to ask the only one we cannot answer!
Well, let's try anyhow... How did you settle on 32 lbs for your current set-up? That is probably how I would tackle the your new set-up. See, you really did not need us!
However, what I might do is as follows: if I were planning on doing a boat dive for my first try in a new set-up, I would start with, say, 25 lbs. However, I would put 3 2-lb wts in my pocket(s) and see how my buoyancy was on my first dive. If I needed to put a lot of air in my BC to maintain buoyancy, I would leave 2 to 4 lbs of the wts in my pocket(s)at the anchor or mooring eye and see how that felt. And so on until I got it right.
Also, I would tell the captain or DM about what I was doing and ask that they have a few lbs nearby on the boat. Thus, if I could not descend, I could swim over to the boat and get some more wt to stuff in my pocket(s).
I hope this helped and I hope we "see" a lot more of you--with or without wts!
Joewr--striking another blow for scuba freedom!
Hey there rickc, welcome aboard! Glad to have you here. Now let's get down to business. From your post I'm estimating you to weigh 22-230 lbs correct? If that's the case I say you will be able to drop 8 or so lbs with the 4/3 suit. Not keep in mind that that's just a rough estimate. There are plenty of other factors to consider.
With the 2pc 6mil you probably wore a heavy hood, gloves and thick booties... you probably won't need to go that thick with the 4/3.
The age of the 2pc 6mil is also important. How many dives did you have on it and how deep do you usually dive. The deeper you dive the more you will crush the neoprene and thus it will lose it's thermal properties along with it's excessive buoyancy.
What kind of cylinder do you use and will be using? If there is no change, then nothing to worry about. But if the size and composition of the cylinder are going to change, then you need to factor that in as well.
Will the water type remain the same ie saltwater/freshwater
The best thing you can possibly do is to do a buoyancy check prior to diving in your new suit. Let us know some more specifics and we'll be glad to help!
With the 2pc 6mil you probably wore a heavy hood, gloves and thick booties... you probably won't need to go that thick with the 4/3.
The age of the 2pc 6mil is also important. How many dives did you have on it and how deep do you usually dive. The deeper you dive the more you will crush the neoprene and thus it will lose it's thermal properties along with it's excessive buoyancy.
What kind of cylinder do you use and will be using? If there is no change, then nothing to worry about. But if the size and composition of the cylinder are going to change, then you need to factor that in as well.
Will the water type remain the same ie saltwater/freshwater
The best thing you can possibly do is to do a buoyancy check prior to diving in your new suit. Let us know some more specifics and we'll be glad to help!
Here is something I tried that worked for me.
I knew how much weight I needed with my 3/2 but bought a 5/3 at the last minute before a trip, after finding out the seas were 5 degrees colder than we expected.I took my 3/2 fullsuit and folded it and tied it. I did the same with my 5/3 fullsuit. I then went to the bathtub with some weights. I squeezed the air out and added weight until they stayed under (but not pinned on the bottom). I then knew that if all my other equipment stayed the same I would need about 4 lbs more for the 5/3.
Tavi
I knew how much weight I needed with my 3/2 but bought a 5/3 at the last minute before a trip, after finding out the seas were 5 degrees colder than we expected.I took my 3/2 fullsuit and folded it and tied it. I did the same with my 5/3 fullsuit. I then went to the bathtub with some weights. I squeezed the air out and added weight until they stayed under (but not pinned on the bottom). I then knew that if all my other equipment stayed the same I would need about 4 lbs more for the 5/3.
Tavi
Well, Ill tell you what I do.
Up untill a year ago, I worked as an instructor and used 2lbs with my short 3mm. About a month ago, I went to a diving vacation, to the same spot where I worked (btw- It's in the red sea, where the water are saltier and you need a bit more wghits, just to show you how things can change) and as I knew that hm... wel... let's admit it- I put on some weight since last time I was there I went to check my weights before diving. waht I did was simple- I put on me my usual 2 lbs, and held 3 more weights in my hand. I went 9 feet down and was heavy, so I started playing with the weights- puting on the ground, breathing, and checking.
The final outcome is confidential. ahm. :tease:
Up untill a year ago, I worked as an instructor and used 2lbs with my short 3mm. About a month ago, I went to a diving vacation, to the same spot where I worked (btw- It's in the red sea, where the water are saltier and you need a bit more wghits, just to show you how things can change) and as I knew that hm... wel... let's admit it- I put on some weight since last time I was there I went to check my weights before diving. waht I did was simple- I put on me my usual 2 lbs, and held 3 more weights in my hand. I went 9 feet down and was heavy, so I started playing with the weights- puting on the ground, breathing, and checking.
The final outcome is confidential. ahm. :tease:
Hi guys,
I need the advice of experienced divers. I'm 155lbs (wear a size M wetsuit). With a 7mm wetsuit, 3mm boots and gloves, and NO hood, I wear 24lbs of weight (in my BC).
I've gotten down to 24 lbs by:
1) Getting a BC that fit correctly,
2) exhaling completely and holding a few seconds when starting my decent,
3) Letting water into my wetsuit from the collar before my first decent <- I'm not exactly sure why this works, but doing this let me shed 2 lbs.
Am I still wearing too much weight? What's a good weight to shoot for? Also, are there any other tips on what I can do to shed more weight?
I need the advice of experienced divers. I'm 155lbs (wear a size M wetsuit). With a 7mm wetsuit, 3mm boots and gloves, and NO hood, I wear 24lbs of weight (in my BC).
I've gotten down to 24 lbs by:
1) Getting a BC that fit correctly,
2) exhaling completely and holding a few seconds when starting my decent,
3) Letting water into my wetsuit from the collar before my first decent <- I'm not exactly sure why this works, but doing this let me shed 2 lbs.
Am I still wearing too much weight? What's a good weight to shoot for? Also, are there any other tips on what I can do to shed more weight?
Is your 7 mil a one piece? The target weight you should carry on paper would be 21-22 lbs with that gear and an Aluminum 80cuft cylinder. Not all wetsuit neoprene is the same though. Your's may be more buoyant than others, as could your body composition. As long as you're not overweight nor underweight, it really doesn't matter how much you use.
I'm 200lbs, with a new 7mil Oneill wetsuit I use 6lbs when I use my Steel cylinders and 12lbs when I use my Al's. You'll also find that as your suit gets older, it loses some of it's buoyancy as the cells get crushed.
I'm 200lbs, with a new 7mil Oneill wetsuit I use 6lbs when I use my Steel cylinders and 12lbs when I use my Al's. You'll also find that as your suit gets older, it loses some of it's buoyancy as the cells get crushed.
>3) Letting water into my wetsuit from the collar before my >first decent <- I'm not exactly sure why this works, but >doing this let me shed 2 lbs.
The reason is, that when you wear your suit you've got air trapped inside it. When you get the water in it pushes the air out. It's also the best way to avoid Suit squeezes.
>I'm 200lbs, with a new 7mil Oneill wetsuit I use 6lbs when >I use my Steel cylinders and 12lbs when I use my Al's. >You'll also find that as your suit gets older, it loses >some of it's buoyancy as the cells get crushed.
Hey mario- Do you work out a lot?
You'll get us instructors a bad name!
The reason is, that when you wear your suit you've got air trapped inside it. When you get the water in it pushes the air out. It's also the best way to avoid Suit squeezes.
>I'm 200lbs, with a new 7mil Oneill wetsuit I use 6lbs when >I use my Steel cylinders and 12lbs when I use my Al's. >You'll also find that as your suit gets older, it loses >some of it's buoyancy as the cells get crushed.
Hey mario- Do you work out a lot?
You'll get us instructors a bad name!
Been working out quite a bit. My girlfriend wants me to stop weight lifting. (She doesn't complain when I have to carry or move stuff for her though.) My best bench is 380lbs, though I'm off par by about 60lbs lately because of a hurt shoulder. Gonna go again later on today. My goal was to bench double my body weight, so I'm pretty close.
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