how much weight do i need?

[digdug87]

I tried the calculator and it gave a good ball park figure for my rig. I would think that it would give you a starting point.
For the trim pockets you’ll need to experiment to find the right amount of weight that is right for you. You’ll probably end up somewhere with about 1/3 to 1/4 of your weight in the trim pockets.
I would buy more smaller weights than just a few larger weights, 4x5 vs 2x10. This will give you flexibility to move weights around and add or subtract weight in smaller increments.
Best advice once you have you gear is get in the pool or calm open water and experiment and get more experience.

 

[herr2720]

Another side note, I have a Knighthawk which is uses a similar weight system as the Seahawk. My pockets are rated for 12lbs each but it's very full if you put the full 12lbs of softweights in each and is hard to slide into place with much more than 6lbs each if you are wearing the BC as it bunches up as it slides in. I originally started with soft weights and went to hard as it makes it a lot easier for me to gear up. The same for the trim pockets. 5lb of soft weight barely fits where 5lbs of solid weight slides right in.

 

[Diver0001]

1)how accurate are these calculators?

There is literally no way to "calculate" it accurately, although the number you got doesn't surprise me and I suspect it will be in the ball park.

That said, the only thing that works is to do a buoyancy check in the water. What I would suggest is to rent weights and go with all the gear you'll normally be using and do a thorough buoyancy check. That way you'll be able to order just what you need.

Keep in mind that the amount of weight you will need will change over time depending on factors like how "broken in" your wetsuit is, various gear choices you make, your body size (may not stay stable) and your comfort/skills in the water.

im probably going to be taking a buoyancy class next, but id like to get an idea of what i will need. thanks

Did your OW instructor teach you how to do a buoyancy check? It seems like you're waiting for the buoyancy class to learn it, if I read that correctly.

R..

 

[japan-diver]

I used the calculator and it was off by over 10lbs for my summer suit and almost 20lbs for my winter one. These calculators are not accurate as they are based on a percentage of body weight which just doesn't work. Fat floats, muscle sinks- body density is what is important not weight and this varies greatly between individuals. Also density will effect the amount of neoprene in your suit and therefore effect its buoyancy and types of neoprene also have different buoyancy. Due to the fact that all of these things along with your comfort level in the water effect your needed weight there is no calculator that will be nearly accurate for all people. When I started diving (and was much lighter myself) I needed more weight than I need now as I got better at diving. If you do purchase weights its better to have more small weights so you can adjust your weight as needed over time. A bunch of 5 pounders make it hard to adjust you are better off with with 2's and 3's, so you can adjust as you become better or your wetsuit gets a little compressed over time.

 

[scubadiver888]

mangoconchile,

I just used the weight calculator. It was totally wrong for me. Every human body is different. A weight calculator will give you a starting point but you will find people with less fat, less muscle, bone density, etc. are all going to make a difference. I think it is wrong for me because I have a BP/W with an 8 lb plate. I wear negatively buoyant fins. I tend to sink rather than float in the water (no equipment). All these things seem to make it off by 12 lbs. for me.

Also, if you are wearing a 7mm wetsuit, all your weight is in your BCD and you have to take it off you'll find yourself VERY buoyant. I have had the occasion where I had to take my BCD off, detangle myself and put my BCD back on. If I wasn't wearing some of my weight on a belt, it would have been a lot harder to do. Hopefully you'll never have to take your BCD off but they train you to do it because there is still a chance you will have to... especially if you are diving for decades.

 

[scubadada]

The calculator was pretty far off for me also, 6 lbs for a 3mm, 10 pounds for a 5mm, and 6-8 pounds for a 7mm. This would result in pretty substantial overweighting, but I guess you could shed it quickly and approach your correct weight after a few dives.

I'm with herr2720, above. Hard weights are much easier to use in my Knighthawk BC, both for the quick-release integrated weights and the trim pockets. It doesn't make much difference in warm water and light wetsuit. I would buy hard weights if I was going to have all my own lead for the entire spectrum of diving. I often take a couple 2s and a couple 1s with me when boat diving in case they have only 3s and 4s available.

 

[tyesai]

im going to be purchasing some soft weights thru amazon(free shipping thru prime) and had a couple of questions. i used a scuba weight calulcator to calculate my lead based on my body weight(195), type of wetsuit(7mm), tank, and water(salt). based on this information, it gave me an estimate of 22-29 pounds depending on the type of tank I used(steel or aluminum). here is the calculator I used:

CochraneScuba - Basic Weighting Guidelines

1)how accurate are these calculators?
2)I purchased a weight integrated back inflated bc(scubapro seahawk). this bc has 2 weight pockets in the front and 2 trim pockets in the back. based on this, what is the ideal weight configuration? for example, 4x5 lbs vs 2x 10 lbs for the front? what would be best in the trim pockets?

im probably going to be taking a buoyancy class next, but id like to get an idea of what i will need. thanks

That calculator for me was about 5 pounds heavy, it seems to be the theme. That said it never hurts to have extra weights, 1, 2, and 3 pound increments are nice. Hard weights are usually a lot cheaper than soft weights, are you stuck on the soft weights for some reason? You can use the hard weights in the ditchable pockets.

 

[DBailey]

Hmm. Wonder if the OP bought the BCD online as well. Pretty poor form to go to a shop with gear bought online, even if you "rent their pool" to "use their weights" and "grab a tank" and then "play around a bit" and then leave and "order weights."

If the BCD is already bought, sort of doesn't matter at this point. But for chrissakes, if you're gonna through all that trouble to use your LDS to get your weight dialed in... just buy the ****ing weights there.

In fact, here's a crazy idea for the OP: if you plan to "do a buoyancy class next" wait until then to get your weighting right with the shop... and then just buy the ****ing weights there.

Did you read the orignal post?

He is getting free shipping via Amazon Prime. I know that dive shops bake in the shipping costs into the cost of their weights. Most of the time, I have found that dive shop weight cost is equal to online cost + shipping costs (or close enough). Since the OP said he would be ordering them online with free shipping, I provided him an option based on the information provided.

Additionally, the rental of the pool, weights, and tanks is a completely seperate business transaction. What does it matter of the reasons for renting the pool?