How much weight do you dive with?

[redacted]

Your 7mm 2-piece is the big unknown in this problem. Without the neoprene, you are probably within a pound or 2 of neutral with that steel tank that is -8 to -10, empty, in salt water. So take the neoprene to the pool and see what it take just to sink it. It is probably in the 24 to 34 pound range.

 

[Granny Scuba]

I am a newbie, so dont know a whole lot, but it seems to me that there is a lot of weight being worn!
I am about 5'10 and weigh approx 200lbs and only take:
10 -12 lbs with steel and a 5 mill in fresh water
14-16 lbs with alum and a 5 mil in fresh water

When I took my OW at Ala Blue Water, my instructer Ben sized me up (pretty quick) and gave me 12 lbs. In fact Ben did a pretty good job of choosing everyone in the classes weight requirments simply by "eyeballing" them.

I dont mean to discount Ben, but if he can size people up that accurately, then I am sure others can too. Thats why I would think there would have to be a chart somewhere.

I just can't imagine anyone my size wearing 30 or 40 lbs !!!!. I have done some shore dives with a 1/2 mil skin and I think I only took about 14lbs.

 

[juanfr22]

I weight 70 kilograms and i'm 5'7''
I still can't find my right amount of weight...all my diving takes place in warm tropical waters, but sometimes using 6 pounds works fine, sometimes using 10 pounds is fine...I'll just have to keep diving and trying different weights. for the record, I use a 3mm wetsuit + the weight of my camera.

 

[carlitosmendez]

Me:
Ht: 6'
Wt: 240
Exposure suit: 3mm full + 5mm dive boots;
Tank: Al80

And use 18lb's of lead, at the beggining of the dive I'm a bit negatively buoyant and have to add air to my BC, but at the end I have to dump it in order to stay neutral for the safety stop.

I dive in salt water in the caribbean.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

I'm 6', and weigh 215 lbs. I dive a DSS stainless backplate.
If I wear a 1mm wetsuit, I don't need any weight.
If I wear a 3mm wetsuit, I wear 4 lbs. On a weight belt.

-Mitch

 

[chokdeekap]

i am almost 6ft
i use 3mil shorty
steel tanks 12 lt and 10 lt
weight 4 KGs (8.8 pound)

 

[Mike Boswell]

I am 5'-8" and weigh 200 lbs. My weighting is optimized for neutral buoyancy at a 15' safety stop.

Cold Water Diving:
7-mil wetsuit with booties, gloves, hood.
6-lb SS backplate/wing.
HP100 steel tank.
8 lbs of lead.

Warm Water Diving:
No wetsuit.
6-lb SS backplate/wing.
AL80 Aluminum tank.
4 lbs of lead.

Looks like I will need to add 2-4# extra lead weight if I am going to hold a 72" SMB upright from 15' depth.

 

[Lue_Ebra]

6'1" 195Lb
3/2 Neoprene
Seapro jacket Bc ... nicely padded
80 Al and all brass regs
2 - 10 Lb coated lead weights...
Subtropical ocean.

I remember my instructor belting me with a whopping 40 pounds!

 

[StuartT]

I'm 5'8" 165lbs

Cold water diving:
3mm neoprene drysuit with double fleece undergarment
Zeagle ranger bcd
108 lp steel tank
28 lbs (I've dropped 8-10 lbs in the last year)

Warm water diving:

3mm full wetsuit
Al 80
12 lbs

 

[Dry_Diver]

Me;

I dive in a 7mm full w/5mm hood, gloves and boots. Steel 80, 22lbs, or my steel 119 18lbs.

I am 5-11
weight 265 (a few extra pounds, not too muscular) logged over 400 dives......
then stopped counting