How much weight in COLD water?

[Aquaphile]

I am 5' 6" and weigh 125 lbs (give or take). I wear a 7 mm wetsuit with a hood, gloves and booties, and use an AL80. I use 18 lbs. When I use a steel 80, I can drop a couple of pounds no problem.

 

[sunfish]

150 cm, 47 kg. Neoprene dry suit with synthetic fleece sweatsuit. With a steel tank, 5 kg, though I could probably get by with less. I plan to give it a try once the water gets cold again.

 

[Shadow]

I finally bought the steel 72/3000 psi Faber tanks I've had my eye on. I use 22 pounds in my Ranger pockets, and 1 pound on each ankle.

Sunfish, what is the water temperature in the waters around Japan? 5 kg is about the weight I used in the Caribbean!

 

[JimC]

My wife, 5'9", 200lbs. In a 7mm suit, 5mm hood-vest, gloves, booties, and an AL 80 uses 24 pounds on her belt.

She is over weighted and her trim is off. I would guestimate she should probably have about 14 on her hips and another 6 on her shoulders.

30-40 pounts? Good god that is a LOT of weight.

P.S. Ankle weights are... not good for trim.

 

[Shadow]

JimC - are you diving around Ottawa? In fresh water? That would mean much less weight...

On my last dive, I used no ankle weights. I have these little rubber strap things that tighten up my dry suit boots, and help keep air out of my feet/boots. They also help keep my fins on! Ankle weights are handy for most people who dive dry, and almost every diver I've seen around here uses them with a dry suit. It's not a lot of fun to start ascending feet first... But I doubt they would be particularly useful for wet suits where air distribution is not an issue.

My husband is about the same height and weight as your wife, and he dives with 46 pounds in a trilam suit, AL80 tank! Talk about overweighted! So 24 pounds doesn't seem like too much... It's what I use now, and that's with a steel tank, or else I'd probably have to use 28-30 pounds.

 

[booga_roo]

It was interesting to read the different thoughts on weight. I dive in a tri dry suit with a LOVELY thick fleece bear, I use 28 lbs, distributed between my hips and my ankles. I am 5ft 6 and weigh 9.5st (sorry dunno the conversion) I dive with a 10ltr aluminium tank.

My BCD is heavy as it is a Buddy jacket with auto air.

I get moaned at by people for wearing too much weight, and I am trying to reduce it. On a twenty plus metre dive, I really notice the weight at the bottom.

I have been able to get down to 24lbs but that depends A LOT on the day and how i feel. If i use a 12ltr tank, I get down to 22lbs.

What I have worked out is that stressing about people going on about the weight I use, only tenses me up (making me less likely to be able to lse it) so now I go with the flow. I put spare on the boat so it is there if I need it, I look at the surface conditions, what the dive conditions are, and how I feel and don the weight I feel is appropriate.

My only advice to you is not to stress. Stress and you will stay heavy. Chill and it will come.

Love

Booga

 

[DonnaS]

Hello,

I'm 5ft 8 inches, 150 lbs....I wear a Henderson Hyperstretch 7mil.
I use a 80Al and have a Zeagle Escape. I use 23lbs. I do have a problem gettting down at times but only due to the trapped air in my BC. I use a few less pounds when I use a steel tank.

Donna =-)

 

[amygalli]

Sound to me like you dive -pretty heavy- for your size... I weigh 180 and am 5'5" tall and dive with a 7MM henderson Gold wetsuit, one piece with 5MM hood / 3MM vest combo, glove, booties et all. I use a Seaquest libra weight integrte BC.

It takes me a few moment to drop the first few feet, or I just kick or "wave" down, but I can safely ascend and do a free floating safety stop at that weight. The water here generally is about <50> degrees at dive depth.

By the way, this weight is using a standar aluminum 80 tak=nk. I use a bit less weight if i use a steel tank...

just my two cents...

Amy

 

[Shadow]

(You didn't mention the amount of weight...)

 

[amygalli]

Oops, sorry all that info and none of the important stuff... I use 30 pounds.