How to (politely) advocate for more weight?

[columbus jones]

Hi! Quick question for you lovely folks.

I'm a newer diver, and apparently I'm extra buoyant. I've done warm and cold salt water diving, and folks are almost always surprised by how much weight I need to weight check/descend/stay at depth based on my size/gear/etc (when I was certified my instructor spent extra time with me to make sure my weights were good, since he thought it was high. But he said I looked/dove great at the weight, and that some people just need more).

Recently, I've been having issues with dive shops straight up refusing to give me the weight I ask for, so I end up in the water needing more weight after a weight check or after being unable to descend with an empty bcd. They've been apologetic afterwards, but I was wondering if there's a good and polite way to express "yes I know this sounds like a lot of weight, but based on previous dives I think I need it so can I please just start with this weight instead of having to get more once I'm in the water?" I mean, other than using those exact words. Cuz I've tried using those exact words.

If I'm just being a Karen and this is standard, don't hold back, I can take it. It's just annoying when I can't descend at a weight one day, and tell folks that the next day in the same location/conditions/etc, and they want to give me even less than the day before, haha.

 

[also_anon_dc]

"yes I know this sounds like a lot of weight, but based on previous dives I think I need it so can I please just start with this weight instead of having to get more once I'm in the water?"

Use those words then add "if you won't give me that amount of weight then I'd like a refund and I'll find another shop". You know your needs as a diver and you should advocate for them without hesitation. Honestly you shouldn't even feel the need to be polite but that's a good stance to start from I guess.

 

[astr0b0y]

Show the weights you’ve previously used from your log book?

 

[johndiver999]

How much weight do you need? What kind of tanks and exposure suit are you using? What is your height and weight?

This data might help to put your predicament in perspective for us. I personally know one tall skinny 22 yr old guy who has a very low body fat and requires an amazing amount of lead. At least 5 lbs more than I would imagine. Some people need more lead. How far "off the normal" are you?

 

[rick00001967]

agree with the above post to keep track in a written log and show it to the shop.

in fairness.....many divers are very unsure of the weight they need when showing up at a shop on holidays. and many who ask for weight are asking for too much. i am sure the shops are only concerned for you. i am not sure how much weight you use but if a diver at my shop asked for an unsually large amount, i would most likely question it too. i don't think i would refuse to give it to them, but i would at least have a converstaion about it.

 

[Rob9876]

"yes I know this sounds like a lot of weight, but based on previous dives I think I need it so can I please just start with this weight instead of having to get more once I'm in the water?"

I think you can be polite but also more firm -- you don't "think" you need it, you "know" it. So when asked, I'd say "I need __ pounds." If questioned: "I know it's a lot, but I've been diving recently and I know that's definitely what I need to hold my safety stop." Say it with conviction and not sounding unsure -- because you are sure. I don't think it should be necessary to show your log book -- you are no longer a student and you have recent experience with what you need. You are ultimately responsible for your dive.

That said, if you are going out on a boat that may have limited weights (which could be why they are pushing back) let the dive op know ahead of time "hey, I definitely need __ pounds and just want to be sure there will be enough on the boat."

Also, be aware that in the next 20 or so dives you may start to need less weights, so keep that in mind. But that is for you to decide, not them.

 

[rick00001967]

I don't think it should be necessary to show your log book -- you are no longer a student and you have recent experience with what you need. You are ultimately responsible for your dive.

as much as i agree with this, the otherside of the coin is that if a shop was to issue an unusually heavy amount of weight to a customer and there was an incident with that diver (over weighting has been ruled as a contributing factor in some diving deaths), the first thing people would do is point the finger at the dive op and ask why they let someone dive with that much weight.

 

[jborg]

I was diving on the Seychelles with my wife a few months back. We were out with a small boat, about eight divers. I was in a full 3mm wetsuit and used 4 kilos, with a lightweight aluminium plate so that was pretty much it. Likely I was overweighted a bit, but we just did those two dives and I didn't want to fiddle with potentially dialling it in with more precision - a couple of extra kilos is fine under the circumstances.

We were waiting in the water for the others to get ready (we were in the water because supposedly everyone was ready quite a few minutes back) and there were all kinds of delays. Anyway this guy, in shorts and t-shirt, asks for more weight, he can't get down. The communication is difficult because the guides speak French and Creole, and this guy is Russian or something similar. I think he had four kilos, they gave him another two because he seems to be asking for six. He's not getting anywhere. He asks for more, managing to explain that he doesn't want six, he usually dives with sixteen kilos. They don't have that much available for him to wear, but he gets another two, and does the dive with eight.

OP, not saying this is you, but it's not entirely atypical and I can see where the dive shop can be skeptical to demands for unusual amounts of lead...

 

[johndiver999]

There is good reason for a dive operator to refuse a request. Too many times, a poorly trained or clueless cold water diver, wants to use the same weight they use in cold water when diving with little or no wetsuit.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have seen it happen. A good DM has a pretty good intuition about how much lead a particular diver needs in the local conditions. When a diver diverges from that range, you have to expect it to raise some eyebrows. A log book and a discussion before leaving the dock makes sense.

 

[kelemvor]

If you're diving locally, a workaround might be to buy your own lead. This way you don't have to ask the op for any weight at all. Less convenient, but you've always got just what you need with no fuss.

Of course, that doesn't work when you have to fly for a dive trip.

One way to save money if you want to buy your own is to buy reclaimed shot from a local trap or skeet range. You can get empty pouches and make your own for a fraction of what dive shops sell the stuff for. I think I paid $25 for 20lb bags of lead and a buck or so for empty pouches on Amazon. Don't forget to wash the reclaimed shot first.