Is correct weighting difficult

[D Powell]

The whole process of correct weighting to maintain neutral buoyancy seems to be very complex.

Im only a couple of pool lessons into my PADI course so please forgive me.

Or is it something that becomes second nature?

Thanks

 

[The Kraken]

It's not as complex as it seems.
The major school of thought is that the diver should be able to establish neutral buoyancy at the end of the dive with an empty B/C, tank volume around 500psi and at a depth of 15' (safety stop).

It will probably be more difficult to accomplish this as a new diver due to the fact that you probably have yet to become completely comfortable and at ease in this new environment.

You may be able to replicate this task in a pool, if it's deep enough. Even if the pool is only 12' deep, you can lie on the bottom, breathe your tank down to 500 psi and then determine if you are positively or negatively buoyant with your B/C emptied.

With B/C completely empty, take a normal breath and hold it for a few seconds (I know, you were taught never to hold your breath under water). If you sink, remove a bit of weight, if you start to ascend, you need to add a tad.

Determine the state of your buoyancy and add/remove weight accordingly.

Remember that any change in any part of your gear that changes your buoyancy characteristic will necessitate a change in weighting.

Going from fresh water to salt water will require more weight, and, conversely, going from salt to fresh will dictate that you reduce your weighting.

the K

 

[dkktsunami]

Also keep records of proper weighting with various wet suits, different equipment, salt vs fresh. You will end up with a lot of combinations.

 

[Markdone]

A rule of thumb that I use:

For every 40 pounds of body and equipment weight - add 1 pound of lead to compensate for going from fresh water to Salt (and vice versa)

This assumes identical kit.

 

[drm]

Finding the proper weight you need is not difficult but it is very important. You may need to know how much weight you need for different types of diving, with or without a wetsuit, salt or fresh water, etc. Make sure you spend the time to get it right. I've seen many people out there wearing way too much weight. I've also seen people get into trouble with too much weight with uncontrolled descents and ascents, so spend the time to get your needed weight amount correct.

David Miner
www.divingindepth.com

 

[Walter]

You should be neutrally buoyant at the surface with empty BC, nearly empty tank and full lungs. Weighting for neutral buoyancy at 15 feet will make it extremely difficult to keep from ascending too rapidly after your safety stop. If you are free diving, it's a good idea to weight for neutral buoyancy at depth, but not on SCUBA.

 

[PerroneFord]

Agreed Walter. Neutrally buoyant at 15ft with nearly empty tanks makes the shallow ascent damn near impossible. Especially with the wetsuit expanding. I've been having this problem myself but got it sorted out I think.

 

[WetDawg]

The quickest and easiest way to get your weighting right on he money every time is to do a buoyancy check before each dive until you figure out what works for you. With a "normal breath" (i.e not a deep breath) of air in your lungs and a completely empty BC you should float at eye level in the water with your full kit. When you exhale you should sink. You can get this right on while floating in the pool or hanging off the dive platform on a boat and having your Instructor hand you weights. It takes a little doing, but it works every time.

FWIW, don't sweat this too much, buoyancy control is the most difficult skill you will learn in your open water class and it only comes with practice, so don't worry too much about being able grasp it just yet. Somewhere during your next few dives a little light will pop on in your head and you will know that you've got it. That being said, most new divers don't "master" the art of buoyancy until they log somewhere between 15-20 hours of bottom time in various gear configurations.

Having worked on a liveaboard dive operation that caters mostly to "advanced" divers I can tell you that there are a fair share of "experienced" divers out there who never even try to master this skill - they bounce off coral heads like they are in a kids fun house. The fact that you are concerned about this skill shows that you are making progress towards being a better diver.

 

[400Man]

One thing I haven't figured out yet is why lots of people state the "number one" problem with new divers is being overweighted. I have never experienced anything dangerous because I had too much weight. However, I have been unable to control my ascent because I was underweighted and it ruined my dive experience. Why is overweighted considered worse than underweighted by most people? I know too much weight can cause you to use more air and make getting nuetral more difficult, but at least it can be done. To me overweighted is an annoyance, but underweighted is dangerous. I've dialed my weighting in perfectly, but every time the DM is handing out weights he wants to give me 2 pounds less than I ask for. Why?

 

[Blackwood]

One thing I haven't figured out yet is why lots of people state the "number one" problem with new divers is being overweighted. I have never experienced anything dangerous because I had too much weight. However, I have been unable to control my ascent because I was underweighted and it ruined my dive experience. Why is overweighted considered worse than underweighted by most people? I know too much weight can cause you to use more air and make getting nuetral more difficult, but at least it can be done. To me overweighted is an annoyance, but underweighted is dangerous. I've dialed my weighting in perfectly, but every time the DM is handing out weights he wants to give me 2 pounds less than I ask for. Why?

Overweighted can cause you to sink quickly, possibly faster than you can equalize. It can also make it damn near impossible for someone to bring you topside if you are incapacitated (say: unconscious and OOA).

They are both dangerous. I won't say which is worse.