After a search I didn't really come up with anything. I was curious if there's a basic guide as to how much buoyancy a particular thickness/size of wet suit would have. The only consistent way I could think of was measuring suits to see how much a particular suit weighs vs. how much weight is needed to sink it. Use that to come up with an average of ounces of weight vs. ounces of neoprene. Just thought this might be handy if you switch from say a 3 mil to a 5 mil during the winter, to get a close ballpark figure.
Neoprene lift
- Thread starter surfsidedav
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cool_hardware52
Contributor
No "basic guide", no universal exposure suit buoyancy cross reference either.
Not all neo is the same, different density etc. "Super Stretch" does not equal Rubatex etc.
Not all "3mm" is actually 3 mm thick, not all "5mm" is 5 mm thick. Does that include the fabric too? Maybe, maybe not.
Not all suits are cut the same.
Neoprene changes (takes a permanent set) with each use.
No short cuts to a real live ballast check.
Tobin
HatchetJoe
Contributor
I'm not sure how to accomplish the task but wouldn't the world be so much nicer if Wetsuit manufacturers posted the buoyancy of each suit along with their size chart? Sorry I think like an Engineer, occupational hazard.
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On page 132 of the University of Michigan Research Divers Manual by Lee Somers there is a graph.
dkktsunami
Contributor
I have done this by trial and error with the wet suits that I wear (3mil, 5mil, 7mil) and I record the weights for future use, both salt and fresh. For me this has worked out to 2lbs. per mil thus adding 4lbs. to move from a 3mil to a 5mil and 4 more lbs to move from the 5mil to the 7mil.
It would be nice, but not practical.
Not only would each size of a given model have different bouyancy, due to more or less material being used, but also any given suit, once it put on by a diver will stretch/deform a bit, slightly changing its displacement.
The only way to get weighting "just right" is by doing a bouyancy/weight check in the water.
OP
AbyssalPlains
Contributor
I'm big on theory, too, so I can relate, but theory takes you only so far. When I switched from a BC to a BP/W and tried to figure out how much wing lift I would need, I spent a couple of hours in my pool and determined the buoyancy of every single piece of equipment I have. Yes, down to the gloves and the light. 
I made a list and based my weighting configuration on that. And guess what? The first time I tried my new setup in the water, all my charts and numbers were out the window. Not even close. What have I learned from this? By the time I have figured out stuff like this "in theory", I have tried it in the water, gotten a reliable result and have a couple of hours to spare and have a beer.
I made a list and based my weighting configuration on that. And guess what? The first time I tried my new setup in the water, all my charts and numbers were out the window. Not even close. What have I learned from this? By the time I have figured out stuff like this "in theory", I have tried it in the water, gotten a reliable result and have a couple of hours to spare and have a beer.
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We do that with every one of our students. It works fine (if fine is within a couple of lbs and having them focused on the importance of proper weighting), but you must take great care to deal with trapped air both when the gear is off and when it is on. Remember, it only takes a pint of air to put you off by a pound of lead.I'm big on theory, too, so I can relate, but theory takes you only so far. When I switched from a BC to a BP/W and tried to figure out how much wing lift I would need, I spent a couple of hours in my pool and determined the buoyancy of every single piece of equipment I have. Yes, down to the gloves and the light.
OP
I'm big on theory, too, so I can relate, but theory takes you only so far. When I switched from a BC to a BP/W and tried to figure out how much wing lift I would need, I spent a couple of hours in my pool and determined the buoyancy of every single piece of equipment I have. Yes, down to the gloves and the light.
I know, I know. All the theory in the world isn't the same as doing it. But the part that really hits home, is the part about cutting into beer time.:shocked2: We just can't allow that to happen, can we?
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