New Diver - West Central OH (Preble Co)

[gtxl1200]

I seem to like the following as a good method for a weight check. We learned it in our fundamentals class, and so far, it seems to work rather well.

1 - Get a tank that has 500 psi in it (or do a dive....and then bleed off some excess)

2 - Go to 10 feet on a line, or by something stationary.

3 - Get all the air out of your BC/Wing and exhale completely...all the way...hold nothing in. Do not hold on to anything...if you sink...you're too heavy. If you float, you're too light. if you're not moving, you're on the money.

FWIW I'm down to 18 total for lead, and I could spare another pound, but I like being able to hold a stop at 5 feet as well, so I keep the pound there. 38 just seems like a LOT of overkill. Are you talking 38 total pounds of lead on your belt?

-T

T that is a good lesson I know the exact place to do something like that Gilboa anyone???????

 

[skyking]

FWIW I'm down to 18 total for lead, and I could spare another pound, but I like being able to hold a stop at 5 feet as well, so I keep the pound there. 38 just seems like a LOT of overkill. Are you talking 38 total pounds of lead on your belt?
-T

Yup. Did everything except the empty tank check - it's pretty close. At 32 w/o the hooded vest it's impossible to keep submerged as the tank gets emptier - 34 does it. The vest/hood adds about 4 lbs.

Checked each piece in the pool with the help of a web bag and weights - the wetsuit goes neutral at 29 lbs after mooshing all the air out, the vest at 4. Me with tank, bc, etc at 6. The whole set works good at 38.

Have had an instructor and dive master check it out in the water - after grumbling a little bit they both concur it's about the right weight.

Got most of the weight in the BC with a few lbs in a weight belt to avoid overloading/sinking the bc so I can take the gear off in the water - it's a lot easier to toss (well, drop) the stuff in and put it on/take it off in the water than shlep it around.

Been advised much of this is due to it being a new wetsuit.

Any suggestions how many/what size holes to punch through the top of the hood to vent bubbles?

-Tom

 

[Big-t-2538]

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Any suggestions how many/what size holes to punch through the top of the hood to vent bubbles?

-Tom

Get a small finishing nail. Heat it up (hold it with pliers). Carefully poke holes in the hood to vent air. You don;t want big holes that will allow the exchange of water.

Me with tank, bc, etc at 6

So you are saying that with no exposure, in a pool, you in your rig with no integrated weight will require 6 pounds to get below the surface? That seems like a lot.

I still think 38 is beyond more than enough no matter if your suit is new or old....the biggest factors I have seen is a comfort level in the water.

-T

 

[Big-t-2538]

T that is a good lesson I know the exact place to do something like that Gilboa anyone???????

I'll be there Saturday with Ber & her class.

 

[diverbrian]

I'll be there Saturday with Ber & her class.

I'd love to join you guys but I am going to Dutch Springs to help a lovely lady try out drysuits.

Skyking, I don't argue that the weight check passes muster except.... are you exhaling completely when you dive. The lungs make a huge difference. Deep breathing underwater can "magically" shed a great many pounds off a weight belt.

 

[diver_paula]

Get a small finishing nail. Heat it up (hold it with pliers). Carefully poke holes in the hood to vent air. You don;t want big holes that will allow the exchange of water.

-T

Just an added comment. If your hood is multi-layered, you don't need the hole to go the entire way thru. Put the holes in different locations on the interior layer than the exterior. The air will work itself out without allowing for easy water flow.

Paula

 

[skyking]

T - can get below with less, but staying there as tank empties is the issue. Could probably trim a lb or two there, but less then 4 means not correcting for the tank, and my bc is known to have a little positiive buoyancy by the reviewers. This is the area I've done the least with since it's the smallest part of the equation.

Brian - Could probably do a bit better with the exhale and maybe toss a pound or so. The issue is I'm not sure how to violate the laws of physics enough to make the suit/hood buoyancy magically reduce themselves below the measured values.

One thing I have noticed is that I'm getting a rapid reduction in buoyancy below 10-12 feet. Could be that the suit starts compressing pretty quick at that point, although Rodales doesn't think so and frankly I'd like to be able to easily hold safety stop depth so not sure I want to count on the effect.

Only thing that will tell the final tale is to dive it a lot and collect data. Looking forward to being able to laugh at this whole thing in a few months!

Paula - Will look more closely at the construction of the hood - would be great not to compromise the insulation!

Meanwhile, I'm in Huntsville on business and trying to hook-up with someone local to try out Rock Divers. Got the hankerin' to see an upright Minuteman missile and an F-4 Phantom and an intact iron bridge and ...... So far the two local guys interested and I can't match-up schedules so probably it'll be next trip.

Technical question: Does sitting in the cockpit of the F-4 count as a penetration?

Tom

 

[diver_paula]

Technical question: Does sitting in the cockpit of the F-4 count as a penetration?

Tom

That depends. Are you asking the men or the women? LOL

Don't worry about your weight that much right now. Unless you can't stay off the bottom! It's definitely something that gets fine tuned with time.

Paula

 

[Big-t-2538]

T - can get below with less, but staying there as tank empties is the issue. Could probably trim a lb or two there, but less then 4 means not correcting for the tank, and my bc is known to have a little positiive buoyancy by the reviewers. This is the area I've done the least with since it's the smallest part of the equation.

I guess I'm mis-reading this or something....are you saying that you're not "staying there" as the tank empties b/c you're floating or b/c you're sinking.

Think about it this way. You want to try and do weight checks with the minimal amount of gas you expect to have in your tank. Why? B/c that is when your tank will be the "lightest". At that time, that is the most weight you will ever need during your dive.