Over vs underweighted

[String]

that may be, however I was taught to "swim" my rig. I do not use my wing to get to the surface and usually I swim down the line as well. ( i was taught in the 70's with a plate and horse collar)

Good luck trying to swim a rig up carrying a few tanks and/or stages! I wouldn't fancy the constant effort maintaing a depth swimming simply to hold a stop either.

 

[ligersandtions]

that may be, however I was taught to "swim" my rig. I do not use my wing to get to the surface and usually I swim down the line as well. ( i was taught in the 70's with a plate and horse collar)

Why would you swim your rig up when there's a nearly effortless method of ascending??? When you're neutral (and horizontal), all you need to do is inhale....as you start to become "floaty", let a little air out of your wing....repeat this until you're at your desired depth or are at the surface. This way you're always nearly neutral and have to put very little effort (and exert no energy) into ascending. You can stop whenever you need to and never have to worry about your ascent rate. It is far easier than dumping all your air from your wing and swimming your gear up (which, ironically enough, is exactly what I was taught).

 

[Teamcasa]

Why would you swim your rig up when there's a nearly effortless method of ascending?

Swimming up can be near effortless. Once I decide it is time to ascending, I dump some air and simply take a larger breath. As I reach my desired level I just take normal breaths and adjust the air in my wing (and drysuit) to level off. This process is very near effortless.

When a more rapid, but still at or under 60fpm is required, I use the same method but with a little more effort in swimming. This way I am always under control.

 

[alchemist117]

How 'bout doing a weight check at a new location? Even if you're short of time I would hope that any dive operator would allow you time to do that. Fresh, salt and Red Sea, different weighting needed imho.

 

[String]

Really cant see where "red sea" makes any difference. Average salinity there 3.6-3.8%.
Atlantic is 3.3-3.7%

In real terms this is not going to make any noticeable difference to weight requirements.

 

[InTheDrink]

String, I agree with most of your other posts on this thread but I'm fairly confident that the salinity of the Red Sea (where I've dived 5 or 6 times) requires more weight than your typical ocean. Really.

 

[String]

Well physics would suggest it wont looking at the salinity figures and also tallies with my personal experience where i need exactly the same weight there as i do in the med and caribbean with same exposure suit.

A difference of 0.2% is really not going to have any effective real world difference to weights especially as weights generally are made in 1kg minimum weight blocks.

 

[David_57]

I over weight by 4 lbs when diving in cold water below 45F that way I can add more air in my dry suit which helps to keep me warm, notice almost no difference in my trim and buoyancy when diving warmer temps minus the 4 lbs.

 

[InTheDrink]

String, I'll defer to your experience and my lack thereof.

However, the number you mentioned is kind of meaningless in itself as it doesn't say anything about what that number means in relation to weight required to be neutral in that water.

That said, I'm happy to trust that I've merely fallen for another myth (until I'm back there when I'll check) unless others that have found the Red Sea more buoyant concur with my experience (which, as I've said, is limited).

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Why would you swim your rig up when there's a nearly effortless method of ascending??? When you're neutral (and horizontal), all you need to do is inhale....as you start to become "floaty", let a little air out of your wing....).

Answer: That is how I taught my Ow students to ascend. They were to strive to maintain minimal negative bouyancy at all times during the ascent. Ideally, if they stopped swimming, then they should begin to sink VERY slowly. I taught the ascent as a very gradual swim with frequent stops, every 5 seconds to check bouyancy..if you are still rising when you stopped kicking then you dump a little air, if you stop or start to sink, then resume kicking. This was the safest method to teach an ascent without any visual reference in open water. I found it the best and safest way to teach an ascent.

As the divers get more expereince, they can ride the bouyancy up with minimal (or zero) kicking, but this is obviously a more delicate balancing act.