Saltwater wgt question

[lakesdiver]

So I'm going to Scapa Flow in July. Drysuit diving is not new to me, BUT...drysuit diving in salt water is. I've no idea how much more buoyant it'll be. Anyone have any guess-timates as to how much cold salt water will affect my weighting? You N.W. folks maybe have an idea?

 

[boydski]

I usually wear about 4 lbs less in Fresh Water than Salt Water. If I remember correctly, I usually wear 29 lbs in Salt Water ( Dry Suit with HP Steel Tank and Pony), and drop 3 or 4 lbs when I'm in the lake.

You might try adding 4 lbs for your first dive, and then fine tune your weight.

Have fun!

Boydski

 

[Brandon]

In salt water, take 10% of your body weight and add 10 pounds for a decent starting point, then fine tune it from there. I've found that I need to adjust the weight by 3-6 lbs though. My estimated weight is 27 lbs, but in a neoprene drysuit w/ hood and using alum 80's, I've found that 30-34 lbs is closer to what I need to be able to maintain neutral buoyancy at 15 feet.

Brandon.

 

[Walter]

Get all the gear you'll be wearing and get on a scale with it. Take your total weight (you and your gear) and multiply it by .025. If, for example, you and your gear (all of it) weighs 187 lbs your result will be 4.675 lbs. This 4.675 lbs (round to 5 lbs) is the amount of weight you need to add to what you use in fresh water (assuming you are, in fact, neutrally buoyant in fresh water).

Forget any advice relating to proper weighting that has 10% in it anywhere.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Salt water, on average, weighs 2.5% more than fresh water. That means that if you displace 200 pounds of fresh water, you'll displace 205 pounds of salt water.
Therefore...
If you know your weight requirement for a particular gear rig in fresh water, you can calculate the salt water requirement by adding precisely 2.5 pounds per 100 pounds of your total weight fully outfitted - If you weigh 200 pounds fully decked out, add 5 pounds for perfect weighting. If you weigh 240, add 6 pounds to whatever you used in fresh water, and so forth.
Rick

 

[Walter]

2.5 lbs/100 lbs?

I believe that is the same as multiplying total weight by .025.

 

[lakesdiver]

Originally posted by Walter
(assuming you are, in fact, neutrally buoyant in fresh water).

Hmmph. I'm only mildly miffed.

Thanks for the tips, guys. Won't be till July, but I'll be sure post a trip report.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by Walter
2.5 lbs/100 lbs?

I believe that is the same as multiplying total weight by .025.

Sure is... We were writing at the same time - you hit the "Submit Reply" button first..
I wasn't ignoring your post, Walter - it just wasn't there!
Rick

 

[Walter]

"We were writing at the same time"

If I'd read the times on the posts I would have known that. Sorry.

 

[lakesdiver]

Thanks for the hints, guys. The wife and I will take pix of each other in all are gear on the scale. Should be an award-winning shot in the "humor" category.