Starting weight for drysuit?

[Rimp]

Hi peeps.

I will be ocean diving on Saturday with a shell drysuit and need to ballpark my weight. When diving with a wetsuit I use 30 lbs on the belt (alum 80 tank).

I'm guessing 15 lbs on the belt and 5 lbs ankle weights for drysuit?

I am 5'10" and weigh approx 170 lbs.

I do have some experience with a drysuit, just haven't been in the water in a while with one, and don't remember what weight I used previously.

Thanks for your best guess.

Doug.

 

[jbisjim]

I wear about 12 pounds on a weight belt, which in addition to the weight in my BC. I currently wear no ankle weights.

Personaly get in a pool and test it. I have not change my drysuit wight in a year and half.

Good luck

 

[Rimp]

Yes, I would try a pool weight test, but in reality the ocean is way more buoyant, so testing in a pool first is really a waste of time I think.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

How much do you weigh, and how much extra weight is in your BC pockets?

 

[String]

If its a single tank and a normalish undersuit in the sea the rough weight needed here is in the region of 22-26lbs all in.

Thats with a steel tank, aluminium may need a few more pounds (why does anyone use Al as a main tank anyway?).

Personally i use about 23lb.

 

[Mo2vation]

Hi peeps.

I will be ocean diving on Saturday with a shell drysuit and need to ballpark my weight. When diving with a wetsuit I use 30 lbs on the belt (alum 80 tank).

I'm guessing 15 lbs on the belt and 5 lbs ankle weights for drysuit?

I am 5'10" and weigh approx 170 lbs.

I do have some experience with a drysuit, just haven't been in the water in a while with one, and don't remember what weight I used previously.

Thanks for your best guess.

Doug.

30 wif a wetsuit? Man.

I'm 5-7, 165. I dive a shell suit with a BP/W and a steel tank. I now use 8 pounds of lead.

When I first went to the DS, I was wearing a 7mm (with a Seaquest Balance) and was carrying about 24#. With the DS and the Balance, I was carrying 16.

My wife is 5-8 and 1XX, and she uses a regular BC and carries 22# with her shell suit.

Bring extras. I'm not a fan of Ankle weights (never understood the whole wrapping lead around your motor thing) but they're good as the peel off weights - use them on your first dive, and at the end of that dive, purge to 500 at 10' and do a weight check - if you're overweighted take them off and hand them to your buddy. If still overweighted, its time to lose some from the belt / bc.

I dive with 8 pounds of lead. But when I photograph, I like to take 10, as holding my breath to compose a shot I notice i get floaty.

Its so tough to estimate this stuff until you go in and give it a whirl. Lots of folks use too much gas in their suit the first few times and its tough to get an accurate weight check.

K

 

[mjh]

The rule of thumb in our neck of the woods is 10% of your weight + 10lbs (+-5lbs). I am 200lbs = 20lbs+10lbs=30lbs. I dive with 24lbs at waist and 2x2lbs ankle weights. I have a shell suit with heavy insulated suit under garmet.