Steel 95 and overweighted....

[Sonofasailor]

I regularly use steel 95's (not as a set of doubles) in springs and plan on using them in water that is too warm for a 3 mil wetsuit. When in cold water, I wear a 5 mil wetsuit and 4lbs of weight and I am perfectly weighted. When I wear just a swimsuit and t-shirt in warm water, AND NO WEIGHT, I am overweighted. Any suggestions? I will be diving in 85 deg. water....

 

[DiveDiva_Ashley]

I'll be curious to see what people say on this one.
I also dive steel 95's, but living in Northern Ohio, we'll just say that I don't have problems with having too little neoprene. I actually wear 14 mil in my core, 7 on limbs and am still cold (but I'm always cold).
The only solution I can think of for you is to get a different tank, and I know that's not what you want to do. But your 95 is adding so much weight for you that I can't think of anything else you could do. Does anyone else have another solution?

 

[Doc Harry]

Switch to aluminum.

 

[ScubaSarus]

Dive with a thick used 7mm F/J top with cut off sleeves ?

1 or 2 lbs may be OK but thats one reason steels are good cold water tanks and could be dangerous in wamer waters if too over weighted. Can you rent alums for the dive?

 

[Puffer Fish]

Hummm... don't know exactly which 95 you have, but would assume they are around 8 lbs negative in salt water.

Don't know your weight, but on average, that would be around 5 lbs more for fresh water.

Also don't know if you are using a BC, which type or a BP/W .... could be a whole bunch of variation there.

However, with the little we know, I can assume that you would sink (particularly at the start of the dive).

What to do about it.. well if you had a bp/w, change to a plastic back plate. Assuming that is not an option... you need something to take up the weight... could be a shorty suit... boots... something stuck to the tank...even 5 lbs worth of flotation stuck to the tank would work.. One of the reasons for not diving in just a swimsuirt is the problem you have posted here... using a steel is added to the issue.

 

[Teamcasa]

Like others, what is your complete gear configuration?
-or-
How about you wear a 2 or 3mm shorty?

Dave

 

[Sonofasailor]

I was thinking maybe the Akona 1mm wetsuit or possibly a 2mm shorty. I get the tanks for their high capacity because I am diving nitrox. I can get them on loan and filled for free from my university anytime, thats why i'm not using aluminum. As for my setup, I am diving a scubapro knighthawk and 5mm boots. When I dive without a wetsuit (in swim shorts) I am slightly negative with that tank and no weight.

 

[TheRedHead]

Steel 100s would be better for warm water diving. I dive them in a skin with no weight.

 

[Sonofasailor]

but wouldn't no ditchable weight be a problem?

 

[TheRedHead]

but wouldn't no ditchable weight be a problem?

No, I can swim it up from depth. HP100s are neutral when empty and weigh about the same as an AL80 when full. Perfect tank, IMO.

Don't worry too much about weight ditching. It is overrated. You need to be in a world of trouble without a buddy before you resort to it.