The Skinny on Fat?

[Gidds]

Hiya Ladies I'm trying to get back into the water and wanted to run some questions past this crowd. Not that guys don't have fat issues but I'd rather discuss them with fellow females. My situation: I was certified at 17 and was doing well to weigh 110lbs at the time, which presented some obstacles during my training such as finding a wetsuit that fit (yeah right) and weights. The first time I got in the water they tried putting weights on me for a typical female my age, 20ish lbs I think (my log book is MIA in the attic, I'll give you an exact number when I locate it) and of course I sank like a rock and had huge bruises on my hips. I think I ended up using 10-12lbs for the rest of my training and my few open water dives to date. Anyway getting closer to my point, now I am 24 and weigh just under 150 at 5'7" which is way more approriate than 110 and amazingly I can still get into my wetsuit but I am worried that all my newfound curves are going to totally mess with my bouyancy as far as what I used to be able to do and stuff. Plus I used to free dive a lot in freshwater and I'm afraid all the fat is going to effect my abilities in that arena as well. Additionally I tend to have a 20lb seasonal fluctuation, depending on activity level, and I want to buy my own equipment so I am wondering how the fluctuation is going to effect that as well as bouyancy issues? Oh and even though I'm now healthily curvy my hips are still bony and I'm afraid the bruising is going to be an issue again, should I go for integrated weights? Any thoughts, advice or experience?

 

[IvoryDiver]

I have not been diving for as long as you have but I will try to help as much as I can. A little about me:
5'10, 170 lbs, most of my fat is on my bottom half...I'm a FLOATER!
During my open water dives, which were done in cold water (read 7mm suit and super buoyancy) I had to wear a belt that weighed what seems like a ton (25 lbs to be exact). They put the rest of the weight I needed in my BC, which was weight integrated (Not enough free weights were available)....At the end of the day my hips were bruised and my lower back was killing me!!!
On a few other dives though I got to try a weight integrated BC (the knighthawk) and made sure to put most of the weight in the BC's weight pockets. I ended up wearing an 8 lbs belt. At the end of that day I had NO bruising on my hips and my lower back was not as sore as what I had experienced after my OWDs.

In summary: If you are able to , make sure to get a weight integrated BC and try to put most fo the weight in it's pockets instead of hurting your beautiful hips.

Hope that was helpfull (or at the least, entertaining)

Dive Happy!
IvoryD

 

[Damselfish]

As far as scuba the weight changes may affect your bouyancy, but I wouldn't describe it as "totally mess with my bouyancy as far as what I used to be able to do and stuff." Just do a weight check and make sure you've got it correct. Stay aware of your bouyancy at your safety stop/low tank at the end of each dive and just adjust your weights if/when you need changes. Most BCs are adjustable enough so depending on where that weight goes it's probably not a problem.

As far as saving your hips, a weight integrated BC would probably do the trick. Or use something other than a plain webbing belt with hard weight blocks. Get soft weights if you are diving locally, or they also make zippered fabric or neoprene belts which hold the regular block weights but are more comfortable. (These are useful if you will travel someplace warm where you wouldn't want to carry weight along, and they're much easier to change weights than with a regular belt.)

 

[Taxgeek]

Hi!
I'm a floater too with bruise-prone hips, making a weight belt uncomfortable. I have a weight integrated BC and I love it. No more bruised hips. You can also toss the weight pouches up onto the boat before you climb the ladder - for me a huge benefit.

I have the Seaquest Diva LX. It also has 2 small weight pockets on the tank strap.

One thing to make sure of - the weight pockets in my BC at least (don't know about other styles or brands) aren't that large. I can only fit (volume wise) a certain amount of weight in there. So make sure you buy your BC during your more buoyant season, and make sure the BC will hold as much weight as you need it to hold.

One thing that helped me in this regard was switching from soft weights to hard weights. Soft weights take up much more space in the weight pouches. So now with the hard weights, I can cram much more into the BC pockets.

I dive with 7 (or 8, with a buoyant tank) in each weight pouch, a 3 pound weight in each tank strap pocket, and 1.5lb on each ankle. I don't really like the ankle weights, but with 6 mil booties and a 7mm wetsuit, my feet float otherwise.

Oh, one more thing. If you get a weight integrated bc, make sure you get the kind that has a clip to hold the weights in, not just velcro. I have a clip but no velcro, and I lost a pouch on entry a few weeks ago. So now my save-a-dive kit has an extra weight pouch in it!

(Edited because all names that start with S apparently are the same to me! )

 

[spectrum]

I'm male but I am my wife's "gear steward". She's "bouyant" and in 7mm mm salt water needs 30 something pounds all told. She knows her gear but I'm just more into that stuff and she's not into SB.
*She started with a soft weight belt since it was more comfortable, easier to tweak and rested more securely on her curves.
*Then she decided she wanted some back weight to float in a more laid back posture so we added some weight to the tank strap trim pickets on her Seaquest Diva LX.
*I decided to go with Steel E7-80 cylinders for both of us and that saved about 7 pounds of weigh compared to diving with AL-80s
*So we could easilly switch from fresh to salt water we are each keeping 3+3 in our integrated pouched for salt water dives only.

My point is that you can be creative and you have multiple ways of carrying your ballast. As you sort out your trim and weight keep them in mind and spread it all out.

As for your question about seasonal swings I can't say how much it would take to compensate. However if you become an active year round diver the swings may diminish. Otherwise keep an eye on your weight and bouyancy and adjust as needed. You probabaly won't be dialed in so close that you'll go all out to whack between dives.

Pete

Hiya Ladies I'm trying to get back into the water and wanted to run some questions past this crowd. Not that guys don't have fat issues but I'd rather discuss them with fellow females. My situation: I was certified at 17 and was doing well to weigh 110lbs at the time, which presented some obstacles during my training such as finding a wetsuit that fit (yeah right) and weights. The first time I got in the water they tried putting weights on me for a typical female my age, 20ish lbs I think (my log book is MIA in the attic, I'll give you an exact number when I locate it) and of course I sank like a rock and had huge bruises on my hips. I think I ended up using 10-12lbs for the rest of my training and my few open water dives to date. Anyway getting closer to my point, now I am 24 and weigh just under 150 at 5'7" which is way more approriate than 110 and amazingly I can still get into my wetsuit but I am worried that all my newfound curves are going to totally mess with my bouyancy as far as what I used to be able to do and stuff. Plus I used to free dive a lot in freshwater and I'm afraid all the fat is going to effect my abilities in that arena as well. Additionally I tend to have a 20lb seasonal fluctuation, depending on activity level, and I want to buy my own equipment so I am wondering how the fluctuation is going to effect that as well as bouyancy issues? Oh and even though I'm now healthily curvy my hips are still bony and I'm afraid the bruising is going to be an issue again, should I go for integrated weights? Any thoughts, advice or experience?

 

[Ayisha]

The main problem with putting all or most of your weight in your BC is the weight of the unit together. It's a lot for some buddies to lift or for you to carry.

I wear 12 lbs with a 7 mm wetsuit, hood, and gloves in cold fresh water. I wear 8 lbs on my belt and 4 lbs in my BC - quite manageable. Sometimes if I don't put my 8 lbs of hard weight away from my hip bones, I will get bruises on my hips. So I try to make sure that the weights are away from my hip bones, and I'm comfortable. This will probably work for you too, if you still want to use what you have.

Soft weights would be an even better idea, as someone mentioned or a soft weight belt with whatever weights. When you get your weighting correct, and you're neutrally buoyant again, you shouldn't notice much difference under water with your buoyancy - it shouldn't "mess with" it.

 

[Gidds]

Thanks for the suggestions I went snorkelling today with my 7mm suit and started with 20lbs but wasn't sitting comfortably in the water so I dropped to 16 and that was much better so that makes me think that 20-22lbs would be good for scuba depending on whether or not I'm wearing my vest etc. My hips are only a little sore. I may invest in a soft weight belt since I spend more time snorkelling than diving, although an integrated BC is on my want-list

 

[SubMariner]

The first few dives you'll be making will definitely be dedicated to adjusting your weighting. So don't obsess about it; just do a buoyancy check.

Meanwhile, as others have already suggested, it's probably best to distribute the weight in various areas so that you are not carrying it all in one place. BCD, wieght belt... even tank weights, ankle wts, or a steel tank will help in this task.

Be patient with yourself; it WILL take a bit of time to get the weightind down pat.

Take care,

 

[lostinspace]

I've also got a Seaquest Diva LX - fabulous! I love the tank weight pouches as they help your trim in the water. I also dive with hard weights.

I'm 5'6" and about 110lbs and normally wear a 3mm full body wetsuit. I'm a floater - in a swimming pool, I can pretend I'm on a lilo - lying on my back in water legs crossed arms behind back, fully floating. I carry about 11lbs of lead weight on me when diving.
Luckily I dont need ankle weights. I am skinny though and hated belts cos my hips bruised and I bruise easily.

But ZERO hip bruising with the Diva!

 

[Snowbear]

I too have issues with a weight belt, but it's cause of a messed up back. I dive in a drysuit with undergarment, so bruising isn't really an issue. Anyhow, by putting most of the weight in the BCD ~ in my case it's a stainless steel backplate and a steel tank ~ I'm able to get away with much less weight on the belt.... usually 4-12#. That actually varies so much because in the colder winter waters, I add an extra layer of fleece, which adds positive buoyancy that I need to compensate for.

As far as your seasonal weight fluctuations, no, that won't screw up your buoyancy control... if you're light, use a less weight, if you're "heavy" add a pound or two. At any rate, as SubMariner said... don't stress about it, just do a weight check. As you dive more, you'll know what you're gonna need on a given day with only an occasional spot check.