Question Thoughts on current weight being used

[daltonblackwell04]

Hi, I am a new diver and have a question regarding proper weighting. For reference, i am 5’11 193 lbs, muscular build, dive a 2 piece 7mm wetsuit, jacket stile bc (specifically apeks exotech), single steel 72. Right now for my dives I wear 32 lbs of lead, and i believe am overweighted with that much. The only reason I dove with that much in the first place is that with 30 i seemed to have trouble sinking and around 10 or so feet i would pop to the surface with not much I could do about it. I believe I was over inflating my bc at depth and not properly venting so by the time i hit 15 ft I have an uncontrolled ascent. For reference I was trained on 28 lbs of lead, on a steel lp85 (i know instructors typically overweight their students). My main goal with this post is to gauge what others with a similar build and rig who are properly weighted are wearing so when I am experimenting with weight checks I’ll know around what marker to shoot for.

Thanks!

 

[grantmac]

I would look hard at a drysuit once you need more than a 5mm wetsuit. The buoyancy change on a 7mm makes diving a balanced rig difficult.

That said you are likely not venting your BCD correctly on ascent.

 

[Belzelbub]

Hi, I am a new diver and have a question regarding proper weighting. For reference, i am 5’11 193 lbs, muscular build, dive a 2 piece 7mm wetsuit, jacket stile bc (specifically apeks exotech), single steel 72. Right now for my dives I wear 32 lbs of lead, and i believe am overweighted with that much. The only reason I dove with that much in the first place is that with 30 i seemed to have trouble sinking and around 10 or so feet i would pop to the surface with not much I could do about it. I believe I was over inflating my bc at depth and not properly venting so by the time i hit 15 ft I have an uncontrolled ascent.

I can't help with the 7mm wetsuit, but unless that takes an awful lot of weight to sink, it does sound like you are overweighted. It's fairly common with new divers. For reference, I am 6'0, 183 lbs with average build. With a 3mm wetsuit, AL80, and being a bit overweighted (aquarium cleaning), I dive with 16-17 lbs. With one of my steel tanks, I reduce that to maybe 8 lbs.

I say it's fairly common with new divers as they sometimes have a problem emptying their lungs completely, which can prevent initial descent. On your next dive, check how much air is in your BC at your safety stop. Ideally, it should be empty or near empty. If it's not, try removing a little on your next dive and repeat.

 

[rick00001967]

2 layers of 7mm is very bouyant.
You will also get a lot of compression on deeper dives. It wont be an issue on shallow dives but pls do not do deep cold water diving until you learn to use a dry suit.

That said.....on your next dive. Do a weight check with a near empty tank at about 10 feet.
Dump all the gas out of your bcd.
You should be neutral or slightly negative. Def should not be positive.

Btw a steel 72 is not a heavy tank. I use older ones for sm and find they almost act like allum.

If you find it tough to get enough lead on you, try a heavy steel lp or hp tank.

 

[VikingDives]

My spidey sense starts tingling any time a new diver starts talking about this much weight... But maybe with a farmer john, a hood and gloves that could be right. Maybe, but I doubt it.

@wetb4igetinthewater might know someone who could help dial you in who is local.

 

[boulderjohn]

I believe I was over inflating my bc at depth and not properly venting so by the time i hit 15 ft I have an uncontrolled ascent.

A two piece, 7mm suit is just about the hardest way to dive, especially when you get to the shallower levels. When I was first certified as a DM, I was used as a safety diver for classes being conducted in 15-20 feet of water, and we wore 2-piece 7mm suits. We had two DMs circling a platform while an instructor worked with students in the middle. Sometimes we were a little above the students; sometimes we were a little below. The change in buoyancy in only a few feet as all that neoprene expanded and contracted was enormous.

With that kind of suit, you need a lot of lead to sink at the beginning of the dive, and you need a lot of lead to hold a safety stop at the end. When you are at depth, though, the suit contracts so much that you have no choice but to be overweighted. Because you are overweighted, you have to put a lot of air in your BCD to be neutral. Then you begin to ascend, and all the air in the BCD and all the bubbles in your suit begin to expand, and you suddenly find yourself on a rocket ride to the surface if you aren't careful. You have to learn to dump just the right amount of air a little at a time as you ascend. Dump too much too soon and you will be plunging back down to the depths.

You have two choices.

1. Practice, practice, practice to get the hang of handling the buoyancy swings in that suit.
2. Get a drysuit.

 

[Cthippo]

You may just need that much weight. I am 6'1" 315 lbs and mostly dive a 3/2mm. I need 30 lbs to maintain a safety stop with a steel 72, and yes, I have verified that.

 

[TMHeimer]

I'm about your size (6 ft., 170 lbs.) and use the same wetsuit as you (farmer john 7 mil). With my AL80 tank I use 42 pounds. When I had a steel 72 tank I wore 5 pounds less of course. So that is approx. what you use. I cannot descend with any less weight. Much to the dismay of my instructor in the PP Buoyancy course, he too saw that I needed that much. An instructor I worked with here used a little less with that wetsuit than me, but not much less. Yet I know an instructor in NY who uses way less (he is a bit thinner). I assume you've done a "proper" weight check as instructed in the OW course materials.

 

[MidOH]

You're fine, until we start putting rocks in your pockets.

Switching to a backplate should help.

 

[KenE]

First, don't compare how much lead you need with anyone else. When you find it, it will be what it is, and won't be the same as anyone else. You are in the ballpark and that is the best we can do for you on the internet. You need someone in the water to help make it perfect. I suspect you are not dumping gas from your BC early or often enough. I dive a 7mm in the Seattle area and know that when I start my ascent I start dumping withing 5 feet of starting my ascent and all the way to 15 ft. At 15 ft on a tank with only reserve gas my bc is completely empty of gas. I ascend the final 15 ft by inflating my lungs a bit. This is where you want to be when you get your weight figured out. After that you will need to determine where is best to put that weight, belt, integrated, tank bands, plate, V, all are options for weight. I am not diving right now due to surgery, but I would be more than willing to help get it figured out. There are many folks in the area that are willing to help, if you need contacts than PM me or one of the other divers here on SB and we will help find someone local to help. You are fortunate, we have a large diving community in the greater Seattle area.