Unable to do skills - help!

[Buoyant1]

I'm not at all familiar with dry suit physics, but that sounds like an awful lot of weight! I'm 290, and had 28 lbs (plus the rest of the gear with a 3mil wetsuit) and my instructor throught that I could shed a few pounds of lead since I dropped like a rock.

Stay at it, you'll get it and look back and laugh at the trouble you had when you're "ice diving" in that thing!

 

[Chocoholic]

Hi there. I'm a beginner learning to dive in the beautiful but frigid waters of Vancouver, Canada. I attempted to certify this weekend and couldn't, and I'm devestated. I'm about 5'7 and 110 pounds, and I'm wearing a neoprene drysuit, 36 pound weight belt, 20 pound tank, and about 10 pounds of other equipment. The problem is that by the time I get in the water, I'm so exhausted that I can't do any skills. I'm really frustrated and bitterly disappointed, and would love any advice anyone has to give, since I'm not ready to give up yet! Thank you!

Don't give up cause you are gonna love it. I learned up here in Alaska with a drysuit, I am 5'3 and 115 but I only had a 23 pound weight belt. Talk to your instructor maybe you can get some of that weight off your belt. The freezing cold water also takes the energy out of you too. Those three fingered gloves are a pain to try to negotiate removal of items too, and that gets frustrating, try wearing them around the house to get a feel for using them. Also, I dove with a lady who had a bad back and they dropped her setup over the side and she put it on floating by the boat.