Weight checks on charter(from cruise ship)

[Wheeler925]

I'm just curious if and how weight checks are managed when diving off charters? I'm going on a cruise in december and will be diving in Cozumel. First time in warm or salt water for me, so I really have no idea what my weight will be. Also wont be diving with my steel BP. I'm probably overthinking it, but don't want to jump off the boat and be severely overweighted with no opportunity to fix it, but also don't want to be stuck at the surface.

 

[Eric802]

The DM's are usually pretty good about suggesting an amount of weight. You might be a little overweighted but they'll get you close enough. Mention when you get aboard that you're not sure how much weight you need and they'll work through it with you.

 

[TNEngineer]

Cruise ship diving is seldom shore diving, and they keep a stock of weights on the dive boat for exactly this scenario. Sort it out as soon as you're in the water so you can augment your weight if necessary before swimming away.

 

[inquis]

Ballpark sanity check: Salt will add 5-6 lb to your fresh-water lead requirement (5 lb if you weigh 150 lb, 6 lb if you weigh 200 lb). I would guess another 5 lb for lack of steel BP (if they put you in padded jacket of some sort). If you dive a Faber steel tank at home, another 5 lb going to an AL80. Going from drysuit+light undergarments or a 7mm single-layer wetsuit to a 3mm wetsuit, subtract 10 lb.

 

[Badger7]

Another trick worth considering - If you can suit up in an almost identical set of gear and hit the pool back home (like if you'll be bringing your own wetsuit for instance), see if you can get in some pool time. Determine your freshwater weighting with a similar (empty) BC and a similar (nearly empty) aluminum tank. Basically you're figuring out how much weight you need to be neutral in fresh water in a very similar configuration. Then dry everything off, step on a scale, fully kitted out including the empty tank and any needed lead. Saltwater is 2.5% denser than freshwater. For example, maybe yourself, your kit and a couple pounds of lead adds up to like 240 pounds total. 240 * .025 = 6 pounds. In this example, you would need to add 6 more pounds of lead for the same configuration in saltwater as you would in freshwater.

The operator might be able to share what gear they're supplying, and you might find the exact same stuff for rent/borrow back home.

A few years back, when I decided to travel with a 3mm and a AL backplate, the math above turned out to be accurate within a pound of neutral when I finally got a chance to do a good weight check with a near empty AL80.

 

[parzdiver]

As others have said, the DMs for the cruise ship charters are pretty good at estimating needed lead. If you aren't wearing a wet suit, 5% of your weight is a good starting point and maybe add a pound or two since the jacket BC will probably be a couple pounds buoyant. DMs will also carry a few extra pounds to give away.

Enjoy the clear blue waters in Cozumel.

 

[gmerick]

After 30+ cruise ship dives: The dive guide can make a fair guess of correct weight. Typically with 6 divers there will be a guide and a backup DM. What I've seen is these two will typically have themselves overweighted by 6 or 8 pounds. If a diver is underweighted at the surface, the backup (who usually is the last diver of the group to enter) will pass the dive guide some weight and fix the issue at the start. If a diver can tell at the surface they are woefully overweighted, that too can be repaired before descent. During the dive I've seen many cases (almost half the dives where there are six or more divers) the Guide or backup will add weight either during the dive or at the safety stop for divers that are underweighted. I'd be more concerned with a properly fitted BC, checking for a leaking inflator, and testing the latches on weight pockets. Also, if using a rental reg, prebreathe at least 6-10 breaths.
Most cruise ship dives are two-tank trips, so you can fix things up for dive 2 and enjoy that more. After the dive, take good notes in your dive log about type of equipment used, and weighting. When you repeat the trip in a year or two you'll thank yourself.

 

[34109411]

I'm just curious if and how weight checks are managed when diving off charters? I'm going on a cruise in december and will be diving in Cozumel. First time in warm or salt water for me, so I really have no idea what my weight will be. Also wont be diving with my steel BP. I'm probably overthinking it, but don't want to jump off the boat and be severely overweighted with no opportunity to fix it, but also don't want to be stuck at the surface.

all post above are so wrong ! The only thing to do is to dress up in full scuba gear put plenty of salt in warm bathtub and see what's going on.

 

[gmerick]

The only thing to do is to dress up in full scuba gear put plenty of salt in warm bathtub and see what's going on.

Add some candles, incense bubbles, beverage of choice. OK, you're left with beautiful skin, and you still have to trust the dive OP to have things under control. Enjoy your diving, and visit the Spa after the dive.

 

[gmerick]

plenty of salt in warm bathtub

you do realize that seawater contains 1/4 lb of salt per gallon. 25 gallons on a bathtub would require 6 one pound bags of salt.