Weight distribution/amount

[aquaticj10]

Hi all,

Posted about this a couple times before but I have my next pool session tomorrow.

Currently using 12lbs weight with no wetsuit/drysuit and a half-full 12L tank. Sinking to one side and flipping over onto my back within 20seconds of reaching the bottom of the pool. These weights are on a belt and evenly distributed.

Question: Should I try lowering this amount to 2 x 4lbs, and also should I place my weights in pockets instead of on the belt?

Any other advice to try to fix this? Thanks a lot!

Edit: 6ft 2 and weigh 250lbs.

 

[rx7diver]

Hi all,

Posted about this a couple times before but I have my next pool session tomorrow.

Currently using 12lbs weight with no wetsuit/drysuit and a half-full 12L tank. Sinking to one side and flipping over onto my back within 20seconds of reaching the bottom of the pool. These weights are on a belt and evenly distributed.

Question: Should I try lowering this amount to 2 x 4lbs, and also should I place my weights in pockets instead of on the belt?

Any other advice to try to fix this? Thanks a lot!

Edit: 6ft 2 and weigh 250lbs.

I, too, am 6'2" and 250#. If I wear an empty Luxfer Al 80 or empty old-school steel 72, with a single-hose regulator and either a plastic backpack or an Al back plate and empty wing, I would be *way* over-weighted using 12 lbs on my weight belt--even if I am wearing my 2mm/3mm wetsuit (jumpsuit).

Swimming pool.

Are you sure your weighting is correct?

rx7diver

 

[aquaticj10]

I, too, am 6'2" and 250#. If I wear an empty Luxfer Al 80 or empty old-school steel 72, with a single-hose regulator and either a plastic backpack or an Al back plate and empty wing, I would be *way* over-weighted using 12 lbs on my weight belt--even if I am wearing my 2mm/3mm wetsuit (jumpsuit).

Swimming pool.

Are you sure your weighting is correct?

rx7diver

I don't think it's correct, my instructor did say that normally newer divers are overweighted. But I definitely use 2 x 6lb weights on my belt. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Painter]

I'm 6'2" and 210 lbs. I normally carry 12 to 14 lbs wearing a 3mil shorty. For reasons I won't go into I had to wear a belt on my recent trip to Cozumel. I'm accustomed to a BCD with ditchable pockets on the sides and trim pockets higher on my back. When I put all my weight on my belt on this trip I had a terrible time getting into trim. It was not fun. Once I moved 4lbs up onto my tank everything got much better.

 

[aquaticj10]

I'm 6'2" and 210 lbs. I normally carry 12 to 14 lbs wearing a 3mil shorty. For reasons I won't go into I had to wear a belt on my recent trip to Cozumel. I'm accustomed to a BCD with ditchable pockets on the sides and trim pockets higher on my back. When I put all my weight on my belt on this trip I had a terrible time getting into trim. It was not fun. Once I moved 4lbs up onto my tank everything got much better.

Think im gonna try 2x4lbs and stick a pound or two extra into my right hand side pocket

 

[rx7diver]

One thing: Depending, your particular BC might have a lot of inherent positive buoyancy--which might explain what seems to me to be that surprising amount (12 lbs) of weight.

The weights I wear on my weight belt, I try to wear toward the front of my hips (because the weight of the gas and cylinder is on my back) and evenly distributed left and right. (Careful: make sure the weights can't get too close to your weight belt buckle. Don't want them to interfere with your--or your rescuer's--ability to ditch your weight belt!) Of course, if I am using a lot of weight (for example, with a very thick wetsuit or a drysuit), I will need to distribute the weight on my weight belt appropriately.

rx7diver

 

[passeparici]

I don't like belt because when I dive and my suit compress I loose the belt I prefer BCD with ditchable pockets. Tanks have not the same weight so normally the amount of weight you will cary depends not only of the suit you are going to use for this dive, the size of the tank but also its weight ! A 12 l steel might weight between 15 kg to 18 kg (for the same volume) so obviously it is going to change the weight you are going to take... So saying you use x weight is useless : do the test ! 50 bars in the tank, 3 meters deep, no air in your bcd and you should not go up nor down (or a bit down in case you have less of 50 bars at the end of your dive)

 

[aquaticj10]

I don't like belt because when I dive and my suit compress I loose the belt I prefer BCD with ditchable pockets. Tanks have not the same weight so normally the amount of weight you will cary depends not only of the suit you are going to use for this dive, the size of the tank but also its weight ! A 12 l steel might weight between 15 kg to 18 kg (for the same volume) so obviously it is going to change the weight you are going to take... So saying you use x weight is useless : do the test ! 50 bars in the tank, 3 meters deep, no air in your bcd and you should not go up nor down (or a bit down in case you have less of 50 bars at the end of your dive)

Hi, thanks for the reply. Mostly sorted my issue by making sure all straps/buckles are tightened every 10mins or so. Hadn't noticed so much before but my straps must have been a bit loose after entering the water. Doing this has mostly fixed my issue.

 

[GreggS]

I'''m approximately your size and in fresh water with no wetsuit I wear 6 lbs of weight, 8 lbs with a 3mm full wetsuit. I think you would be wise to drop at least some of your weight and see how it goes. it is a bit of a "challenge" for some new divers to learn how to control the roll, but getting your weighting right should go a long way in getting you to settled in the water. Keep working at it. You'll get it figured out.

 

[Ayisha]

Hi, thanks for the reply. Mostly sorted my issue by making sure all straps/buckles are tightened every 10mins or so. Hadn't noticed so much before but my straps must have been a bit loose after entering the water. Doing this has mostly fixed my issue.

It sounds like you're wearing a jacket style BCD. Would tri-glides help to keep the straps from loosening? Or weight belt clips that stop the straps from going past a certain point? It's unusual for straps to loosen much at all let alone every 10 minutes.