was wondering how people distrubute their weights in an intrigrated bc. I know the total is different for salt and fresh water, but in general how much of your total in the trim pockets and how much in your vest.
also does a general scale exsit showing ballpark totals for
your weight + salt or fresh +? mill wetsuit +bc type = weights needed
As already mentioned, this varies from person to person and you simply need to test different configurations until you "get it right" for
you.
Having said that, there are very, VERY gross "ballpark" generalizations:
1.) 3 lbs. of bouyancy per 1 mm of wetsuit thickness.
2.) Lead required = 10% of body weight for a 7mm full wetsuit in salt water.
Here are a couple safety considerations:
1.)
Enough weight should remain "ditchable" to achieve positive bouyancy at the surface and at least neutral bouyancy at depth, in the event of a BC failure.
2.) For a recreational dive with a single tank, you should start the dive no more negative than the weight of your air. Possibly a bit
less negative than this.... some of us have more hot air than others
, but what I mean is the weight of air you'll use during the dive...
I have a growing obsession with the over-weighting of new divers and the potential safety issues this creates. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now.
Best wishes.
