Weight Hog. How much do you use?

[diver 85]

Actually it does matter. I don't mind loading on the weight if its necessary. The point of asking was to determine if it actually was....and since I have never dove with this kind of weight ..... The PADI manual does mention that most beginner drysuit issues are related to weight. Hey I'm a drysuit noob.

I was really saying this tongue n cheek.....There probably are problems with your setup---fifdy is ALOT.....BP/W is probably a good start ASSUMING you've got all the air out of places that needs to be out.....But really, if that's what it takes, well then that'll be what it takes.........Any buddies around to help you out???....I'd start with top to bottom, maybe you don't need all your 'stuff'......

Getting back to all the wt, unless you have a bad back or something, do what it takes...I've personally never worn over 15 for any of my 'cold water diving' ie 5 mm suit top to bottom......But I dive a 'smaller-24# bladder' minimal BC(a Scout) or a Al BP/W(new to me I might add but VERY comfortable)......good luck, start shedding some things maybe?...

 

[gcbryan]

I dive in Seattle and am taller but about your same weight. When I used an aluminum 80 with a jacket style BC I used around 38-42 lbs of weight. On a trip to BC in the winter (Quadra Island) I took a very heavy duty undergarment that I usually didn't use because of the extra weight that it required and got almost up to the weight that you are now using (48 lbs).

I don't have the best back in the world and it wasn't acceptable to me although I was very warm. I got a medium weight undergarment and got down to the 38-42 lbs weight level that I mentioned earlier.

You haven't described your undergarments but different undergarments require vastly different weighting.

If you don't want that much weight in general and on your waist specifically going to a BP/W will reduce the overall weight a bit just by giving up all the padding of a jacket BCD and a SS plate will move 6 lbs off of your waist and going to a steel tank will move 6-8 lbs as well depending on the tank.

I now use 22 lbs on a weight belt and have a SS BP that weighs 5 lbs and dive with single HP 119 steel tanks. I think I was able to take 6-8 lbs off my belt when I got the steel tanks. If you add the 22+5+8=35 lbs which is only several pounds less than the total weight when I dove your configuration. The several pounds less are just a positive benefit (net reduction) due to replacing a positive BC with a negative one and positive tanks with negative ones.

I'm guessing with proper venting you can get down to 40 lbs with your current gear and less than that with better gear. If you have very heavy duty undergarments you may actually be properly weighted. It just depends on your undergarments.

 

[sunkmail]

Actually it does matter. I don't mind loading on the weight if its necessary. The point of asking was to determine if it actually was....and since I have never dove with this kind of weight ..... The PADI manual does mention that most beginner drysuit issues are related to weight. Hey I'm a drysuit noob.

I used to dive a fusion, until I started down the rebreather route. It's a nice BC. floaty, but nice. Very comfortable, and the trim is almost exactly the same as a BP/W - I didn't notice any real difference when I switched over. When I was getting used to it, I did have a bit of trouble venting all the air out.

What part of Vancouver are you in? Perhaps we can get out for a dive sometime and I can see if I can impart some of the lessons I had to figure out for myself

Back in my OC days, I was usually around 38 - 44 lbs, depending on the undergarments. You just have to ignore the people that think 60 F is cold
(That's warm water in these parts)

Oh, are any of your buddies interested in a used, but still in great shape, fusion?
I don't really have a reason to keep mine anymore

 

[VancouverBC]

Sunk, sent you a PM