Weight question?

[normantr]

In So Cal, diving in a 7mm suit with open heel fins and booties, I use 24lbs in my BC plus ankle weights. What can I expect to use in Maui wearing a 3mm full suit with full foot fins. I am estimating about 16lbs. Does this seem like to much? Help from those of you who dive regularly in Hawaii would be greatly appreciated.

Also, do any of you dive with gloves or bare handed?

Tim

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

16 pounds may be a bit heavy I'd say. I use tropical gloves myself. Do a weight check when you get there. At the end of your first shore dive pull your weights off in 10 or so feet of water and start dropping smaller weights until you see what it takes to hold you down.

 

[bluemagoo]

I'd say to try experimenting before coming here. I use what's best described as 3mm cut-off farmer johns (clearance sale from Xcel); it had a built-in hood but the face-seal tore off (now I know why it was a clearance sale) and I guillotined the hood. In full kit, I use 6-7lbs; a puff or two into the BC is needed deeper than 50-60'; at the end with about 800psi, I can hang comfortably at 10' with an empty BC.

Gloves are always a good idea because of the lava, sharp limestone, and stony corals. Nuthin' fancy necessary; a lot of guys I know use el-cheapo gardening-type gloves; if it gets lost or torn, no worries, just get another pair. I use bodysurfer gloves with interdigit webbing and cut-off finger tips; the bare fingertips help with doing fine work and the palms and knuckles are still protected; the webbing helps sculling in position and for those occasions when it's time to swim like crazy (get out of the surf impact zone).

 

[Laser]

Ankle weights with a wetsuit???

 

[Juls64]

Ankle weights with a wetsuit???

Yep!

 

[normantr]

Ankle weights with a wetsuit???

Without them, if I try to hover I end up on my head. It is great for diving though holes, but other than that it is a pain.

 

[kweaver]

I just returned from Maui on Sunday. While there I used a 3/2 full wetsuit. It was my first time in salt water so on our first dives I used 18 lbs in BC. I thought that was a little light so for our shore dives I used 20lbs and discovered that 18 lbs was better. If it helps I use 14 lbs in fresh water. You shouldn't need any gloves in Maui, the water was 78-80 degrees depending on where and when you dive. Make sure you check out Honolua Bay and say hello to my buddies the 6 ft white tip reef sharks that live at Mala Wharf in Lahaina. Have fun and hope this helps!

 

[friscuba]

In So Cal, diving in a 7mm suit with open heel fins and booties, I use 24lbs in my BC plus ankle weights. What can I expect to use in Maui wearing a 3mm full suit with full foot fins. I am estimating about 16lbs. Does this seem like to much? Help from those of you who dive regularly in Hawaii would be greatly appreciated.

Also, do any of you dive with gloves or bare handed?

Tim

Height, weight, bodybuild and diving frequency? Otherwise, 14-16 is a good guess for most males, and adjust in later dives.

 

[normantr]

Height, weight, bodybuild and diving frequency? Otherwise, 14-16 is a good guess for most males, and adjust in later dives.

5'9" , 200lbs, broad shoulders and muscular upper body (not body builder type, just 2-3 days a week in the gym type) and lately I have been diving weekly.

This will be my third trip to Maui, but the first certified. I figured gloves were not necessary, other that for protection from sharp things.

Even if I do not dive Honolua Bay, I will be snorkeling there. As long as the snorkel boats from Lahaina are not packed in there it is great.

I doubt I will get much shore diving in since I am solo, the wife does not go below the surface.

 

[Wildcard]

That was the info we needed. 3/2 full suit. no gloves needed nor hood, Im 6 foot and 185, at 12 lbs Im corkey at the end of the dive, 16 is perfect for, well, how do I say this without being arogant? Less than perfect control, not that I have perfect control. Your bigger but Id say 16 would be a good spot to start and prolly be just right.