Weight reduction?

[scubajane]

I am diving with way too much weight but is there really a reason to trim ?
I weigh 150 lbs and dive with a Scubapro lady hawk. I use 14 lbs in warm salt water with a 3 ml Henderson hyperstretch full wetsuit. My dive buddies, who weigh significantly more than me, are diving with half the weight that I am.
Several years ago I had a significant dive issue at depth where I was underweghted with an empty tank. Since that incident, I have tended to dive overweghted. With the 14 lbs, my bouyancy is great( my assent rate is under control, and my saftey stops are right there), my air management is awesome ( I usually come up with much air than many of my buddies)...so I feel very comfortable where I am with the weight. The excess weight also allows me to assist my 14 diver son who occasionally needs some help with bouyancy control.
So I just came back from another dive trip with the dive master telling me that I am diving with way too much weight. Do I work to reduce the weight( any suggestions on how to do that would be appreciated), or do I stay with what works and what I feel comfortable with.
Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

 

[jbd]

If a properly done in-water weight check reveals that you need 14 lbs then that is what you need. Nothing more, nothing less. Do the weight check and see what it tells you.

 

[Ed Palma]

I also have this same issue! I'm around 150 pounds, and my in-water weight check indicated i needed 12 pounds. My buoyancy with 12 pounds is great, no issues, but then I've also been told that I've been diving with too much weight. Tried reducing them to ten, but when my tank was almost empty, I had to struggle to stay down during a safety stop.

guess I'll just have to live with the fact that I'm a "floater!"

Besides, different types of body compositions and BMIs are what factor in people's buoyancy. 2 people can be the same weight, but if they displace different volumes of water (ie one is larger than the other), they'll need different weights.

 

[EZHOOPS]

I'm a newbie and I'm always over weighted or so I'm told. I weigh about 220 and typiclally wear a 5 mm suit and usually put in about 24 lbs. Yeah I know it sounds like a lot. I've tried 18 and when I was low on air I floated like a cork and it scared the crap out of me. Ascended from 42 ft, not good.

So, I know alot of people who use no weight, what is the secret?

Should I lighten up

 

[Ed Palma]

yeah, some of the navy divers I know just jump in with a harness and trunks! no weights, no BC. Of course, they don't have wet suits on, so that helps keep them down. I guess they just follow old-school rules and use fantastic lung control and strong swimming techniques.

 

[jbd]

I'm a newbie and I'm always over weighted....

Without knowing anything else about you or your diving experience this is probably affecting your weighting. As you gain experience you will become more relaxed or less anxious about being UW. When this happens you will be able to lose some of the weight you are currently using.

My recommendation would be to dive as frequently as you can and instead of removing 6 lbs at one time try removing 2 lbs for a series of dives then 2 more lbs for another series etc, etc, etc.

You can speed up this whole process by doing a proper in-water weighting check in a pool with the guidance of a knowledgable instructor or DM.

 

[jbd]

Doc Ed,

Can you give me a good description of your in-water weight check procedure?

 

[jrockosaurus]

if thats what youre comfortable with then do it. you can always ditch weight if you need to, but its a lot harder to add weight when youre trying to do a deco/safety stop.

 

[Ed Palma]

Doc Ed,

Can you give me a good description of your in-water weight check procedure?

With all my gear on (full 3/2), an empty BCD, and a normal volume of air in my lungs, I'd float at around eye level.

When I did this in salt water, it indicated 10 pounds. But I had a hard time getting down, so maybe its my technique. At 12, I had no problems with either the descending or the safety stop.

I would still like to reduce my weight a bit, so any advice would be welcome.

Thanks!

 

[jbd]

What is your diving history?

What were the water condition when you did the salt water weight check that indicated 10 lbs i.e were you in open water with waves or were you in a small cove with pool like conditions?