Weight variations among divers

[Hintermann]

I am a bit surprised why some experienced divers need more weight than others under similar circumstances. I am 5'10" and weigh around 85 kilos, thus coming under the "stocky" category. Yet, I find that I need only 4 kilos (about 9 pounds) weight with a 3mm full suit and a 15-litre (100 cu ft) aluminium tank in tropical sea waters like Cayman Islands or Komodo. If I go down to a 12-litre (80 cu ft) tank, I do not need to carry more weight but just start letting air out of the BCD a few minutes earlier towards the end of the dive. If I get a 15-litre steel tank, I can come down to 3kg.

With my chunky (lined) 5mm full Mares suit, I use 5.5kg.

My more experienced American buddy on the recent Raja Ampat trip was built on my lines, used a 3mm full suit as well and carried camera kit that was significantly heavier than mine. Yet, he insisted that he needed 8 kilos additional weight, twice as much as I used.

The most unusual example of this apparent anomaly that I have seen was on a Red Sea Liveaboard years ago where another American diver (and a fellow doctor), used 16 kilos - yes kilograms - weights, including ankle weights. Once again, he was using similar kit as mine and was slimmer than I was.

Most experienced divers seem rather touchy when asked about their weights preferences but I feel that there has to be an explanation and would like others' opinions.

 

[tbone1004]

some photographers prefer to be heavy in the water, especially with backplate setups. This allows them to hang from their rig and it is more stable in currents and what not.

Most likely it was just them following the general recommendation of 10% body weight and they have never done a proper weight check.

I dive with about 2kg in a bathing suit with an al80, about 4kg if I have a 5mm suit on in salt water. Granted I never dive like that, but that is what it was last I checked. I sink, even in salt water, so the 2kg is just to offset the tank. If those guys did a proper weight check, they would find they actually needed much less weight but have never experienced a truly balanced rig. This is also why I recommend everyone try diving a double hose reg on a plastic backplate in a pool with a BC at least once in their life to see how liberating it really is to dive without a bc.

 

[Degenerate]

I use 8-10 kilos in Nordic waters depending on what tank I'm using, always in drysuit.
I could probably knock a kilo or 2 off that but I prefer to have a bit more than I need, I'm terrified of becoming buoyant towards the end of the dive when the tank gets close to empty.
16 kilos sound bit excessive in tropic waters but to each their own I suppose.
I have enough lift in my wing to pull up a smaller ship anyways so having some extra isn't a problem for me

Tapatalked