Weighting question

[Zambezi]

Hi all

I dive with a 12 litre steel cylinder and use 1 kg on my weight belt in salt water. If I dive with a 12 litre ally cylinder in the Red Sea, approximately how much weight do you think I'd need?

Thanks

 

[dougaldiver]

Assuming everything else is the same I would say between 4 and 5 kilos would be about right.

Diving the Red Sea in a 3mm suit and 12l Aly I need about 4kg (could probably get away with 3 but I do find some variations in the cylinders and 4 is safer) Same set up and a 15L steel cylinder and I have no weights on and am still a bit heavy (but not enough to be of any concern)

 

[Marek K]

I personally find that I need (or want) all of 6 kg more with a 12-liter aluminum tank than with a 12-liter steel.

My son, on the other hand, only uses 4 kg more. So I may be a bit over-weighted with aluminum. Or he's over-weighed with steel.

Probably not enough to make a difference, but the Red Sea is a bit saltier and more buoyant than the open ocean -- particularly in the Bay of Aqaba.

--Marek

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

The Red Sea is very salty, and the gulf of Aqaba is its saltiest part.

As already mentioned, expect 4 to 6 kg more.

 

[Zambezi]

Thanks for the info guys, I've now got a good indication of what I'll add on my first dive, roll on June.

One of my buddies dives with 8kg in South Africa, I'm going to have a good laugh at him, he's going to need two weight belts to stay down in the Red Sea

 

[Jai Bar]

Hi all

I dive with a 12 litre steel cylinder and use 1 kg on my weight belt in salt water. If I dive with a 12 litre ally cylinder in the Red Sea, approximately how much weight do you think I'd need?

Thanks

Not all steel tanks are the same- even for the same volume (e.g. "15 liters", steel) and from the same manufacturer (e.g. "Faber"), some tanks weigh 19-21 Kg, and other about 16 Kg. The difference is in the thickness and working pressure of the tanks. As you can see, the difference between steel tanks of exactly the same volume can be up to 5Kg. Other steel tanks (for example "Pressed Steel") have completely different weight etc etc.

So, if you know (more or less) the weight of the "12 liter steel" tank that you usually use when you dive with 1 Kg, and assuming you'll be diving in the red sea with the most common Aluminum tanks (Luxfer "12L"), then we can know how many weights you need to add.

Without more information, you can add anything between 0.5Kg-5Kg and you won't know the appropriate amount until you actually check it in the water- which is the right way to do it.

Try starting with 4 pounds, get into the water with an empty ("50 Bar") tank, deinflate your BC and see that you can slightly sink up to your mask level (don't forget to put your reg on ). If you can't sink, add 1-2 more pounds and so on. I don't think you'll get up to more than 6-8 pounds- but again, it depends on the steel tank you were used to dive with.

Enjoy!

 

[Zambezi]

Thanks Jai Bar, I definitely paln to enjoy it, been waiting a year since we booked the trip and it'll be my first time in the Red Sea.

I've now got a good idea of what to put on when I do my check dive.