Weights....to go with 4kg or 5kg

[DevonDiver]

Use two pockets, one on each side of the cam band (near the bcd). It's much more stable.

Just split the weight between the two pockets - 0.5kgs/1lb in each.

If you can't get small weights, just buy a large one and (physically) halve it... or re-mould it (remarkably easy to mould lead).

But you can get small weights... just use your ankle weights inside the pockets.

 

[Nautica2706]

The 2 ankleweights in 2 side pockets is def worth a try IF i ended up needing to go back to using 5kgs lol.

Still hoping the 4.5kgs do the trick.

 

[Nautica2706]

Update:

Just got back from a 6 dives trip in Bali, went muck diving at Secret Bay, Wall at Menjangan and Wreck at Tulamben. Very nice !!

Anyways..

1st dive: muck at 6m/20ft. Weight 1kg/2lbs in right and left front waist integrated pocket, 1kg/2lbs shoulder back trim pocket, 0.5kg/1lbs around tank valve (total 4.5kg/10lbs). Level Trim. Tent to float up a bit through the whole dive, understandable tho since dove mostly at 3m-5m.

2nd dive: Wall, maxing at 27m/88fsw. Weight placement same as 1st dive. Level trim. Can hold the safety stop at 5m.

3rd dive: Wall, maxing at 20m/66fsw. Weight placement same as 1st dive. Level trim. Can hold the safety stop at 5m.

4th dive: Wall, maxing at 20m/66fsw. Weight 1kg/2lbs in right and left front waist integrated pocket, 1kg/2lbs shoulder back trim pocket, (total 4kg/9lbs). Trim is a bit off, thighs slightly dropped. Can hold the safety stop at 5m, just have to remember to vent the air from bladder before it was too late.

5th dive: Wreck, maxing at 30m/99fsw. Same as 4th dive. Trim is a bit off, thighs slightly dropped. Can hold the safety stop at 5m, just have to remember to vent the air from bladder before it was too late.

6th dive: Wreck, maxing at 20m/66fsw. Same as 4th dive. Trim is a bit off, thighs slightly dropped. Can hold the safety stop at 5m, just have to remember to vent the air from bladder before it was too late.

Now looking at those description, I am pretty sure that i can use either 4.5 or 4kgs, I like my trim when using the 4.5kgs setup tho. Both setups felt the same, not much air difference used to get neutral at depth.

Should I proceed to to reduce my weight to 3kgs or 3.5kgs? and how important is that 0.5kgs ankle weight strapped on my tank valve in terms of maintaining a level trim?

Please see the starting post to see my stats.

Cheers

 

[Bombay High]

Wow !!! I have a feeling you may be overthinking this a little bit.

 

[Nautica2706]

Wow !!! I have a feeling you may be overthinking this a little bit.

Might be..but I like thinking tho haha...., as long as i am still having fun..which I am!!

 

[vladimir]

Should I proceed to to reduce my weight to 3kgs or 3.5kgs?

You should reduce your ballast to whatever you need to maintain neutral buoyancy near the surface with a tank that has been depleted to the appropriate reserve. You determine that by doing a buoyancy check in the water, not on the internet. If you do the buoyancy check properly it will not be a gradual process of removing weight. On the other hand, it is not unusual for new-ish divers to get better at dumping air from their BCs, for example, or to get control of unconscious finning, and find they can shed more ballast. Especially after a series of dives in close succession.

Please see the starting post to see my stats.

Your stats are irrelevant. Again, ballast is determined in the water, not on the internet.

 

[TSandM]

Really, it simply isn't worth parsing your weight to 1 lb increments! What is really important is to have enough weight to hold a shallow stop with very little gas in the tank. Of secondary importance is not carrying so much weight that you are awkward or unstable in the water. Technical divers routinely descend ten or more pounds negative, and manage it fine. It's not the most graceful and elegant way to dive, and I wouldn't recommend overweighting yourself by ten pounds just to hold a stop, but I'm using the information as an example of the fact that fretting over .5 kg increments is just not necessary.

I just did ten days of diving in the Red Sea. The first day, I dove a configuration that was familiar to me and weighted myself, as it turns out, just a tad bit light, which is annoying as all get-out. The second day, I dropped to just using my base layer (because the water was so warm) and I was overweighted by about four kg. It resulted in more gas in my wing than I like, and I was definitely less stable and managing things more. I dropped 2 kg and enjoyed the dives much more.

In my experience, if you aren't at least a full kg too heavy, don't worry about it -- but make sure you are heavy ENOUGH to hold your stops.