Weights & weight belt question - Newbie

[geogator]

A couple of quick questions for the group:

I'll be starting my OW class in a few weeks & am supposed to supply my own weight belt & weights. I've been told by my LDS instructor that I have to buy soft weights due to the requirements of the training pool's owner. My instructor also said that I should purchase 10% of my total body weight (215) in weights which would equal 21-22 lbs. but after reading many of the posts on SB, I'm starting to have doubts if that would be too much. Is this amount correct?

Second, I didn't think to ask this question at the time, but is it better to buy a bunch of smaller weights (say 2lbs each) or a few larger ones (say 3-4 lbs) mixed in with some smaller 2lb weights? The belt I'm looking at is the XS Scuba 6 pocket but I have a 40" waist so I'm not sure if I should be investigating an 8 pocket version instead. I'll be wearing a 3mm wetsuit for most of my diving if that makes a difference.

I'd like to get this gear soon so that I can play/practice/get used to it in my own pool prior to coming to class, as I've never used weights/belt before when I've snorkeled.

Thanks for any help that you all can give me with this issue.

 

[Dhboner]

I'm very surprised that your LDS required you to have your own weights for an Open Water pool class. In my experience you only provide your own mask, fins and snorkel.

 

[jwalko]

I agree...I surprised they are requiring you to purchase your own weights.

10% of your body-weight doesn't seem unreasonable...but I doubt you would be using that much...especially with a 3-mil wet suit. I don't use that much with a dry-suit...much less with a wet-suit. But...it helps to have the additional weight in case you find out you want to change to a thicker suit or may try dry-suit diving in the future (in my case, I've added to my weights several times now to have enough for various different scenarios).

I would recommend getting some of the heavier (3 and 4#) weights, and then mixing in a couple of the smaller ones. I think you'll find that the smaller ones are more useful for trim, whereas the larger ones are easier in to use in the weight belt. You can also use the smaller ones for fine-tuning your weight after you get comfortable in the water. As an example of what I mean, my daughter dives with a standard BCD with integrated weight pouches. She uses the 4's in the pouches and then uses the 2's in her trim pockets (on the back of her shoulders). this helps her be weighted properly and helps her get the proper orientation in the water (level, as compared to head higher up than feet).

Again, strange that they make you purchase your own weights. Good luck with the training and welcome to Scuba.

John

 

[Jax]

A couple of quick questions for the group:

I'll be starting my OW class in a few weeks & am supposed to supply my own weight belt & weights. I've been told by my LDS instructor that I have to buy soft weights due to the requirements of the training pool's owner. My instructor also said that I should purchase 10% of my total body weight (215) in weights which would equal 21-22 lbs. but after reading many of the posts on SB, I'm starting to have doubts if that would be too much. Is this amount correct?

Second, I didn't think to ask this question at the time, but is it better to buy a bunch of smaller weights (say 2lbs each) or a few larger ones (say 3-4 lbs) mixed in with some smaller 2lb weights? The belt I'm looking at is the XS Scuba 6 pocket but I have a 40" waist so I'm not sure if I should be investigating an 8 pocket version instead. I'll be wearing a 3mm wetsuit for most of my diving if that makes a difference.

I'd like to get this gear soon so that I can play/practice/get used to it in my own pool prior to coming to class, as I've never used weights/belt before when I've snorkeled.

Thanks for any help that you all can give me with this issue.

I agree with dhboner; this is the first time I've ever heard of people having to purchase weight, and I read a lot. . . . However, to answer your question . .

I have found that a nice mix is best, for my husband and me personally. As I go up (to 7mm) and down (to 3mm) wetsuits, I can drop a couple of 2-lb off the front of each hip, and stay balanced. However, I always need about 8 lbs so a couple of 4-lb stay in the rear hip pockets. We have 5-lb and 3-lb weights for my husband, but he'll use 2-lb instead sometimes.

 

[TSandM]

I'm also very surprised you are required to provide your own weights and belt. That is not the case anywhere in our area.

10% of your body weight is almost certainly more than you will eventually need in a 3 mil suit (although that depends a little on tank choice and BC choice) but not by a huge amount. But unless you are intending to dive locally, those weights will be wasted, because you won't carry them to travel.

 

[fjpatrum]

Personally, I'd find a different course and a different shop. Being told you have to not only buy weights, but what specific types of weights smacks to me of abusive behavior from an LDS. I've never heard of anyone requiring OW students to buy weights and I researched about 30 different shops in several different states before I got my OW cert. Weight belts I've heard occasionally, but not weights. More importantly any shop you go to for rental gear or any dive charter I've seen provide weights as part of the service. Why buy your own unless you're going to be doing a lot of local diving with your own gear.

As for the amount of weights, most people who aren't diving dry don't need that much weight, especially in fresh water. The 10% rule, for example, puts me a couple pounds overweight for my "cold water" diving in lots of wetsuit (way more than 7mm). For warmer water it puts me almost 10 pounds heavy. For someone with a slightly higher BMI it will be closer than that, but it will most likely still be too much. (I weigh 165-170 pounds and am 6'1" tall.)

If you do end up buying a weight belt, consider the suspender systems as they will be more comfortable at depth if you are like me and have no waist, or if your waist is a bit "barrel-like" and you are bigger in the middle than at your hips, for example.

I still say don't buy them but, if you do, get a mix of 2, 3, and 4 pounders and you'll be fine.

 

[Kenny13]

Count me in as being surprised that you need to supply your own weight. When I took my OW class last summer, I weighed in around 223# and wore 20# in freshwater and 24# in saltwater. Both of those were with a 5mm wetsuit and even for a newbie that was a little much.

I don't think it will hurt you to have the extra weight, as you can play around with different configurations for trim and compensating for different exposure suits. When I bought my own weights for my BC pockets, I got more than I knew I would need in different sizes so I could try different setups for trim. Unfortunately, last time I went diving at one of the springs in Florida a few weeks ago I left the bag with my extra weights at water's edge so it would be handy for doing a pre-dive weight check. When we surfaced after the dive, my bag and about $40 worth of weights were gone so I have to replace that.

 

[oldnotdead]

Ditto, I've never heard of a shop that requires a student to buy weights. I would question the experience of the owner/instructer at this point. Run like he..ck if he gets defensive at your questioning his supreme authority.
OND

 

[geogator]

Thanks for the input so far. ALL 7 of the LDS's in my area require you to have weight belt/weights for their OW classes so there was no other option for me. As for the diving locations, my checkout dives will be in the springs but hopefully I'll be doing salt water diving as well. Kenny - sorry to hear about your weight theft. Where were you diving so that I'll know to keep an extra sharp eye on my gear?

 

[MSchoular]

My LDS asks it's OW students to supply weight belt plus approximately 4# lead. This tends to be the average of what is required to sink a human body without a wetsuit. Some people do need a couple pounds more but this tends to be enough. This way the student has their weight belt set up for all pool sessions, and then extra lead is supplied to help sink the 7mil wetsuits we use for our checkout dives.

I do find the LDS asking you to supply 10% of your body weight in lead alot, but in my experience its not unheard of for the shop to ask you to supply SOME lead.