Weights

[slipslop]

I hope this is the correct forum to post his weighty problem.
I did my Padi open water Certification this week. there were two of us heavyweights on the course. ( we both weigh 94 kilograms) the instructor calculated that the other guy needed 5 weights, and that i needed 9 weights, there was only room on the belt for 8 plus one in the bcd pocket. this made the belt ridiculously heavy and although I managed it i had great difficulty putting it on and taking it off at the surface. (one of the course requisites) I also battled to bend over and put on my fins on the boat. i am also suffering from pain in my hip from this very heavy weight belt. I know i should loose weight but isnt there an easier way? if anything scares my off scuba it will be that very heavy weight belt.

 

[Nomaster]

I hope this is the correct forum to post his weighty problem.
I did my Padi open water Certification this week. there were two of us heavyweights on the course. ( we both weigh 94 kilograms) the instructor calculated that the other guy needed 5 weights, and that i needed 9 weights, there was only room on the belt for 8 plus one in the bcd pocket. this made the belt ridiculously heavy and although I managed it i had great difficulty putting it on and taking it off at the surface. (one of the course requisites) I also battled to bend over and put on my fins on the boat. i am also suffering from pain in my hip from this very heavy weight belt. I know i should loose weight but isnt there an easier way? if anything scares my off scuba it will be that very heavy weight belt.

Two months ago, when I got certified, I needed 14kg in the Philippines, when I dove this month here in Korea, with a 7mm wetsuit, I needed 18kg.
I weighed about 113 kg, I've lost, slowly, to 107kg.
Suffer the weights, but as you get more comfortable with diving some will go away with you increase in skill. The more you dive, the more your weight and therefore the leadweights will disappear.
It takes time, but keep at it, you already know it's worth it!
Good luck!

Tom

 

[Charlie99]

There are steel tanks with significant negative bouyancy. This allows you to remove some of the lead from your weight belt.

 

[Symbion]

First of all, be patient with yourself. It'll take more dives before you'll be comfortable in the water. New divers tend to really fill their lungs with air more so than experienced divers. That in itself will make you more buoyant and create a need for more weight.

Don't know what you were wearing, but the thickness of the exposure suit definitely affects how much weight you need. New suits are more buoyant than those worn numerous times before (I'm talking 3 mil +).

One solution to taking the weight off your waist, is to put a weight on your tank. This also helps keep you vertical when doing safety stops, or at other times when you need to be in that position. Your local dive shop can probably purchase a tank weight strap if they don't already one.

Hope this helps.

Safe diving!

 

[liberato]

An unharnessed weight belt that heavy is dangerous in that it can easily unintentionally slip off at depth. You should investigate getting a weight integrated BC instead.

 

[dkerr]

An unharnessed weight belt that heavy is dangerous in that it can easily unintentionally slip off at depth. You should investigate getting a weight integrated BC instead.

Personally I think this is a bad idea. Most weight intergrated bc's are more prone to dropping weight pouches than a weight belt. There are weight harnesses that hold the weight very well (distributes weight to your shoulders as well as your hips when on surface). Another option for staying with the weight belt is adding a second clasp. Doesn't help with the hips hurting but will keep the belt from coming undone and having an uncontrolled ascent.

 

[jonnythan]

Just because the instructor "calculated" that you need that much weight doesn't mean anything. Do a proper weight check and see just how much you do need. You can also, of course, drop weight from the belt by using a steel tank and/or a steel backplate.

 

[liberato]

...Most weight intergrated bc's are more prone to dropping weight pouches than a weight belt. There are weight harnesses that hold the weight very well ...

Do the harnesses have some sort of quick release mechanism? If so, then that would be OK. But for a new big diver (assume waist larger than hips) I still think weight integration is the most comfortable and full-proof. I guess it would be worthwhile for him to investigate which integrated quick-release systems are the most prone to failure which he could probably do with a search here.

 

[dkerr]

Do the harnesses have some sort of quick release mechanism? If so, then that would be OK. But for a new big diver (assume waist larger than hips) I still think weight integration is the most comfortable and full-proof. I guess it would be worthwhile for him to investigate which integrated quick-release systems are the most prone to failure which he could probably do with a search here.

I agree that he should do a search on weight dropping incidents as some designs are pretty bad. My biggest problem is having that much ditchable weight. Properly weighted, I can't see needing to ditch more than a couple pounds in extreme emergency (and this would be to offset suit compression at depth with a bc failure). On the surface, yes ditch your weight if you are having problems- but this does not need any quick release mechanisms.
Some harnesses do have quick release but this would pose the same problem as having a weight integrated bc.
People do hudreds/thousands of dives on their weight intigrated bc's without issues, but to me it is the wrong solution to a common problem. Myself, I went with a bp/w and dropped 10lbs off my belt so now I don't even notice the weight there.

 

[AmyJ]

already said, but just wanted to add my support as someone who carries alot of weight. Definitely look into weight integrated... makes all the difference in the world for me! As well as using negative tanks etc. Just don't give up. Keep working it out and you will find something that works and doesn't make you feel miserable! It's just not worth that!