Yet another weighting guidance question...

[Wibble]

And the answer to how much weight is needed….

If diving in St Lucia in September in 30c/86f water with a rash vest and swimming trunks using an ali80 with air playing follow the DiveMaster, with an aluminium backplate, single tank adapter, Halcyon Eclipse wing and ScubaPro rubber JetFins…

4 pounds / 2kg. One 2 pound brick at the top cam band and the other on the lower cam band.

Trim is flat when motionless. Suspect that it could be 2 pounds lighter.

(Edited F-temp)

 

[Ayisha]

Awesome! 68 F though is a little cooler. 30 C is 86 F. Much nicer!

 

[Wibble]

Awesome! 68 F though is a little cooler. 30 C is 86 F. Much nicer!

Schoolboy maffs error — 30C = (3x18)+32 = 86F

 

[Marie13]

Schoolboy maffs error — 30c = (3x18)+32

86F? Eff that! I’d be melting!

 

[Wibble]

I now get why people dive in warm waters.

It’s so damn easy.

Everything is so much easier as you’ve no gloves, hood and drysuit to limit your dexterity and senses. Your rig is a noddy single tank and no extra cylinders, just turn the valve on, test breathe, climb in and buckle up. Kitting up takes one minute. There’s no planning and little thinking required as you must obey the DiveMasters.

The reefs are pretty. Amazing variety of flora and fauna just getting in with their lives.

Pity the dives are so short and the DiveMasters are constantly rattling away as they herd their flock of scoobie noobies.

Nice to know how the other half lives.

 

[Pressurehead]

I had to look up budgie smuggler...

Funny, that term is used a lot in Oz.

I would bring some exposure suit. Either s 3/2 full suit or a shorty or a two piece set you can layer and a rashguard or several.

I would also bring a DSMB (safety sausage) and small spool. And Eddy Fins, Quattros or Go-Sports but anything other than chunky Jet Fins.

I agree with the above, all good advice.
In the warm water North of here I still use some sort exposure suit, 3/2 full suit with a rash guard underneath, or a spring suit and a Sharkskin underneath.
Weight, a couple of lbs in trim pockets and very little on a weight belt when diving my Hydros pro [with simple harness, no weight pockets], in the tropics, pass up the weight belt and SP Go sport fins and climb the ladder.
Just come back from doing just that.
I leave the SS and Al B/W behind, but if that is what you use at home, use it.
I have dived a Al B/W in the tropics with trim pockets on the cylinder band and a weight belt with little weight, almost as good as the above, but I am an old guy now and like to do it easy .
Leave the Jet fins behind.

 

[60plus]

I was in St Lucia in August / September 1994. I did not scuba dive then but it was good snorkelling. Spent most of my time sailing and water skiing. Coming out of air conditioned chalet was like stepping into a steam oven. I was just a few miles from a Sandals resort and could see the Pitons a few miles away on or left when looking out to sea so our resort would be to the north west of the Pitons. Holiday was with Kuoni and it really annoys me I can't remember the resort name. A few weeks after we left there was very heavy rains and the resort was trashed in mudslides, even the swimming pool moved down the hill and cracked. I don't know if the resort has ever been rebuilt.

 

[tursiops]

Full foot Quattros are my go to for warm water diving. Watched a guy recently in Bonaire floating along decapitating coral heads with his jet fins and he had no idea, he couldn't feel it. Don't get me wrong they have their place and I own a pair but floating along looking at a pretty coral reef? Different tools for different jobs is the way I look at it.

Full-foot fins are terrible in Bonaire. There are very few entrances/exits thar are comfortable in bare feet.

 

[Pressurehead]

I now get why people dive in warm waters.

It’s so damn easy.

Everything is so much easier as you’ve no gloves, hood and drysuit to limit your dexterity and senses. Your rig is a noddy single tank and no extra cylinders, just turn the valve on, test breathe, climb in and buckle up. Kitting up takes one minute. There’s no planning and little thinking required as you must obey the DiveMasters.

The reefs are pretty. Amazing variety of flora and fauna just getting in with their lives.

Pity the dives are so short and the DiveMasters are constantly rattling away as they herd their flock of scoobie noobies.

Nice to know how the other half lives.

I am 'late to the party', you are already there and have it sorted.
Enjoy.

 

[Ayisha]

Pity the dives are so short and the DiveMasters are constantly rattling away as they herd their flock of scoobie noobies.

When you are choosing an Op to dive with in the future, you can ask them how long the dives tend to be; if everyone has to end their dive when the first person runs low; if they have an advanced group you can join; and if you can dive independently or not as close to a DG.

Some Ops are more hands on and do more herding, while others leave buddy pairs or Solo divers to plan and execute their own dives.

If an Op only has 1 boat for all levels, the dives tend to cater to the least experienced, so you take the chance that they won't go to the best, most preserved or challenging sites.

I find that those are important questions to ask, anyway.

If you still have dives there, ask for some leeway. Even the strictest DG's sometimes let experienced divers stray a little from the herd.