Drysuit and weight

[DiveNav]

I have started looking for a drysuit for diving this winter. I currently dive a 3 mil suit. I am a big guy and already wear 26lbs of weight. How much more do you think on average one has to add for a drysuit? I know that there are many factors involved I am just looking for the average guess.

Thanks

Please define "big guy".

At least I need:

Weight?
Height?
BMI?

Regards,

I_AM

 

[nereas]

I dive salt and HP 120s or 100s.

So do you think that 18lbs would be about the max?

Thanks

For me, going from my warmest wet 3mm with an aluminum 80 to my warmest dry with an HP 80 steel, I go up 14 pounds in seawater. But you need to adjust that for the aluminum tank in warm waters, for which the differential is about 6 lbs as well. Therefore the real difference for me is about 20 lbs.

A different drysuit choice would reduce this some but would certainly sacrifice warmth, although in the lukewarm waters of the Carolinas this is probably not an issue for you. I wear a trilam shell, with DUI woolies (not really made of wool, of course), and I wear it velcro-ed tight, not like michelen-man.

As Pete correctly said, there are lots of other variables.

 

[nereas]

Please define "big guy".

At least I need:

Weight?
Height?
BMI?

Regards,

I_AM

Probably bigger than you, so don't embarrass him, or he might flatten you into a pancake.

 

[anytime]

I am slighty over weighted now maybe I could cut 3 lbs out.

I will take the class for sure.
Thank you all for your responses you have given me some ranges to work with.

 

[tedwhiteva]

I am slighty over weighted now maybe I could cut 3 lbs out.

I will take the class for sure.
Thank you all for your responses you have given me some ranges to work with.

With steel tanks and a 3 mil suit, I would suspect you are badly over-weighted. I am 6'2" 260 (yeah, I know). With a 5 mil suit, stainless BP, and steel HP 120 I wear NO weight and am still overweighted. Do a careful weight check AT THE END OF THE DIVE with 500 psi left (hit the octo if you have to - its only air). Can you still stay at 15 feet with no air in your BC? If you sink, especially at the surface, get rid of weight.

Just my $.02, and worth what you paid for it.

 

[DiveNav]

Probably bigger than you, so don't embarrass him, or he might flatten you into a pancake.

sorry ... didn't mean to embarrass anybody ... just looking for the data to run the model

I_AM

 

[jefffalcone]

I am slighty over weighted now maybe I could cut 3 lbs out.

I will take the class for sure.
Thank you all for your responses you have given me some ranges to work with.

Don't waste your money on the class. Just get whoever sells you the drysuit to show you the ropes. There's really not that much to it.

 

[nereas]

Don't waste your money on the class. Just get whoever sells you the drysuit to show you the ropes. There's really not that much to it.

It is really bad advice in scuba to suggest to anyone NOT to take a class.

I say, TAKE THE CLASS. There is a lot to learn with a new drysuit for the first time. And a warm pool is much more forgiving than the cold open water, which is not forgiving at all.