How much ditchable weight do you dive with?

[JamesK]

cybordolphin once bubbled...
Just curious... I am in a class where the instructor insist that I need like 18-23 lbs..

18-23lbs is ridiculous IMO. Get that weight off your belt, and someplace else. If you need 23 lbs to stay down, then place the weight somewhere else besides the belt. If you have 23 lbs of weight on your belt, and you lose it, hang on for one hell of a ride to the surface. You should only need enough ditchable weight to make your rig bouyant enough to swim to the surface. 6-10lbs is more than enough. I have lost a weight pocket in my BC, and after dumping air, I was just fine. Do that with a 23lb weight belt, and you can qaurantee that you will be headed up rather quick.

When I am diving caves, or doubles (either AL or Steel), I use no ditchable weight, unless you count my canister light.

When I am diving singles, I use 6lbs - 10lbs.

 

[wetman]

I've been slowly working the weight down in the past few months - had no idea i was as overweighted as i was. Now, with steel singles and a 6 pound plate no weight is needed with either the wetsuit or drysuit (even with reasonably thick undergarments)


steve

 

[DennisW]

It sounds like your instructor doesn't understand how to figure out the correct weight for a diver. Although I have heard that many instructors like their students overweighted, especially for a OW course. I use 9 lbs with no wet suit and 11 with my full 1/4 inch wet suit that includes a farmer john and a shorty. I am still over weighted just a tad.

 

[Rockhound]

I weigh 250lbs. I ain't no tiny guy.

With my shorty, and an AL80, I dive 9lbs. in fresh, 12 in salt. On my last dives, I went down to 9lbs in salt after the first few dives, but found myself getting a little too positive (inhalation sensitive at 15') when I sucked the tank down.

With a 3mm jumpsuit, I dive 12lbs fresh, 14 salt (sometimes 16 on the first dives at the Flower Gardens because the water is very saline)

With a 7mm (layered)..my big wetsuit...I dive 20lbs. fresh, 26lbs. salt...with all of it ditchable, but half is on a weight belt and half is in the integrated weight BC.

Dry suit? What's a dry suit?

 

[jonnythan]

Full 7mm 2-piece with hood: 20 ditchable
7mm farmer john: 10 ditchable (it's a bit too much, but I don't feel like buying more weights)
3mm farmer john: 4.4 ditchable
Dry: not sure, will do a complete buoyancy check on saturday.

 

[mb131]

With a full 7 mm wetsuit I use 26 lbs(4 lbs on ankle weights, 10 lbs non ditchable on the BC and 12 lbs ditchable). That's in Fresh water with a Al 80.

 

[sheck33]

unless you count my cannister light, not something i'd like to ditch though and it's only 2#. I dive dry (shell suit), the weight i need depends on the tank i dive with but none is ditchable.
I dive steel tanks, either a LP 104 or LP double 72's (havent got the money yet for the 104's )
10# for the 104 and 7# for the doubles, when i go back to diving my crushed neoprene i'll need more.....
as a matter of fact that is the reason i want to get rid of the crushed neoprene suit anyone interested

 

[mddolson]

I am in Canada.
It's either warm or cold here, not much between.

With my 3 mm wet suit, dive with 10 lbs of soft weights.

When I dive dry (most of the time) I have 25 lbs of ditchable weight with my Viking.

Hey Rockhound ! we could be twins

Mike D

:blfish:

 

[Fireguy274]

When I dive with a 7mm wet suit and 7mm hood and steel 95 I use 20 lbs, ten in each Zeagle Tech Pocket. I can probably go a little less because I got away with diving with an aluminum 80 at the same weight a month or so ago. Im no small guy either 5'11 245.

 

[dlegros]

In a membrane drysuit and undergarments, with a dumpy 12l steel cylinder I have 4kg in my BC and 1.6kg on my ankles.

On my OW course I had 11kg with a 10l steel cylinder.

Dom