Lotsa Weight

[TMHeimer]

I may have asked this before. I usually dive with 7 mil farmer john wetsuit, hood, boots, etc. and need 43 pounds with my new (used) wetsuit. Prior to the new suit I used as little as 37 with the old beat up suit. I know that the integrity of the newer suit causes it to be more buoyant. Obviously, I know how to do a proper weight check and have done them countless times with OW students. One instructor friend said he uses a similar amount when diving wet. Another from a different shop said I should be wearing 20-25 pounds, as we are similar in size. I tried 37 pounds when I switched to the newer suit and no way ever I could descend, with BC deflated. On SB, I read of people using way less weight than me with the same wetsuit. Years ago I took PPB and the instructor was amazed that I was correct in needing all the weight I showed up with. I have swam my unit up from 15-20' with 43 pounds and BC empty without drawing a deep breath. Everyone's buoyancy differs, but are there just a very few of us that need that much weight? Bone density? What?

 

[ScubaDoo83]

What is your height and weight if you don't mind me asking? Also, Are you sure you haven't been swallowing inflated balloons in your sleep?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

That seems quite excessive to me.
What is the rest of your gear if you don't mind me asking?
BCD make/ model.
Are you wearing a hooded vest under the two piece FJ?
What kind of tank?

 

[TMHeimer]

Height 6 feet. Weight 186-195 depending.
BCD-Old Phantom Genesis jacket.
wetsuit: just the 2 piece farmer john. Hood separate.
AL 80 tank (of course when I owned a steel 72 I dropped 5-6 pounds but still needed 36-37 pounds).

Forgot to mention that over the years a have dropped/lost a 10 pound weight out of my BC (at least 2 times) and had to hold a fairly big rock to get down to search for it.

 

[ScubaDoo83]

Height 6 feet. Weight 186-195 depending.
BCD-Old Phantom Genesis jacket.
wetsuit: just the 2 piece farmer john. Hood separate.
AL 80 tank (of course when I owned a steel 72 I dropped 5-6 pounds but still needed 36-37 pounds).

Forgot to mention that over the years a have dropped/lost a 10 pound weight out of my BC (at least 2 times) and had to hold a fairly big rock to get down to search for it.

Incredible, have you ever tried another setup? I honestly have never heard of someone carrying that much weight before.

 

[TMHeimer]

Incredible, have you ever tried another setup? I honestly have never heard of someone carrying that much weight before.

Hmmm. Not really. However, For assisting with courses I used shop BCDs (can't recall the brand now), and the 12 pound weight belt I used did the trick. We had 8 and 12 pound soft weights and the bigger guys used 12. And I don't recall very many of those students wearing 43 pounds on checkout dives.

 

[ScubaDoo83]

Hmmm. Not really. However, For assisting with courses I used shop BCDs (can't recall the brand now), and the 12 pound weight belt I used did the trick. We had 8 and 12 pound soft weights and the bigger guys used 12. And I don't recall very many of those students wearing 43 pounds on checkout dives.

So by using the shop BCD you were able to shave off 30 pounds? I'd say there's our answer.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Well, if your primary goal is to use less lead then consider a few changes.
Switch to a BP/W with a 5 or 6 lb plate and maybe even added ballast weights on the plate.
Crush the suit down a few good times and it will lose a little of it's brand new floatiness. Switch to heavy fins like any of the rubber paddle style like jets or similar. Switch to a heavy steel tank like a 100 or a 120.

If you don't really care about how much weight you use but were just asking out of curiosity and like your current gear then carry on.
Cheers!

 

[cmburch]

Wow!!! When I first started with a 7mm FarmerJohn, BC, Al80, 6' 205lb I used 25+lbs. I switched to HP100, SS BP/SS STA, 1 piece 10mm suit.

It really helps with trim getting about 1/3 of weight over lung area with SS BP and 2/3 on waist area. Also the HP100 drops about 5 lbs off belt.

 

[Aguablanco1]

Exactly how many of the students you have been around needed that much weight? And they are usually the ones with bad breathing routines that would necessitate that much weight. Try a different BCD that is the only way to get better info. It's hard to imagine a BCD with 30 pounds of inherent buoyancy