My weighting problem

[Teamcasa]

So I currently dive with a 7mm full suit with 2mm hooded vest, an AL80, and a weight integrated back inflate BC and I am using 22lbs which everybody is telling me is way to much. The problem is that I have tried cutting weight off and I cant't get down when I do. I am thinking that maybe my BC is trapping air or I am doing something wrong with my technique but any help would be appreciated. I talked to an instructor at my LDS who said that I should be using 16-18lbs at most but even with 20lb I am finding it impossible to sink. Thoughts?

OK, My thoughts.
Your body type, fat to muscle ratio, height and weight and gear configuration, all play a part in determining your ballast requirement. No amount of internet pressure to reduce ballast is going to change it.

Do a proper bouyancy check at the end of your dive (500 PSI) or do one at the beginning and then add 5-6 lbs. (Full tank) In addition, insure that you have no trapped air in your suit, hood or BC.

Just for reference; A good test means floating eye level without any movement of your fins or hands (really, no movement at all) and no air in your BC (at all!). Deep breathing in should move you up a little and exhaling should start to sink you.

Practise and let us know!

 

[TonyW388]

22 Lbs sounds a bit high, but well within the "normal" range. I would suggest that having all that weight in an integrated BC might be a bad idea, but that's another issue.

Hi Thal,

Not to hijack this thread but I did my first dive this weekend in a 7mil and had the exact same problem. Except I floated my bc when I was done diving and found myself floating on top of the water too. I was thinking, on the next dive of just putting my normal diving weights of 14# in my bc and the other 12#s on a weight belt. Would that be a good idea? Or any suggestions other suggestions.



Thanks,

 

[ligersandtions]

You need to do a buoyancy check. Are you able to hold a safety stop (15 feet with less than 500 psi in your tank and no air in your BC) comfortably? Are you neutral, negative, or positive if you do this? If you are neutral, then that's the weighting you need....if you find that you are so negative that you need to put air in your BC, then you are probably a little over weighted.

If your issue is descending at the start of the dive, it may be a problem that's unrelated to weighting. I used to have the same issue....I'd be weighted properly at the end of my dive, but would have to actively swim down on the descent. I thought I wasn't finning, but subconsciously I think I was. The issue for me, I think, was that I had too much weight in my trim pockets and it was constantly trying to pull me backwards....I found this lack of control unnerving, so I would fin to keep myself upright....and I think that's why I could not descend.

FWIW, I now descend in a "skydiver" position (horizontally) and any amount of kicking you do this way will force you horizontally forward, rarther than vertically upward.

Do a proper weight check, make sure you're not subconsciously finning on your descent....and if 22 pounds is right for you, then 22 pounds is right. Don't worry about what others think is "normal" (your proper weighting may change as you get more comfortable in the water though).

 

[Thalassamania]

That's a reasonable start, try it and see how it works for you. There are some who feel that integrated bc's are fine and that other (like me) that put all our weight on our belt. It's a controversial topic on the board, and there are several threads that have beat it to death, so lets just post links and do it again.


http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...weight-integrated-bcd-belt-3.html#post2349439

 

[dkktsunami]

So I currently dive with a 7mm full suit with 2mm hooded vest, an AL80, and a weight integrated back inflate BC and I am using 22lbs which everybody is telling me is way to much. The problem is that I have tried cutting weight off and I cant't get down when I do. I am thinking that maybe my BC is trapping air or I am doing something wrong with my technique but any help would be appreciated. I talked to an instructor at my LDS who said that I should be using 16-18lbs at most but even with 20lb I am finding it impossible to sink. Thoughts?

Probably not far off. With a 7mm wet suit, hood, 80 cu. ft. AL tank, salt water, I use 19 lbs. (160 lbs./6' tall). Of course you need to do a proper weight check with 500 psi at 10' - correct weight is the minimum to hold you at this depth.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I'll just chime in with "you need what you need". Different body compositions will produce different bouyancy. Everyone is different.

But do realize that it is an almost universal truth that new divers come out of basic OW overweighted, sometimes grossly overweighted, and over time find that they can shed some weight.

So do perform a careful bouyancy check before your next dive.

Also be aware that the first dive of the day is often the most difficult one to sink on. Your wetsuit has it's full thickness, has probably trapped some air, and on the first dive you are the most likely to have "nervous" feet and hands

Relax, wait a couple minutes for the wetsuit to get really "wet", make sure you've completely vented your BC, cross your legs (to prevent finning), exhale fully, then see if you can sink.

Hang in there, it gets easier.

Best wishes.

 

[scubadude79]

Relax, wait a couple minutes for the wetsuit to get really "wet", make sure you've completely vented your BC, cross your legs (to prevent finning), exhale fully...

The exhale fully is an important part. I found that I had trouble beginning my dives when I was properly weighted. Once I figured out that I was taking a full breath and only exhaling about 1/2 the volume I was able to fix my weight issue. That allowed me to shed 4 pounds.

 

[Splash-X]

Everyone will be different. I am 6' tall, 195 lbs and when diving my 5 mil two peice with the hooded vest I use 28 lbs of lead, and I am slightly buoyant above 10 feet in depth. At depth below 30 or 40 feet I am neutral and I don't have to put any air in my BC. You'll figure it out.

Very correct. Every person will have different factors that lead to why they need XX amount of weight. Muscle and density is an excellent factor of why two people with the same exact same body weight would need more or less lead than each other.

For example, I am 6ft tall, I weigh 205lbs and I use 12 - 14 lbs of lead weight in a 7mm suit when diving in salt water with an aluminum tank with no accessories. Add a steel tank and I can easily dive with 4lbs of lead in a 7mm.

No two dives are identical. You may carry additional equipment on each dive that makes you less or more buoyant. You should take an instructor with you to the pool to do a weight test if they think you should be diving with less weight. Make sure to take ALL of your gear (lights, camera, lift backs, safety sausages, knive, etc) with you so you can make how document how changing equipment (adding or removing) affects your weight.

 

[jefffalcone]

I read a great tip for descents on here a couple of years ago.

Try crossing your fin tips behind you. This will do 2 things. First it will help to keep you from unconsciously finning and second it will cause you to fall into a horizontal as your descent begins.

As you first press your deflator, breathe in. That way you will be exhaling as your bc becomes empty. If you exhale right when you press the deflator, you will need to inhale before you begin to descend.

 

[diveandclimb]

BTW I only put 8 lbs of my weight into the BC. The rest is on a weight belt. Anyway, thanks for the feedback, I'll try out your suggestions next week when I dive.