Think I'm over weighted

[detroit diver]

HockeyPuck once bubbled...
I'm pretty new to diving (no dives since my OW checkout dives, which were 2 weeks ago).

In the pool, I was wearing 4 lbs of weight (no wetsuit or anything, just a swimsuit), and was sinking (15 ft)

For the checkout dives, with a drysuit and drysuit underwear, I was wearing 34 lbs the first day (and was a bit floaty), and 38 lbs the second day (and was pretty much sinking).

I feel like I'm wearing too much weight. How do people usually find their "perfect weight"? Trial and error? Or is there a better way?

Hockeypuck,

You've got some good advise, but I think IndigoBlue nailed it on your first post when they said:

to paraphrase: Get all of the air out of your drysuit.

The best way to do this is to get into it and zip it up. While holding the neck seal open with one of your hands, squat down in a crouching position and squeeze ALL of the air that you can out. Before standing up, release the neck seal.

This will feel how the suit will fit when you are in the water. When it gets tight, add air, but no more than what the suit is feeling now.

Any additional air will cause some serious bouyancy problems for you as a bubble of air is very unstable.

Drysuits take some getting used to, but once you've done it, you'll never dive wet again.

Dive safe,

Jack