Why so much weight (1st using 7mm suit)?

[davidbaraff]

I've just completed the pool part of my OW class. We're doing the ocean dives in Monterey in 2 weeks. At the end of the class, we put on our heavy suits only (no BCs), got into the *salt* water pool (not fresh, salt), had some weights put on us, and told to remember the number.

I'm 5'7", 155 lbs. In Hawaii, on an "intro resort" dive with a 3mm shorty, they gave me 15lbs. Seemed ok. (I'm told they like to overweight you on intro dives though.)

With my 8/7mm brand new Aqualung SOLAFX suit, the instructor told me to remember "32 lbs". How the heck can that be right -- 32 lbs? Sure, it has to be more with a thicker suit, but --- 32 frigging lbs?

I have this fear I'm just going to sink like a rock and never be seen again when I start to submerge in Monterey. Why do I need so much weight? (I'm not super thin, but I definitely don't come across as fat, so...)

 

[tep]

That does seem a little high. That said, I'm 5'9" and 220lbs, and I wore 12 lbs in HI with a 3mm shorty, and I carry 24lbs with a 7mm.

I sounds like maybe you were holding a lot more air in your lungs when they weighted you this time around. This is very common for new divers. My son dropped almost 8 lbs of weight as he progressed from the beginning of his OW class to having about 20 open water divers under his belt.

Try to get weighted again, and be especially careful about the amount of air in your lungs?

 

[Beachlover]

I am also 5'7", but I weighed about 175 when I got certified in 1998.My instructor threw 28 lbs on me and I could'nt get off of the bottom.We knocked it down 22 and I was still a brick.Finally went with 18 and I was ok.I was also in a7mm wetsuit and did my dives here in southern ca.I was using an aluminum 80 on my dives.I am a male and fairly muscular and I tend to sink quite easily.I only dive with a steel 95 and only use 10 lbs now.Your instructor knows best, trust him/her and know that you can make adjustments from where you start. Good luck& good diving!

 

[Scubagolf]

With my 8/7mm brand new Aqualung SOLAFX suit, the instructor told me to remember "32 lbs". How the heck can that be right -- 32 lbs? Sure, it has to be more with a thicker suit, but --- 32 frigging lbs?

Another thing is that the brand new wetsuit will have more inherent boyancy for awhile, until it gets compressed a bit. In any event, when you hit the cold (BRRR...) Monterey Bay water you will probably have some initial difficulty in relaxing and exhaling, so you may need some extra weight at the beginning. Your instructor will have you do a weight check at the beginning of your first open water dive and you can fine tune your weighting.

 

[jimdiverman]

I've just completed the pool part of my OW class. We're doing the ocean dives in Monterey in 2 weeks. At the end of the class, we put on our heavy suits only (no BCs), got into the *salt* water pool (not fresh, salt), had some weights put on us, and told to remember the number.

I'm 5'7", 155 lbs. In Hawaii, on an "intro resort" dive with a 3mm shorty, they gave me 15lbs. Seemed ok. (I'm told they like to overweight you on intro dives though.)

With my 8/7mm brand new Aqualung SOLAFX suit, the instructor told me to remember "32 lbs". How the heck can that be right -- 32 lbs? Sure, it has to be more with a thicker suit, but --- 32 frigging lbs?

I have this fear I'm just going to sink like a rock and never be seen again when I start to submerge in Monterey. Why do I need so much weight? (I'm not super thin, but I definitely don't come across as fat, so...)

Okay, listen to your instructor. Let me tell you about that SOLAFX suit. It is SUPER buoyant. I know. I have it. The first couple of times I dove it I was underweighted, and it ruined those dives for me. I dove with twin 130s, and a steel backplate, and while I was okay at the beginning of the dive, I was finning in a vertical position at the safety stop when my tanks got more buoyant, not positive mind you, just more buoyant. So I added an 8 pound v-weight, and then I could stay down at the safety stop, and that was in fresh water. In salt water, I expect to need to add even more weight.

Do a buoyancy check with a near empty tank (600 psi) in salt water at 10 feet if you have the opportunity. It could save you some grief at a safety stop.

 

[spectrum]

With my 8/7mm brand new Aqualung SOLAFX suit, the instructor told me to remember "32 lbs". How the heck can that be right -- 32 lbs? Sure, it has to be more with a thicker suit, but --- 32 frigging lbs?

I can see 32 being within the realm of possibility but it's a stretch.

Your suit is new and has it's maximum inherent buoyancy and you have some 8mm panels. While it has an 8mm torso a common cold water reference is a 7mm suit with 2X (14mm) on the core.

Your are not a large person and I'm guessing your suit is a med or large at the most. That's less material than many need.

Being a new diver on certification dives you will have initially high lung volume. Likewise once he gets you in the water the last thing he wants is for you to get floaty.

I am assuming that your cylinder is an AL80.

If you actually needed 15 with the shorty in HI then the 32 with this suit is even more believable. Remember that you are also adding all of the other heavy neoprene exposure protection as well.

Pay attention so you can make informed adjustments on your future dives.

Edit, based on jimdiverman's informed input it's even more believable.

Pete

 

[talonraid]

Well, people new to diving tend to need a bit more weight for a number of reasons. Most new divers tend to not relax enough to completely exhale and allow yourself to descend. Also, salt water needs a bit more weight than fresh water. Also, the bouyancy characteristics of a wetsuit will be slightly different from style to style. You will find that you will fine tune your weights the more you dive.

HOWEVER, 32 pounds sounds like a lot of weight. Did they have you do a bouyancy check with your gear on in the pool? If not, here's how you can do it:

1) Enter the water fully equipped to start your dive.

2) Go to water too deep to stand in and completely deflate your BC. Make sure it's completely deflated. Make sure your shoulder dump valves are used as well, don't just use your power inflater hose.

3) You should hang motionless holding a normal breath. Normal....breath.

4) Add/subtract weight until you float at eye level while holding a normal breath. It's handly to have someone on the side of the pool who can hand you or take weights from you.

5) With your reg in your mouth, completely exhale and you should slowly descend....you should not become a dirt dart!

Remember each time you change your gear configuration i.e. new BC, different wetsuit, etc. you will may have to adjust your weight for the new bouyance characteristics.

I'm 5'10" and I weigh 215 lbs of mostly muscle but surrounded by a protective layer of Orca blubber. I need about 20 lbs with a full 7mm and hood in saltwater. The PADI Adventures in Diving Manual (Basic Weight Guidelines) estimates that I would need about 31 lbs. The book estimates that you would need about 25 lbs. to start without doing a bouyancy check.

It sounds pretty high to me.

 

[ianw2]

The OP carried 15 lbs in a 3mm shorty in Hawaii. The Solafex 8/7 has more than three times the neoprene that his 3mm short had. 32lbs is probably pretty darned close. That's why you did the weight check in the salt pool.

The problem with these posts is that divers invariably compare themselves to the diver who posted the question.

Guess what. Everyone is different. Even two divers who are roughly the same height and same weight can differ greatly in their inherent density.

Remember your physics. It's the density of the diver that affects the buoyancy, not the height and weight.

OP: that weighting seems pretty close to what it should be based on your experience in Hawaii in a 3mm shorty. I seriously doubt that you're going to drop like a stone. If you do, remember that you can add air to your BC or, in a real emergency, drop A weight pouch. However, i suspect that you may be surprised at how tough it is to get down. The Solafex suits are very buoyant - and - from the comments I've heard, very toasty.

Mine should be in next week...I'll be in my O'Neil tomorrow...

Ian

 

[davidbaraff]

The OP carried 15 lbs in a 3mm shorty in Hawaii. The Solafex 8/7 has more than three times the neoprene that his 3mm short had. 32lbs is probably pretty darned close. That's why you did the weight check in the salt pool.

...

OP: that weighting seems pretty close to what it should be based on your experience in Hawaii in a 3mm shorty. I seriously doubt that you're going to drop like a stone. If you do, remember that you can add air to your BC or, in a real emergency, drop A weight pouch. However, i suspect that you may be surprised at how tough it is to get down. The Solafex suits are very buoyant - and - from the comments I've heard, very toasty.

Ian

Thanks for all the comments, folks. I have to admit, I was torn between going to Monterey vs. wimping out for warmer waters, but lots of folks have said I'll barely notice the cold in the Solafx suit.

The weighting was done with us lying on our backs--when I did exhale, I promptly submerged, so I guess it'll be OK. I feel better now.


So I'm getting the sense that new divers need more weight because even if we're breathing "calmly," we're keeping too much long volume even when we think we've exhaled? Perhaps because we're not quite comfortable yet, and we instintively hold on to some extra air?

Is the trick to good bouyancy not altering your lung volume over much, so that you don't have a huge difference between the inhale and exhale, while still using your oxygen efficiently? (I've done enough intro dives that I can calm myself down and not tear through my tank fast, but when trying bouyancy control in the pool, I still felt a lot of up and down between breaths.)

Thanks again, this board totally rocks -- I counted about 5-6 posts after only 15-20 minutes -- that's totally awesome!

 

[Beachlover]

The trick to good buoyancy is to dive,dive,dive!Getting wet and getting bottom time will be your best tool for learning all aspects involved in diving. Don't let people scare you away with their COLD talk about our California water.We have awesome kelp forests here that you will not find anywhere else, they are truely beautiful.Enjoy your dives! Just remember to breathe and relax.Good luck & good diving to you!