weights for skindiving

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Earl E. Retire

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Will I need to wear a weight belt if I have a 7mil wetsuit on (fullsuit) when I'm snorkeling for bugs and spearfishing? I'm thinking a 7 mil suit will make me pretty buoyant, so I'll probably need maybe 10lbs to get me able to comfortably stay near the bottom.

EER
 
more like 25 lbs I would think
 
Here's what I suspect you'd need: A 7 mil wetsuit, at the surface, is probably somewhere around 20 lbs of buoyancy, give or take. However, as you descend that drops as the wetsuit compresses. So if you put a 20lb weight belt on, and drop to 20ft, you'll be way overweighted at the bottom. Which isn't good, because you're holding your breath and want to get back to the surface pretty quick. The last thing you want is to have to work to get to the surface.

So you want to have enough weight to help you get down, but not too much to be overweighted when you get there. You might want to start with about 1/2 of the weight you use while scuba diving and see how that works. So your estimate of 10 lbs is probably in the right ballpark. I think the goal is to be slightly positive at the bottom. Assuming that at 33 ft depth (2 ATA) the wetsuit buoyancy is 1/2 the surface buoyancy, 10 lbs would about do it.
 
Earl E. Retire:
Will I need to wear a weight belt if I have a 7mil wetsuit on (fullsuit) when I'm snorkeling for bugs and spearfishing? I'm thinking a 7 mil suit will make me pretty buoyant, so I'll probably need maybe 10lbs to get me able to comfortably stay near the bottom.

EER
Click to expand...
There are some other variables here such as your body composition and the depth you intend to dive. Some general rules are:
Use as little weight as possible to make you neutrally buoyant at 20 to 30 feet. The majority of ascent blackouts occur between these depths so if you had positive buoyance upon reaching 30 feet, you would continue to ascend to the surface.
On the other hand, being positively buoyant throughout the dive will cause you to work at a greater rate and may, subsequently lead to a concern.
Again, as a general rule, probably around 5%-8% of your body weight. Remember though, that your body composition will alter this.
Curious, what depths will you be going to?
 
body type really does make a difference.. I took a football player/body builder snorkeling once.. he wasn't a good swimmer, true, but with a full 3mil suit on, a waterski life vest (granted, wasn't quite matched to his weight) he still didn't float!! I couldn't believe it. He didn't need weights - he needed more floatation. It always amazes me that so many people that respond to questions of weights don't ever consider the amount of fat one has. Myself, fresh water, no weights, 3mil suit, puts me nuetral at about -25'.
When I take someone out freediving I like to have them weighted to just float on the surface without treading, then as they progress, find nuetral at -25 or so feet with a deep breath hold. I always like being able to recover without wasting energy treading water and I like being able to float on my back for a good snorkelless breath up, even without a tube or float.
 
holdingmybreath:
It always amazes me that so many people that respond to questions of weights don't ever consider the amount of fat one has.
Click to expand...

Could that be because even if you do know how much fat one has, it doesn't give you enough info to help you figure the answer? Seems to me it's easier to start with a good ballpark number (I'm assuming that using 1/2 the weight you use for scuba diving is a good place to start, since it does account for body composition), and then just give it a try and modify as necessary. Of course if you don't scuba dive, figuring 1/2 the weight needed for the wetsuit alone is probably a reasonable place to start.
 
mccabejc:
Could that be because even if you do know how much fat one has, it doesn't give you enough info to help you figure the answer? Seems to me it's easier to start with a good ballpark number (I'm assuming that using 1/2 the weight you use for scuba diving is a good place to start, since it does account for body composition), and then just give it a try and modify as necessary. Of course if you don't scuba dive, figuring 1/2 the weight needed for the wetsuit alone is probably a reasonable place to start.
Click to expand...
hey Jim, using half the amount of weight is a great idea. Also, remember there will be a slight difference between fresh and salt water. Myself, I like to be a bit more positively buoyant while freediving compared to scuba where I prefer to be a bit more negative. Another idea, whatever amount of weight used, once you nail down how much the "magic number" is, be sure and log whether or not it was fresh water/salt water, how much neoprene, depth you dived to and even your body weight. This way you will have a reference for any future dives.
 
after determining the best place to start with the weights I'd say the next best thing then is to have a float that you can carry weights in the first time out so you can ditch or add if you want in order to fine tune it. Another thing I like because I need so little weight..even in a 5mil hood to socks, is to have weights in 1 or 2lb blocks with a good rubber weight belt. A good rubber belt pulled tight around the hips won't impair the breath up and it won't losen when that 7m becomes a 2mil down there at the bottom of the ocean.
 
After snokeling for bugs for about the past 15 years or so, I have found diving in and around the 15' depth yeilds the most bugs without being overly taxing. The thing to keep in mind is not only is this guy going to be holding his breath for a while but he's also going to be carrying along a catch bag. When I dive for bugs down in the Florida Keys, I don't wear any kind of exposure suit and like to be a little negatively bouyant at 15' as it's not that hard to get back to the surface but I don't have to work to stay down either. Just my experience and 2 cents worth.
 
With a 7mm jump suit I wear 20LB with my 7mm Bare Arctic XL, with the hooded step-in vest added I wear 26. I use the same bobbing at eye level method as the common scuba weight check. I go neutral at 12-15 feet. This serves me well in the water and visibility I usually have. If you plan to go deeper you will want somethng less to avoid going too negative. The trade-off being more work to get down.

Pete
 
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