Drysuit and weight

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anytime

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I'm a Fish!
I have started looking for a drysuit for diving this winter. I currently dive a 3 mil suit. I am a big guy and already wear 26lbs of weight. How much more do you think on average one has to add for a drysuit? I know that there are many factors involved I am just looking for the average guess.

Thanks
 
anytime:
I have started looking for a drysuit for diving this winter. I currently dive a 3 mil suit. I am a big guy and already wear 26lbs of weight. How much more do you think on average one has to add for a drysuit? I know that there are many factors involved I am just looking for the average guess.

Thanks

26 lbs with a 3 mm suit?

Is your tank an aluminum 80 as well? Or an aluminum 100?

And is this for fresh water lakes or for sea water? I assume SC means the Carolinas, which is ocean. Just checking to be sure.

Before we can begin to guess, you need to tell a little more. Then about all we can give you is our differentials between 3mm wetsuit diving and drysuit diving. But it will depend on fresh or sea water, and on aluminum or steel tanks.
 
For me going from my warmest wet to warmest dry configuration I go up 18 pounds. A different drysuit choice would reduce this some but would probably sacrifice some warmth.

As you said there a lot of variables. So much so that you will hear from some who wear less!

Pete
 
in summer i wear a 5mm semi dry, steel tank, 6lb bpw and 6lbs of lead

i just got a drysuit and now wear a steel tank, 6lb bpw and 18lbs of lead

cheers
 
I dive salt and HP 120s or 100s.

So do you think that 18lbs would be about the max?

Thanks
 
26lbs is a LOT of weight for a 3mm suit and an HP120 tank.

The PADI rule of thumb for a drysuit (depending on underwear, but probably more thick than thin) is 10% of your body weight plus 5-10 lbs. This assumes a stab type jacket and an AL80. Adjust accordingly if you have a steel tank and a SS backplate.
 
anytime:
I dive salt and HP 120s or 100s.

So do you think that 18lbs would be about the max?

Thanks

No, since your baseline is a 3mm suit. It will depend on what sort of water you want to be diving dry in, the sort of suit you choose and how much insulation you choose to wear under it just for openers.

A precise prediction cannot be provided.
 
that question is unansewrable in all cases.

What you'll need to do is to buy a suit, and then do a bouyancy check just like you should have with your 3 mil.

My guess is that an additional 12-15 pounds would be sufficient, but I'm curious - how tall/how much do you weigh, and what is your true waist measurement?

I'm 5'8", I weight 220 and I dive a 6-lb backplate/wing/24 pounds with a trilam drysuit and 300 weight undergarment. AND I'm probably a pound or two heavy with a 100 cf aluminum (but the swing weight of the tank full to empty is around six pounds, I figure). I'm not morbidly obese, but I consider myself pretty chunky.
I would recommend a trilam and then do the bouyancy check. There's no way to do anything but guess, and my guess is that you're pretty overweighted in the 3 mil already.
 
almitywife:
in summer i wear a 5mm semi dry, steel tank, 6lb bpw and 6lbs of lead

i just got a drysuit and now wear a steel tank, 6lb bpw and 18lbs of lead

cheers

What about that single thong you teased us all with before? You forgot to mention that!:eyebrow:
 
nereas:
What about that single thong you teased us all with before? You forgot to mention that!:eyebrow:
:shocked:

as a old married lady, in summer i wear a cossie and in winter its a 200grade undergarment with my cossies

cheeky man

and when i was testing out undergarments, between the apollo and the paragon undergarments i had to put on an extra 6lbs (with the paragon that i ended up buying) but i feel much warmer throughout the entire dive

cheers
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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