No weights at all????

Okay, here's the deal: I'm newly certified and just bought my new Mares Morphos BC and was practicing with it in our local pool (no wetsuit). Having learned from reading this message board, I know that the most common beginner's error is that people use too much weight. As I experimented in the pool, I kept lowering and lowering my weights until I had NONE! Sure enough I was just able to float with my eyes at surface level, an empty BC and a full normal breath of air (just like we learned in our PADI literature during class). This is how I knew I was properly weighted. By the wy, I'm 245 pounds... and not all of it muscle, so I'm already plenty bouyant.

Is this normal to not need ANY weights to dive? I must say, it was such a joy to swim around the pool having complete control of my bouyancy and less resistance (with no weights and a relatively deflated BC). It was almost like flying and a far cry from the training dives I took with a full wetsuit and 30 pounds of weight!

For what it's worth, I know that the cylinder will evenutally become more bouyant as I breathe the air out of it during the dive. Also, this was in a pool, so I know I will be more bouyant in seawater, so maybe adding 5-10 pounds is worth doing just to prevent me from ascending without control towards the end of my sea dives. Any input?

Cayman Lover once bubbled... Okay, here's the deal: I'm newly certified and just bought my new Mares Morphos BC and was practicing with it in our local pool (no wetsuit). Having learned from reading this message board, I know that the most common beginner's error is that people use too much weight. As I experimented in the pool, I kept lowering and lowering my weights until I had NONE! Sure enough I was just able to float with my eyes at surface level, an empty BC and a full normal breath of air (just like we learned in our PADI literature during class). This is how I knew I was properly weighted. By the wy, I'm 245 pounds... and not all of it muscle, so I'm already plenty bouyant.

Is this normal to not need ANY weights to dive? I must say, it was such a joy to swim around the pool having complete control of my bouyancy and less resistance (with no weights and a relatively deflated BC). It was almost like flying and a far cry from the training dives I took with a full wetsuit and 30 pounds of weight!

For what it's worth, I know that the cylinder will evenutally become more bouyant as I breathe the air out of it during the dive. Also, this was in a pool, so I know I will be more bouyant in seawater, so maybe adding 5-10 pounds is worth doing just to prevent me from ascending without control towards the end of my sea dives. Any input?

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The difference between an AL80 at 3000psig and at 500psig is about five pounds, so you'll have to account for that.

The difference between saltwater and freshwater is about 1.025:1, so if you are neutral in fresh water with an overall weight of about 300 pounds (you plus all of your gear), it will take about another fortieth of your overall weight or 7.5 pounds to make you neutral in seawater.

That puts about 13 pounds on your belt in the ocean.

I'm neutral in freshwater with full double AL80s and a wetsuit. It's neat to swim around in the pool that way, but it doesn't mean anything profound.

:doctor:
I never need weight unless I am wearing my thick 6mm 2 piece wetsuit. I am able to dive fresh or salt water in either a steel or al tank in a 3mm suit and not use any weight. I can remain under water with no problem with a tank low to 400-700-psig. The comfort level is much better not needing weights.

Check this web site out and look under the tips section under buoyancy control.

www.genesisdiving.com

Basically work in the pool until you only have about 400-500 psig remove all your weight and see if you can move as you like up down all around. Do this with whatever wetsuit or drysuit you will be normally wearing. Add only the weight you need that allows you to be most comfortable. Keep your breathing relaxed and steady. The pool is fresh water so you will only need to add about 4-6 pounds for saltwater to compensate wearing the same identical equipment. Remember you want to be correctly weighted for the end of the dive - safety stop. The BCD will comp for the beginning of the dive and at depth

You should be neutrally buoyant at the surface with 500 psi of air in your tanks. Otherwise you will not be able to control the last (and most critical) part of your ascend. If you dive with Al 80's that means 5 lbs. which brings you right where most people are.

Here's a tip from a 13 year divemaster: spend some time exactly measuring your ideal weight (I mean the diving kind... ) and keep track of this in your log (together with info about what exposure protection you were wearing). It is also a good habit to make a buoyancy check part of a safety stop if your tank is around 500 psi.

Weight "calculations", "peer references" and even "divemaster/instructor estimates" are highly inaccurate. You can use them as a starting point, but get wet and fine-tune: it will allow for a much more pleasant dive.
ScubaRon

Don Burke once bubbled...
The difference between an AL80 at 3000psig and at 500psig is about five pounds, so you'll have to account for that.

The difference between saltwater and freshwater is about 1.025:1, so if you are neutral in fresh water with an overall weight of about 300 pounds (you plus all of your gear), it will take about another fortieth of your overall weight or 7.5 pounds to make you neutral in seawater.

That puts about 13 pounds on your belt in the ocean.

I'm neutral in freshwater with full double AL80s and a wetsuit. It's neat to swim around in the pool that way, but it doesn't mean anything profound.

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To be exact you should not put on your weight belt when stepping on the scale. It makes a small difference in the outcome and can extend the life of your scale significantly.
ScubaRon:

ScubaRon once bubbled...
You should be neutrally buoyant at the surface with 500 psi of air in your tanks. Otherwise you will not be able to control the last (and most critical) part of your ascend.

...

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and an empty BC

As a picky, picky point, you should be neutrally buoyant just below the surface, not at it.

donacheson once bubbled...
you should be neutrally buoyant just below the surface

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... you should be neutrally buoyant with minimal gas in the jug(s)... not a whopping 500 psi.

ScubaRon once bubbled... To be exact you should not put on your weight belt when stepping on the scale. It makes a small difference in the outcome and can extend the life of your scale significantly.
ScubaRon:

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I don't take any of my gear on the scale. I already know what the weights and tank weigh and an estimate of the rest would have to be 40 pounds off to make a one pound difference.

Besides, the calculation becomes meaningless the first time the diver checks his trim in the ocean.

Uncle Pug once bubbled...

... you should be neutrally buoyant with minimal gas in the jug(s)... not a whopping 500 psi.

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The difference between 500psi and "minimal" ( lets say 150psi ) in an AL80 is less then 1lb of buoyancy. It's really not that big of a deal unless your some die hard that insists it is.