New DMT, carrying extra weights is really affecting my buoyancy. Help!

Hi all

I've recently enrolled on the Divemaster course, and as a requirement, I must now carry two extra weights with me. I've found this is affecting my buoyancy control and trying to think of ways to combat this.

I usually dive with 3 x 800g weights on a belt. I've tried (and prefer) 2 x 800g and had great buoyancy for 75% of the dive, but started to ascend pretty rapidly as I started to get low on air, so I never tried that again.

I'm currently diving with 5 x 800g weights, 3 on my belt and 2 in each of my pockets. I am having great difficulty establishing buoyancy and having to play with my BCD during different parts of the dives.

I've considered the option of diving with 2 on my belt and 2 in my pockets, but in the event of me having to give the extra weights to a customer, I run the risk of the ascent issue above.

Is there a way around this issue? Has anybody else had similar problems? Any help would be greatly appreciated as it's driving me insane!

Have you just not updated your profile, or do you really have less than 50 dives and plan to work as a divemaster handing off weights to customers?

Hmm,can't really give helpful input since im pretty used to diving with a ton or none depending on the course or surrounds. Are you sure your buoyancy is actually that good if 2kilos is making such a massive difference? Fair enough trim might be out but it sounds like you as a dmt are yoyoing from a small change? Or did i misread

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Not to sound harsh but if you can't handle carrying 2 extra weights without you buoyancy being greatly affected, why are you trying to become a dive master?

I don't mean to come of as rude or condescending, but if these tasks are giving you buoyancy problems, maybe you aren't ready to be a divemaster quite yet. I wouldn't certify someone as DM that couldn't do that with ease.

Now, to be helpful, you probably just need to practice this.

Go practice on your own somewhere shallow, since at the end of the dive is a common time when folks get light. Pick up weights off of a platform (or some other safe place to put weights down), add air to your bcd to compensate, then drop them off and dump some air out. Do this with a full tank a few times, then around 500 repeat it again a few times. You want to do this alone so you when you get in front of students or customers, you're rock solid. As a DM you should display role-model dive skills.

Of course, a proper weight check for your divers would alleviate the need to carry extra. I don't have my DMs carry any extra weight on dives.

PsyWulf:

Hmm,can't really give helpful input since im pretty used to diving with a ton or none depending on the course or surrounds. Are you sure your buoyancy is actually that good if 2kilos is making such a massive difference? Fair enough trim might be out but it sounds like you as a dmt are yoyoing from a small change? Or did i misreadSent from my GT-P7500 using Tapatalk

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Well all I really know is that buoyancy is fine using two/three weights and problems arise when I put on the two extras. I need to add air to my bcd so I don't descend, but it never feels 'right', and I have to adjust the amount of air during different parts of the dive. I don't understand how I can 'do it' one minute, then as soon as the extra weight is added I can't. To clarify, I'm not all over the place with five weights, but I can't maintain the same level control and composure I have with three. How do you adapt to diving with a ton of weights?

When you are overweighted you need to put more gas in your BC. Now there is more gas in your BC to expand and contract. As you go up a bit, so you will need to dump more gas, and add more in on the way down. This is a bigger problem on shallow dives where the pressure gradient is higher.

Being overweighted as you are, there is a learning curve. Don't expect it to be the exact same as your normal weighting. You will need more input/output of air at those moments. But it should be intuitive by feel. If it's not you need to work on that part of bouyancy on your own time with your correct weighting. Because in that case, you still don't fully understand it.

dvdcssm:

I'm currently diving with 5 x 800g weights, 3 on my belt and 2 in each of my pockets. I am having great difficulty establishing buoyancy and having to play with my BCD during different parts of the dives.

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Unless you're holding constant depth, that's how you're suppose to operate during a dive.
I touch my inflator and dumps every time I make a 1m depth change and hold. A much more relaxing option rather than relying solely on lung volume to control your bouyancy.

You should keep with three on your belt and 2 in your pockets. Handing off the pocketed weights to needing students/customers.
Better option would be to do a bouyancy check and hand off weights BEFORE the dive begins. After your initial dive, all students should be good to go.

Part of being in the leadership rating of DM, Instructor, and AI is having this knowledge. Become familiar with bouyancy checks and the different results you're looking for when doing one with a St tank and an Al 80 tank. This is both familiarity with yourself and when evaluating other people.
Additionally be familiar with noticing when someone isn't dumping air on ascent, that way you won't make the HUGE/COMMON mistake of over-weighting students, thinking they're under weighted even after loading them with 5 or more kilos.

Weight your students before the dive begins, and you won't have to weight yourself off your norm on the majority of dives.
Worst case scenario, you hand off one weight and be trimmed off center for the dive. Not the end of the world, should only cause an annoyance.


If you can't control your bouyancy with those extra weight because you're not touching your inflator (that's normal). Touch your inflator. Give it some input and output.
If you still can't control your bouyancy, I suggest you have some work to do before you continue your DM.

dvdcssm:

Well all I really know is that buoyancy is fine using two/three weights and problems arise when I put on the two extras. I need to add air to my bcd so I don't descend, but it never feels 'right', and I have to adjust the amount of air during different parts of the dive. I don't understand how I can 'do it' one minute, then as soon as the extra weight is added I can't. To clarify, I'm not all over the place with five weights, but I can't maintain the same level control and composure I have with three. How do you adapt to diving with a ton of weights?

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Okay thanks for clarifying!

Sounds like a practice issue then truth be told. As another poster mentioned training by picking and dropping weights is a great way to learn finer control. Fine adjustments to breathing and bcd is always needed while diving so the key is to practice and get comfortable managing it passively. This is experientially earned

The only real difference with a ton of weight is you must be more aware of your depth changes as the extra air and weight are multiplicative and need bigger adjustments

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Personally I'd ask the instructor why he doesn't just do proper weight checks with new divers and weight them correctly before allowing them in open water. And make them do weight checks on every OW dive so that his DM's don't need to mess with this.

Also agree that if you can't manage with extra weight to control your buoyancy you are likely not anywhere near ready for a DM class.