Salt Water Weighting verse Fresh Water

[DavidHickey]

Good morning,
Just another question regarding my upcoming Bonaire trip. I've done most of my dives in fresh water quarries here in Ohio. Is there any calculation on how much weight you can normally get rid of in Salt water verse Fresh water?

Thanks
David

Ps. I'm not used to warm water diving does anyone normally wear a drysuit in warm water? I was going to leave mine at home for this trip.

 

[erparamedic]

Salt water makes one more bouyant... thus you will need more weight... but I'm not sure how much more. It's been several years since I've dove the ocean, so I don't have an answer to "how much more". I would also like to see the answer to your question... as I will be diving WPB in December, and my freshwater weighting has changed, so I don't have a clue where to start with salt water weighting.

My parents are avid divers, and travel the world diving in warm saltwater. They recommend leaving the dry suit home. They LOVE Bonaire, and say it's one of the best places to do LOTS of shore diving.

 

[RICHinNC]

The good news is....where ever you stay will probably have a qual dive you have to do after your orientation. No one will probably go with you and all it is for is to get your weighting proper.

I used a 3/2 full suit and could have gotten by with a skin and shorty. I dont like diving exposed skin.

Just get a pile of weight from your shop and go slow in adding to your pouches. Once you have it down right....youre good. But try to get a tank with less than 500psi for better accuracy.

 

[imaswfan]

Hi David, you will actually need to ADD weight in Salt water assuming you are diving the same suit. I'm not sure of a true calculation as everyone is different. Plan on adding a few pounds and a salt water weight check may be a good idea, if possible.

As far as exposure protection, I usually dive a 3 mil shorty or jumpsuit in warm water. I would say a dry suit is pretty unusual in the Caribbean.

 

[Don Wray]

roughly 4 to 6 lbs more using the same equipment...if you add equipment such as lights, reels, etc. that will add weight also

 

[gangrel441]

Leave the drysuit home. Way too much luggage and part of the fun of diving in the tropics is the contact with the water. Unless you are going Tec deep, you won't need it!

Salt water is denser, and makes you more bouyant, trading your dry suit for a .5 mil or 3/2 suit will make you less bouyant. My educated guess is that you will need considerably less weight if you dive wet down there. Diving with a 3 mil full body jump suit, I only use about 6 lbs of lead in salt water.

 

[dkktsunami]

Good morning,
Just another question regarding my upcoming Bonaire trip. I've done most of my dives in fresh water quarries here in Ohio. Is there any calculation on how much weight you can normally get rid of in Salt water verse Fresh water?

Thanks
David

Ps. I'm not used to warm water diving does anyone normally wear a drysuit in warm water? I was going to leave mine at home for this trip.

If you are using the same gear (wet suit, hood, etc) and referring to warm water, single tank recreational diving you will need appx. 6 additional pounds. You will be adding weight. To calculate exactly weigh youself in full gear with fresh water weights and all gear that you normally carry. Multiply this weight by .025 and add to your known fresh water weight.

David K.

 

[Cudabait]

David,

I would suggest a 3mm full jumpsuit. You'll burn up in a dry suit in Bonaire. Reason for the 3mm is that you'll find your core temp becomes more cooled with the number of dives you make daily. More dives = more heat loss. If you get too warm in the 3mm, just open up the collar and sleeves and let water in...it'll cool you right down.

As to the weighting in SW.........I suggest you do a buoyancy check on arrival before first dive..One way, and not the only way, is to put all the gear on that you are going to be diving in. Probably with an AL 80cf tank. Do it with a full tank. Get in the water in such a way and place that you can add or remove weights. Let all air out of BCD and weight yourself until you are neutral at the surface (water across eye level of mask on a normal breath of air. (rise when inhale, sink when exhale) Then add an additional 4 to 6 lbs. to compensate for the positive buoyancy you will gain at the end of each dive due to the loss of air in the AL tank. Hope this helps and enjoy your trip!

Regards,

 

[DavidHickey]

Sorry about that guys, I Know your more bouyant in salt water, was just brain dead when I typed it.
Thanks
David

 

[scubaaaronh]

A 3 mm shorty and a skin is all my wife and i used. She gets cold easy and she never got cold or chilled even with doing four dives a day.

As far as weight i usually use 22 lbs here with a 7mm one piece and there i used 18 lbs with a 3mm shorty.