how much weight do I need
- Thread starter seaworm
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Remember, the lead is mainly for your exposure suit...so;
What kind of suit?undergarment? Tank?
Really rough guesstimate would be around 25 lbs but ensure you do a proper buoyancy check.
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What kind of suit?undergarment? Tank?
Really rough guesstimate would be around 25 lbs but ensure you do a proper buoyancy check.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
underH2Oman
Contributor
I think there are too many variables that affect buoyancy for someone to give you an accurate number online. I have done drysuit dives that I needed 28 pounds of lead and drysuit dives that I do not wear weight.
Some variables include:
-Type of suit
-type of thermals
-how the suit fits
-type of tank used
-etc...
You are best to get into the water and perform a weight check.
Some variables include:
-Type of suit
-type of thermals
-how the suit fits
-type of tank used
-etc...
You are best to get into the water and perform a weight check.
flots am
Contributor
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Enough, but not too much.
Nobody can tell you on the internet, you'll need to get geared up with whatever you're wearing, and get into the water with a weight harness and about 35 pounds of small weights in a float or on the edge of the pool, and a buddy.
Vent the suit and have your buddy add weight to the harness pockets until you just start to sink.
If you have a full tank, also add the weight of the air you'll lose when you breathe it (about 6 pounds for 80 CuFt).
You'll need somewhere between 6 and 35 pounds of lead and nobody can tell you how much it will be.
Only you can do that.
flots.
industrious95
Contributor
With a DUI TLS350 with DUI Actionwear 2 piece underwear in S/W:
Ankle weights: 3 lb (1.5 lb ea)
Aluminum BP 1.5 lb
Weighting with tanks:
With an 80 lb AL (I believe it's a Catalina 80), I use 24 lb on my waist and 4 lbs on the tank
With a PST Steel 120, I use 24 lb on my waist.
If you look on DUI's website at DUI Thermal Guidelines For Drysuit Diving - DUI Online - drysuits, there are charts to estimate your weight based on underwear, tank size and weight. They also have conversion factors for salt water to fresh water. In my case, it says to add 6 lbs for fresh. But that depends on diver weight.
Using their chart, I'm a bit overweighted, but as everyone else told you, you'll figure out what works by trial and error.
Ankle weights: 3 lb (1.5 lb ea)
Aluminum BP 1.5 lb
Weighting with tanks:
With an 80 lb AL (I believe it's a Catalina 80), I use 24 lb on my waist and 4 lbs on the tank
With a PST Steel 120, I use 24 lb on my waist.
If you look on DUI's website at DUI Thermal Guidelines For Drysuit Diving - DUI Online - drysuits, there are charts to estimate your weight based on underwear, tank size and weight. They also have conversion factors for salt water to fresh water. In my case, it says to add 6 lbs for fresh. But that depends on diver weight.
Using their chart, I'm a bit overweighted, but as everyone else told you, you'll figure out what works by trial and error.
As most people have said, you can't be sure without a proper weight check. I teach dry suit classes, and I spend a lot of time on this. I think a lot of dry suit divers are really over-weighted, and I have heard some of them giving what I consider to be very bad advice about how much weight is needed. My normal dry suit needs with a single tank, for example, are under 20 pounds. I think most people my size will be using 30 pounds or more.
Your underwear makes a big difference. The one time I wore my fluffiest underwear with a single tank, my weighting needs skyrocketed. I couldn't believe how much lead I had to put on (and I can't remember what I ended up with).
Your body composition makes a big difference. I know some highly skilled and experienced divers who absolutely need much more weight than I would have ever thought they would.
The amount of gas you carry in the suit makes a big difference. If you carry a lot of gas, you will obviously need more. A pound of lead is roughly equal to a pint of gas volume. A lot of people strongly advocate keeping just enough gas in the suit to keep from feeling squeezed, in which case they would need less weight than some others. Some people, in contrast, are very aware that more air in the suit leads to a warmer dive, and in colder water they are willing to deal with the extra weight in order to get the extra air in the suit.
Your underwear makes a big difference. The one time I wore my fluffiest underwear with a single tank, my weighting needs skyrocketed. I couldn't believe how much lead I had to put on (and I can't remember what I ended up with).
Your body composition makes a big difference. I know some highly skilled and experienced divers who absolutely need much more weight than I would have ever thought they would.
The amount of gas you carry in the suit makes a big difference. If you carry a lot of gas, you will obviously need more. A pound of lead is roughly equal to a pint of gas volume. A lot of people strongly advocate keeping just enough gas in the suit to keep from feeling squeezed, in which case they would need less weight than some others. Some people, in contrast, are very aware that more air in the suit leads to a warmer dive, and in colder water they are willing to deal with the extra weight in order to get the extra air in the suit.
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