Fresh to Salt weight question

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Dnaber

Contributor
Messages
297
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Location
North Florida
# of dives
100 - 199
Been doing alot of spring diving lately and have gotten my bouyance down pretty good. Now next Saturday I'm going to go do a drift dive and I have a question about my weighting. In the fresh water spring I've been diving a 5/3 suit with 10lbs, next week I'll be in a skin but in saltwater. Do you think the fact that I going to dive saltwater with a skin offsets the fresh water in a 5/3 suit? In my mind it should offset..... but I'm to new to not ask the question.

Thanks in advance.
 
You are in the ballpark, you'll probably need about 6-8 lbs due to your tank (I assume Al80) and the small buoyancy of the skin and BCD. So 4# for the tank and 2-4# for the remainder. As always, do a weight check.


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Yes, you're in the ballpark but do a weight check when you get there. Also, talk with the Divemaster or Instructor leading your dive about how strong or turbulent the current might be. It might make sense to add an extra pound or two if drift diving is new to you. Sometimes divers new to drift diving find it challenging to stay down during safety stops and an extra pound or two might help until you get used to it.
 
I wear a full 7 mill suit with an AL80 and I add 3 to 4 lbs going from Fresh water to NJ Ocean - 8 lbs if I intentionally want to sink in salt water. Cooper River in SC comes to mind when I wanted to be planted on the river bed - salt water fossil hunting in a current. I am 170lbs - 5'8" if that helps.
My thought is you are in the range of 4 lbs... as stated above try a check if you can. If you can not do a check prior - I recommend you go a tad heavy - 5 lbs so you don't cork and waste time getting additional weight - I find it a pain to get back out of the water for more lead. My 2 cents.
 

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