Is it normal to not need ANY weight?

[softballer]

When I am in the pool using no wetsuit and no weights I sink to the bottom like a rock.

A few of my friends who have been working with me in the pool need weight even without a wetsuit.

When I wore my 3m shorty I need about 8lbs - but this was at the beginning of class. Wondering if I was over weighted originally or does the wetsuit really make that much difference?

 

[aquaregia]

I usually wear two 2lb weights in the pool with a full 3/2, but it's more than I need.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

When I am in the pool using no wetsuit and no weights I sink to the bottom like a rock.

Is this with your BCD + tank or without all of that scuba gear?

A few of my friends who have been working with me in the pool need weight even without a wetsuit.

When I wore my 3m shorty I need about 8lbs - but this was at the beginning of class. Wondering if I was over weighted originally or does the wetsuit really make that much difference?

Please describe in detail how you are doing your weight check.
Are you allowing for how much gas was in your tank at the time of the weight check?

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

When I am in the pool using no wetsuit and no weights I sink to the bottom like a rock.

A few of my friends who have been working with me in the pool need weight even without a wetsuit.

When I wore my 3m shorty I need about 8lbs - but this was at the beginning of class. Wondering if I was over weighted originally or does the wetsuit really make that much difference?

Everyone is different regarding how much weight they need.... even folks of the same gender, height and weight can vary quite a bit. While an experienced instructor or mentor can make a "guesstimate" of your ballast weight requirements, the only way to really know is to do a good weight check in the water..

Many (most?) new divers leave basic OW class over-weighted. As most new divers gain experience (assuming they dive frequently) they are able to remove some weight.... sometimes a surprising amount.

Your weighting requirements will change as your equipment configuration changes, your exposure suit changes, if you gain or lose a lot of weight, etc.

It is very possible for lean divers in thin "tropical" exposure suits to not require any weight at all.

Best wishes.

 

[Cave Diver]

I used to dive with a 3 mil shorty and no weights at all. A few years later and little more fat and a little less muscle now and I need about 2-4lbs to comfortably hold a safety safety stop with an empty tank.

Individual weighting needs vary.

 

[irishsquid]

I don't wear any weight when diving in my wetsuits. If you are weighted properly w/o a need for lead, lucky you!

 

[softballer]

Is this with your BCD + tank or without all of that scuba gear?

Please describe in detail how you are doing your weight check.
Are you allowing for how much gas was in your tank at the time of the weight check?

This is with all gear bcd full tank etc everything but wetsuit

When we did our weight test it was with a full tank but I think it's supposed to be much less than that right?

 

[CamG]

Greetings softballer and I have seen other students who needed very little weight even with a wet suit. It really depends on individual divers body mass and make up.
That is why a proper weight check is very important to determine exactly how much you will need to dive safely and be able to maintain a safety stop @ 15 feet.
How was your buoyancy once your tank pressure reached 500psi? I always do another weight check at depth to determine exact weight requirements once my tank or tanks are at 500psi. I rarely if ever let my tanks get to that low of pressure but in the emergency application I want to know I can hold a stop. Run away ascents are never a good idea, we always want to maintain buoyancy control at all times during a dive.
I love experimenting with different variations and exposure protection. The same tanks will respond differently diving wet, dry, or no suit at all. You can find some really cool options while experimenting. Good luck and have fun, you are never to old just to play in the water though now we call it experimentation.
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[Bubbletrubble]

This is with all gear bcd full tank etc everything but wetsuit

When we did our weight test it was with a full tank but I think it's supposed to be much less than that right?

Thanks for the additional info.

Review the section of your OW class book that describes how to do a proper weight check. Here's one way to do a weight check: Enter the water while wearing all of your dive gear, including a near empty tank (approx. 500 psi). With your BCD fully deflated and while breathing on your reg, add enough lead weight so that the water is at eye-level while holding a normal breath.

You can do a weight check with a full tank, but you will have to compensate for that in order to be properly weighted. Bear in mind that as you use up the gas in your tank, you will become more positively buoyant. The point of being properly weighted is that you want to have enough lead to comfortably hold a safety stop (15 ft. deep) with a near empty tank. With an AL80 tank, the buoyancy swing from full to empty is about 6 lbs. If you did your weight check with a full tank, then you should have added an additional 6 lbs. of lead on top of whatever allowed you to remain at eye-level.

Hope this helps...

 

[softballer]

Thanks for the additional info.

Review the section of your OW class book that describes how to do a proper weight check. Here's one way to do a weight check: Enter the water while wearing all of your dive gear, including a near empty tank (approx. 500 psi). With your BCD fully deflated and while breathing on your reg, add enough lead weight so that the water is at eye-level while holding a normal breath.

You can do a weight check with a full tank, but you will have to compensate for that in order to be properly weighted. Bear in mind that as you use up the gas in your tank, you will become more positively buoyant. The point of being properly weighted is that you want to have enough lead to comfortably hold a safety stop (15 ft. deep) with a near empty tank. With an AL80 tank, the buoyancy swing from full to empty is about 6 lbs. If you did your weight check with a full tank, then you should have added an additional 6 lbs. of lead on top of whatever allowed you to remain at eye-level.

Hope this helps...

When we get back in the pool this week for practice I am going to try what you suggested and see if it makes a difference.