Have you ever had to dump your weights?

[WetSEAL]

My instructor said there is basically no good reason to ever dump your weights. Nonetheless, every BC comes with dumpable weight pouches, so clearly the manufacturers feel this is an important feature. I'm curious about all the possible situations in which dumping your weights is actually a sensible thing to do. Here is all I could think of:

1 - A (novice) diver jumps off the boat with so much excess weight that they cannot maintain neutral or positive bouyancy on the surface, even with a fully inflated BC. They start sinking uncontrollably and must dump the weights before ever beginning their dive.

2 - A (novice) diver is significantly over-weighted, but doesn't realize it at the surface because their BC is able to keep them afloat. Later on during their dive, their BC malfunctions or springs a leak, and they are so negatively bouyant that they find it impossible to ascend by regulating their breathing, or without holding their breath for an unsafe period of time, so they need to dump some weights in order to be able to ascend.

3 - The diver loses a large source of bouyancy while on their dive -- for example an extra cylinder that they were planning to ascend with -- and hence need to drop some weight to counteract the unexpected loss of bouyancy.

4 - The diver finds something heavy on the seafloor that they want to bring up with them (e.g., a small treasure chest)

Have you ever encountered a situation where you or someone you know had to dump their weights? If so I'd be curious to hear the story.

 

[DiverDownD3]

Based on the thread the other day

 

[WillHartNZ]

Never encountered having to drop weights but it’s one of those “what if” skills. You’ll probably never need it but it’s worth knowing just like sharing air. I’m sure in the vast world of scubaboard somebody will have had to drop weights.

Knowing how to remove weights on the surface is a skill that I use very often. When climbing back onto small boats removing weights is vital to getting yourself easily back on board.

 

[doctormike]

"My instructor said there is basically no good reason to ever dump your weights at depth if you are properly weighted at the beginning of the dive, with one unusual exception."

 

[IncreaseMyT]

Never had to drop any weights. Cant imagine I would, if equipment breaks its supposed to break open. Meaning that although you would be losing air quickly, you would still have some time before you ran out and you could fill up your BCD.

I can't imagine going from having air, to no air almost immediately. If I did I would be looking for a buddy for air. If I was alone I would switch to my pony bottle and slowly ascend.

If there was somehow a scenario where I had to head to the surface without taking another breath, I am dumping my whole rig not just some weight.

 

[ScottFL78]

So after recently watching some people dive an aluminum 80 and a 5 mil wetsuit and use around 25 lbs of lead.. Yes.. Some people need to be able to ditch some weight. It is really dependant on the type of tank and exposure suit used and I will say it the shape of an individual. This IS a sport, no matter how much some may want to deny it. Some people struggle to get up a boat ladder and some do not. I feel like the weight discussion is a monthly, almost weekly thing but it is important so I don't mind partaking.

 

[Steve_C]

Dropping at depth is different from dropping at the surface. If I ever found myself drifting at sea and it was going to be a while, I would drop my weights just to make myself more buoyant. I would keep the tank until it was empty. Stay on the reg if there are some waves. Since the tank is steel and never buoyant I would drop it when completely empty.

 

[Steve_C]

3 - The diver loses a large source of bouyancy while on their dive -- for example an extra cylinder that they were planning to ascend with -- and hence need to drop some weight to counteract the unexpected loss of bouyancy.

I you loose a cylinder, or hand it off, you will have a loss of weight. Dropping more weight is not a good idea.

4 - The diver finds something heavy on the seafloor that they want to bring up with them (e.g., a small treasure chest)
.

This is very dangerous. If you should loose control of the heavy object, you would shoot to the surface. That is why they teach you how to use lift bags for recovery in search and recovery courses.

 

[ChuckP]

Steel tank and a BC failure with a 1 mil or less wetsuit could lead to some serious treading of water I suppose

 

[nadwidny]

Never dropped my weights. Although I know of instances where someone should have dropped their weights and didn't and now they don't dive anymore. In fact they don't do anything anymore. Death does that to a person.

For your example #4-that's why lift bags were invented.