How much weight do you dive with?

[brucet]

One thing I did to dial in my weight, is went to Blue Heron Bridge, which is a super easy shore dive. When my air got to 500, I went to a sandy area about 15 feet deep, and started pulling weights out of my jacket til I ended up where I wanted to be.

 

[hvulin]

HT: 6' (180cm)
Wt": 230lbs (105kg)
Suit: 2 pcs 5mm
BC: steel plate + small wing
tanks: steel 15L
weight: 9lbs (4 kg)

 

[seaducer]

6' 5" and 255 lbs.

In fresh water with no exposure protection and a jacket BCD...0
In freshwater with 7MM FJ and a BP/W about 13.
In saltwater with a BP/W up to a shorty, 0. Up to a 3MM full, 2.
In saltwater with a jacket and 5MM FJ 24 to sink, 30 to work.
In saltwater with a BP/W and 7MM FJ about 24.

All of the above with a standard AL80 and the back plate adds 6 pounds to whatever I put down.

I might also note that dives in the spring tend to need more lead than those in the late summer or fall, since I get lazy about my workouts in winter, but not so much at the dinner plate...

 

[kaerius]

5'7"
About 140lbs

In saltwater with just the jacket BCD and AL80: 1-2lbs
In saltwater with shortie and jacket BCD, AL80: 3lbs
In freshwater with neoprene drysuit, jacket BCD and 8L steel tank: overweighted with 9lbs, guessing 7 would do.
In freshwater(pool) with just jacket BCD and 8L steel tank: uhm, negative? I was overweighted sans weightbelt

 

[wrybosome]

Cold Water
Height/Weight: 6' 215 lbs
Exposure: 7mm onepiece suit
BCD Style: BP/W (6 lb negative)
Tank: single LP95
Accessories: reel, light
Lead: 10 lbs

Warm Water
Exposure: 3mm shorty
BCD Style: jacket (or bp/w)
Tank: Al 80
Lead: 12 lbs (or 6lb)

 

[Krenath]

5"11" - 145lbs

Pool (~85 degrees):
Exposure: 3/2 onepiece suit
BCD: lightweight jacket
Tank: Single AL80
Accessories: None
Lead: 6lbs
(This weight is almost perfect in the pool but if I have to kneel for long periods, I'll add a few pounds.)


Freshwater (FL springs, ~70 degrees): (Seriously, I hate to be cold)
Exposure: 7mil onepiece suit + 3/2 onepiece suit + 5mil hooded vest
BCD: Same
Tank: Same
Accessories: Lights, slate, shears
Lead: 24lbs
(Underweighted for my Michelin Man costume. At under 20' I'm fine. Above 20' I'm too buoyant.)


Saltwater (Caribbean/Gulf ~90 degrees):
Exposure: 3/2 or rashguard
BCD: Same
Tank: Same
Accessories: Same + sausage
Lead: 14lbs (6lbs without 3/2)
(Possibly a little heavy still, but I had a runaway ascent one time and like to avoid that ever again.)

 

[vladimir]

Sorry to pick on you as you are just the last of a series of post I can't understand.

The OP is much bigger than you, uses 7MM FJ+J rather than a rash guard, uses a poodle jacket rather than a BP, use a heavy steel tank rather than an AL.

With all these differences, how is the knowledge that you don't need lead useful?

None of it's useful, except to demonstrate that it's not. Even with the exact same configuration, it is impossible to determine how much physiological differences are influencing the weighting.

 

[floridanewbe]

I am 6ft and about 240. I dive with 1 mil suit. I use 16 pounds. My wife is 5'9" 225 and she is a floater. Dives with 16 no suit( dispersed 2 pounds in back and 1 pound each leg). Uses 18 and leg weights with 3 mil suit.

 

[aquaregia]

None of it's useful, except to demonstrate that it's not. Even with the exact same configuration, it is impossible to determine how much physiological differences are influencing the weighting.

Quoted for truth.
(I miss the Thanks button, I guess)

 

[EzeeDiver]

6"1", 208 lb...I went from 28 lb in OW cert with jacket BCD, 3mm and AL80 in fresh water, to 4-6 lb in same config. For me, the biggest thing I learned that helped me drop weight was to control my lung volume. Once I learned how to control my diaphragm and tighen up my abs, I would sink like a rock, and was able to drop weight. This took a long time to learn, but when you get more comfortable and relax it will come, almost naturally, at least for me.