how much weights for new freediver ?

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Ahmed Yahya

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Hi
how much weight should i use ( or start with ) for freediving to a depth of 6-10 m ? i am 71 kg and don't use a wetsuit. i just need to beat the positive buoyancy at the surface so i don't have to fight to get to the bottom.

---------- Post added October 21st, 2013 at 03:55 PM ----------

any advice please ?
 
I would like to know as well! I've been reading about freediving over the past few days, and am going to be giving it a shot tomorrow (without weights, since I don't have any at this point). From what I've read (anyone, please feel free to correct me, as I don't know for 100%), it's however much weight will make you neutrally buoyant at a depth of 10m/33ft. As for any idea of a good bet for an amount to start with before fine-tuning it, I have absolutely no idea. That's what I am hoping to get out of this thread.
 
The recommended amount will give you neutral buoyancy at 10 meters / 30 feet. At least that is what has been advocated by PFI. This depends on the buoyancy of the exposure suit you wear. With a 3mm wetsuit, I only needed 3lbs of weight. In Monterey, California, where I usually dive, I need a full 7mm wetsuit. I need 10lbs of weight to be neutrally buoyant at 10 meters. Your exposure suit and your body composition will determine your overall weight requirements. Certainly, a body builder that is under 10% body fat will need less weight, given the same thickness exposure suit.

By the way, you do have to kick a little harder at the surface. This will get easier, as you refine your entry technique and become more efficient. I think that's one of the major obstacles. We, beginning freedivers, do not have a very clean entry and use a fair amount of oxygen trying to get down.
 
I think that's one of the major obstacles. We, beginning freedivers, do not have a very clean entry and use a fair amount of oxygen trying to get down.

thats 100% true. i tried freediving a couple of times before by myself and i could hold my breath up to 1.5 mins but the problem is reaching down to 6 to 10 m consumes most of my oxygen !!!
the other thing is that i'll go dive in a place where i can't buy weights so i'll take everything with me. i will not wear any suit as its warm water about 20 C. so i guess 2 kg of lead should be OK.
what do you think ?
 
For starters I wouldn't recommend 2kg.

1kg and a full lung volume (from the surface) will still have you positively buoyant at 2ata. It's safer to start like this until you're really comfortable suppressing your breathing reflex.

Like most things in life, start slowly and work you're way up.
 
The neutral at 10 meters recommendation is primarily for line runners. The depth comes from the "Rule of Nines", which refers to 99% of freediving blackouts happen at the surface or less than 5 meters deep.

Generally, wearing enough lead that you float at the clavicles with a full breath, will make you neutral at 10 m.

Note that weighting is more complex than such a simple statement of "neutral at 10 m"... for example, if you wear a 7mm suit, the suit will compress enough at 20 meters to make it extremely difficult to get off the bottom. It will take stiff fins and strong legs. In this case you'd wear less lead, which makes the surface departure more difficult.

I am 91 kg and have strong legs. I wear 2.5 kg in salt water in a swim suit; 7 kg with a 5mm Yazbeck suit. (note! My lungs have been tested at 8.5 liters, not the usual 6 liters)


All the best, James
 
thanks for the advice.
i didn't understand what you mean by "My lungs have been tested at 8.5 liters" though. would you explain , please ?
 
I believe he means lung volume. Most adults have approx. a 6L lung volume which of course compresses with depth.
Spot on!

...I am apparently something of an anomaly...

All the best, James
 

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