Low buoyancy exposure suit?

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jarand

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Location
Colorado
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I am a 60 yr old woman with more weight and body fat % than I should have. We are in the middle of our 3 week pool class, and I have to wear lot of weight. My 3mm shorty of course means I must add more, and I realize in salt water I will need even more.

We do our open water dives in Cozumel May 1, then we have a week there to (hopefully) dive. Even in warm water, I know I will need something to keep me warm. I sure don't want to add any more buoyancy!! I'm considering Lavacore because my understanding is it can be used alone or under my neoprene shorty.

Lavacore is close to buoyancy neutral, correct? How about Sharkskin? Advice on either product?

Any feedback on whether to get the jumpsuit or a pants/shirt? I read they run small. How small?

Suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks!
 
I haven't used the full Lavacore suit, but I have their hood. I would not consider it adequate thermal protection for anything but short exposures in very warm water. I personally got cold in Cozumel in a 3 mil full suit, but admittedly I was not a new diver, we were using bigger tanks, and our typical dive was an hour or more.
 
I would rent while you are down there, your instructor better be doing a full weight check on you guys once you are on location in the exact gear you'll be using. Suck it up for training and then I would get a few dives under your belt and if possible plan on some weight loss program. There are many studies published about body physiology and its effect on decompression, so it may be worth looking into at your age and body composition. Even in the salt, with a 3mm shorty you shouldn't be needing much more than about 12lbs of lead. If you are wearing more than that, your weight checks were not done properly and/or you are overbreathing. I'd hold off on purchasing exposure protection at this point because you can compensate for the weight belt with a stainless BP/W which can easily remove 8lbs from a belt, and with experience your weight requirements will come down a bit.
 
Thanks. I own the 3mm shorty, but when I tried it at class last night, I ended up needing 6 more lbs.

What is a Stainless BP/W?

Another question, is there a particular BCD that does a better job with larger weights?
 
no offense, but 6lbs for a 3mm shorty is far too much, that is you not being comfortable in the suit and overbreathing. 4lbs is probably closer to the real number especially if it is new.

Read some threads on bp/w's, go to DeepSeaSupply's website and poke around there. Much better bc solution for you especially given your size.
 
This is an easy question... If you want to maximize thermal protection and minimize buoyancy.. then wear a good neoprene hood! and an appropriate wetsuit.
 
no offense, but 6lbs for a 3mm shorty is far too much, that is you not being comfortable in the suit and overbreathing. 4lbs is probably closer to the real number especially if it is new.

ITYM 4lbs for the suit. That's above and beyond the umpteen pounds for the body -- just to clarify this for the OP.

There's something called the swimmer's paradox: more body fat means more buoyancy and more surface area/larger cross-section. You spend less energy on keeping yourself up, but more energy on pushing forward against water resistance. Similarly more body fat will get more thermal protection but you'll need more weight to get it down.

Keep in mind that neoprene's buoyancy changes with depth, I don't think fat does that. Of course if you really are heavier that is good for you, you have other reasons to get rid of some of that fat -- but for the OW dives: what tbone said. Suck it up and rent/take what the instructor gives you. If you get cold on the 1st day, ask for something heavier for the 2nd one, then you'll know what sort of suit you want.
 
I have around 250 dives on my Lavacore jumpsuit and still love it! It is approximately equivalent to a 2mm neoprene suit and has the advantage of neutral buoyancy and no compression at depth. The run about one small for most of our customers. It is very comfortable for me in Caribbean conditions, BUT thermal protection needs vary from person to person.
 
Maybe wait a little while before making a decision. Just a thought. I have seen many new divers shed weight (lead) as they get a few dives under their belt. Pay extra attention to getting ALL the air out of your BC when you feel light, get the exhaust in the highest position you can and make sure the air bubble in the BC gets there too. Make sure your wetsuit if fully flooded. When beginning a dive when everything is dry you will probably get more neutral as your gear gets saturated. Also, you are most probably using AL80 tanks, note the pressure in them when you feel light, they get really floaty toward the end of a dive.
A beanie or hood will definitely help you wear a thinner suit due to the extreme heat loss you get in the head and neck.
 
It's very common for new divers to drop lead weight as they become more experienced. Comfort in the water has a lot to do with this. Even small movements with your fins and/or hands will make it seem as though you need more weight to descend than you actually need. Have your instructor do a thorough weight check in the pool with you. Cozumel is a challenging location for a first time diver. I recommend you have a private DM or instructor with you for at least the first few days. As said, cold tolerance is an individual thing; on the same dive you will see everything being worn from a bathing suit to a 5mm full suit. The Lavacore is a good option, but in my experience it's "near neutral" but not completely neutral. A Lavacore full suit under a shorty is an option. I prefer a full suit, even a Lycra dive skin as a minimum, to protect me from jellies and inadvertent contact with coral and other marine life.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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