dry suit weighting question

[11x]

hello, i got my drysuit all ready to dive but i have a question about how much weight to start with. normaly in my 5mm shorty i dive 10lbs of weight. in my FJ 7mm i dive about 20lbs what would be a good starting weight for my drysuit. i am 6'1'' and about 225. just looking for a good place to start. thanks

 

[TSandM]

Sorry, but this question is unanswerable unless you say something about what you are using for undergarments. Weight requirements with a laminate or compressed neoprene dry suit are pretty much set by undergarment thickness. (With a full neoprene dry suit, this may not be as true.) So -- give us the make of dry suit, the kind of undergarments you will be using, and whether you are diving fresh or salt water, and we might be able to make some ballpark guesses for you.

 

[11x]

good thinking. i never even thought of that. i am diving a dui tls 350 and will be wearing 2 layers of long johns. one layer is micro flece and the other is just a thin wicking layer. diving fresh water quarries.

 

[fire_diver]

It also depends on how much squeeze you are comfortable with.

Sorry, but the only way for you to know how much weight you need is to get into the water with your gear and do a proper weight check.

 

[11x]

i am sure it will require a proper weight check. just looking for a good place to start. 10lb, 15lb,20lb,25lb?

 

[jkleve]

Thanks for asking this 11x, I'm in the same boat and have the same question

 

[tbone1004]

the squeeze is a valid point. I like to be squeezed, so with my nomad and two 120's I sink to the bottom like a rock. Still have a lot of air in the bc at the end of the dive too. I don't wear thick undies, kind of similar to what you have. I have buddies that have double 95's and a steel plate and get light at the end of the dive. what you should do is take 20lbs on the belt. and if you have extra bolt snaps take the 6-10lbs and zip tie the weights to the bolt snaps. Your trim will likely suck, but you can get in with the 30lbs and you'll find out how much weight you need to ditch.
If I'm in warm water, I need 8lbs to get my drysuit down and that's with an empty al80. 4lbs more than I need diving in a bathing suit.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Conduct a proper weight check. There is no substitute for it.
Any "starting point" weight is completely arbitrary, but if you must have a starting point...how does 15 ± 10 lbs. sound?

 

[eponym]

Since you say you're just looking for a place to start, one quick answer is:

Put on the weight you use for a seven-mil, strap on a tank that's already low, get in the water with a buddy who can pass you two pounds at a time at ten feet under, add weight and air until the squeeze is bearable.

-Bryan

 

[TSandM]

It really depends on the undergarments and the range is huge. In MX, warm water, aluminum doubles, I use 7 lbs. In Puget Sound with a single steel tank, I use 31 lbs of ballast.