How much weight do you dive with?

[JoshuaJ]

From what I've read, many dive operations nowadays tend to overweight their OW students to "save time". I'm not going to debate the merits of this practice as it's been done - I'm just curious to know how much weight people carry based on their body type and gear.

I am a novice at 20 dives, and have been carring 38lbs on me since my OW class. It came to my attention after researching problems with holding a safety stop that it is more than likely because I am overweighted and using a lot of air in my BCD which expands quickly in the last 20ft (and inexperience). The next time I get in the water I will do a proper weight check. Unfortuntely the only weight checks we did in OW were, "Here's some weight, lets see if you sink... you do? Alright lets go." I'm looking forward to finding the minimum amount of weight possible and practicing some shallow water buoyancy control and awareness.

Height/Weight: 5'9" 250lbs
Exposure: 7mm farmer john
BCD Style: Jacket
Tank: Steel 94 single
Accessories: UK C6 light
Lead: 38lbs

 

[Garrobo]

Attsa lotta weight. I'm 5'8' and 165#. With a 3mm and BCD I need 16# to sink. With a backplate and horse collar (no BCD) I need 10#. That's in salt water. I NEVER put any air in the BCD or horse collar except to stay off the bottom. When it's time to ascend I let any air out of the BCD and fin up.

 

[Marek K]

I'm about 5'10", 200 lb. Jacket BC. Use a 1mm full suit in tropical salt water. 12-liter/80 cf AL tank.

After careful weight checks and in-water experience, I've been using 10 kg (= 22 lb) of weight, distributed 2/5 - 3/5 between my BC's trim pockets and quick-release pouches.

Seems to me like that's an awful lot, but repeated weight checks have come up with the same. I'm in good buoyancy-control and trim underwater, and any less weight has tended to make me very buoyant at the end of a dive.

I'm not skinny by any stretch, but I suspect at least some of my bouyancy is due to the BC's padding. Please, no lectures -- I like the BC the way it is. But I'm still trying to shave some lead off...

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Everyone is different, so comparing yourself to others is not ideal. My eldest son weighs 250lbs, in a 7FJ+K with hood, gloves and all the other goodies he needs 26lbs with an LP85 tank. He is a bit fluffy and a natural floater to start off with.

 

[Hank49]

With a full 3m suit, a 6 lb backplate...but it's about a lb too much. I'm 6'0", 172 lbs.

 

[Notso_Ken]

Is this fresh or salt water?

I'm 5'11", 165, and also typically dive with a 2pc 7mm suit. In fresh water with an Al80, I use 24lbs. In salt water, I try to get a steel 95 or 100 so I still use 24 lbs.

I recommend that weight check you say you plan to do.


Ken

From what I've read, many dive operations nowadays tend to overweight their OW students to "save time". I'm not going to debate the merits of this practice as it's been done - I'm just curious to know how much weight people carry based on their body type and gear.

I am a novice at 20 dives, and have been carring 38lbs on me since my OW class. It came to my attention after researching problems with holding a safety stop that it is more than likely because I am overweighted and using a lot of air in my BCD which expands quickly in the last 20ft (and inexperience). The next time I get in the water I will do a proper weight check. Unfortuntely the only weight checks we did in OW were, "Here's some weight, lets see if you sink... you do? Alright lets go." I'm looking forward to finding the minimum amount of weight possible and practicing some shallow water buoyancy control and awareness.

Height/Weight: 5'9" 250lbs
Exposure: 7mm farmer john
BCD Style: Jacket
Tank: Steel 94 single
Accessories: UK C6 light
Lead: 38lbs

 

[JoshuaJ]

@GrumpyOldGuy - I know everyone is different, I am just curious about ballpark figures. I'll be bringing all 38lbs that I've been diving with to my next dive and hopefully I'll get to leave 10+lbs on the shore

@Notso_Ken - I've been diving in SW but my next dive will be in fresh so obviously I'll need less weight already. On my next SW dive I'll bring that amount plus a few extra lbs and do another weight check.

 

[tkdgodess]

Height/Weight: 5'8" 150lbs
Exposure: 7mm neoprene drysuit, w polartec medium loft undergarments, hood & mitts.
BCD Style: wing/softpack
Tank: single 80AL
Accessories: camera/slates/finger reel/6' dsmb/HID lightcanon/rescue mask/wetnotes/shears/
Lead: 26 lbs Salt, 22 lbs Fresh

do a weight check! I do one once a month.

 

[Dhboner]

5' 9", 180 lbs and I use 17.5 lbs in a full 7mm wetsuit with hood, booties and gloves and an AL80 in fresh water (16 lbs in my drop pouches and a 1.5 ankle weight on my tank valve...helps me trim out nicely).

I started at 29 lbs and have been dropping weight as I gain more experience.

With 17.5 I have to do a strong exhale to begin the dive (until my suit fills and starts to compress) and then I add a little air as I descend. I have done a few buoyancy checks and I have no trouble holding a stop with 500 psi at 15-20'.

 

[Teamcasa]

Height/Weight: 5'9" 250lbs
Exposure: 7mm farmer john
BCD Style: Jacket
Tank: Steel 94 single
Accessories: UK C6 light
Lead: 38lbs

Height/Weight: 5'11" 260lbs
Exposure: DrySuit
BCD Style: BP/W WTX Harness
Tank: HP100 Steel
Accessories: Video Camera (heavy)
Lead: Total lead/BP/trim = 35 - 40lbs depending on undergarments and water temps.

Warm Water Config:
3/5MM suit, 26 - 28 total w/steel tank, +5 with AL80