How much weight do you dive with?

[TMHeimer]

I'm 190-200 lbs.
7 mil wetsuit I use 34 lbs. diving steel, 40 lbs. AL80
Shortie diving AL 80: 18 lbs. My P.P. Buoyancy instructor couldn't believe I need all that, but saw that I did.

 

[pjhansman]

5'10", 195 lbs. 3mil wetsuit, AL80 in tropical salt water, Knighthawk BCD and 10 lb of lead

 

[gcbryan]

6'1" 190 lbs.
steel 119
SS BP (5 lbs)
weight belt 22 lbs
drysuit
salt water

To the OP since you're new and haven't done a proper weight check I'm sure you will be able to drop about 6 lbs and if you go to fresh water you'll be able to drop another 6 lbs or so.

Everyone is different however.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

JoshuaJ,

When it comes to ballast weight, "You Need What You Need". For sure do a careful weight check the next dive, and you may be able to shed some (or a lot) of weight. Or, you may be pretty close.... only by doing the in-water weight check will you know for sure.

But here is another point of reference:

Me:
Ht: 6'5"
Wt: 265
Exposure suit: 3mm full + 3mm hood + 5mm dive boots;
Tank: Al80

Weight requirement: 18 lbs.

10lbs is in the form of a steel backplate + heavy STA; 8 lbs is "ditchable" on a weight belt.

Best wishes.

 

[sabbath999]

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).

To be perfectly clear, you shouldn't need to have any air at all in your BCD to stay neutrally balanced at safety stop depth with 500PSI (35BAR). If you need air in your BCD at safety stop depth (15-20 feet, 5 meters), you are overweighted, assuming you are diving wet. It's true dry, but you also have to have your drysuit inflated properly as well.

 

[seacreatures]

Just enough depending on the dive and conditions, but no more than required

 

[aquaregia]

Height/Weight: 5'11" 190lbs
Exposure: 7mm singlepiece, with 5mm boots, gloves and hood
BCD Style: Jacket
Tank: Steel 95
Lead: 15lbs

I chucked my wetsuit and regulators in a bucket of freshwater then added lead until I could move them up and down and they'd stay neutral. I grabbed the tank buoyancy numbers from Huron Scuba, added 3% for salt water and dove that just fine. It takes me a couple breaths to descend, but that gives me a ton of time to clear my ears. I usually come close to emptying my tank, so I always get a nice 10'-15' buoyancy check at the end of the dive -- no problems yet.

Edit: I should have added that I can sink naked in a pool, but don't have trouble floating either.

 

[doctormike]

6'2", 245 lbs

Dry suit with midweight under layer, steel 120, aluminum 30 pony, steel backplate.

12 lbs freshwater, 16 lbs saltwater


38 lbs seems like a lot, but maybe you are naturally buoyant...!

 

[Splitlip]

Most OW instructors tend to overweight students. Easier for the instructor if the student is over weighted than under weighted (or even properly weighted).

Too many variables when it comes to weighting to draw any conclusions here. Proper weight checks are in order when gear is changed, physiology changes or too much time has passed. Good idea to log weights, exposure protection and related information, etc over " I saw a blue fish" or even the profile. IMO

In summer now with a 1 mil, steel 100 and aluminum plate, I need no weight (at 15 ft w/~500psi). I do however carry a couple extra pounds because I have a large sausage and also want to be able to crash dive if need be from the surface at the end of a dive. I was run down once by a boat already, and that was enough.

 

[strawhouse]

I was in the same situation as the OP of this thread. I was over weighted for my OW and diving wasnt too enjoyable with all the weight. I just recently spent 2 weekends at the cottage playing around with weight and getting comfortable and I went from a killer 43lbs on my OW to finally 28lbs.

6'3 240lbs
7mm full suit
BC
AL80