how much weight
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Ed Marshall
Contributor
I don't think there's any way to know that without experimentation. But how much neoprene are you talking about? Just the bottom piece, or both pieces? And how thick?
Ed
Ed
ScubyDoo
Contributor
There are several factors in play when determining your weight.
1. Fresh Water or Salt Water? You will need more weight in salt water due to extra buoyancy that salt water has (usually about 5 extra pounds)
2. What thickness is your Farmer John? The thicker it is, the more weight you will need.
3. Personal body composition. If your a skin & bones, you wont need as much weight as you would if you have a lot of body fat (because fat is buoyant).
I can tell a little about myself and what I wear, and perhaps that will give you an idea of the weight difference.
When diving fresh water in my 3mil farmer john (which overlaps and gives 6mil at the body core), hood, fin booties, and 2 mil gloves....I usually wear about 14 to 16lbs. If that was salt water, I'd wear about 20-22lbs. I'm a medium built guy with little body fat. With no wetsuit whatsoever, I dont really need weights at all (in fresh water), but I usually always take a min. of 4-6lbs to allow for an emptying tank increasing my buoyancy at the end of the dive... So...in my case, the 3mil farmer john adds about 14lbs buoyancy to me in fresh water....20lbs in salt water. Ive never worn my farmer john in salt water though, as all my salt water diving is in warm tropical waters.
You need to start with a best guess, and then do your buoyancy check at the surface. Then add/subtract weight as needed till you float at eye level holding a normal breath (no air in BC). You'll just need to experiment with each wetsuit you use, and with varying water conditions. Mark the weight used in your logbook for future reference.
1. Fresh Water or Salt Water? You will need more weight in salt water due to extra buoyancy that salt water has (usually about 5 extra pounds)
2. What thickness is your Farmer John? The thicker it is, the more weight you will need.
3. Personal body composition. If your a skin & bones, you wont need as much weight as you would if you have a lot of body fat (because fat is buoyant).
I can tell a little about myself and what I wear, and perhaps that will give you an idea of the weight difference.
When diving fresh water in my 3mil farmer john (which overlaps and gives 6mil at the body core), hood, fin booties, and 2 mil gloves....I usually wear about 14 to 16lbs. If that was salt water, I'd wear about 20-22lbs. I'm a medium built guy with little body fat. With no wetsuit whatsoever, I dont really need weights at all (in fresh water), but I usually always take a min. of 4-6lbs to allow for an emptying tank increasing my buoyancy at the end of the dive... So...in my case, the 3mil farmer john adds about 14lbs buoyancy to me in fresh water....20lbs in salt water. Ive never worn my farmer john in salt water though, as all my salt water diving is in warm tropical waters.
You need to start with a best guess, and then do your buoyancy check at the surface. Then add/subtract weight as needed till you float at eye level holding a normal breath (no air in BC). You'll just need to experiment with each wetsuit you use, and with varying water conditions. Mark the weight used in your logbook for future reference.
Scuba Jerm
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No way to tell without trying it first like Ed mentioned. However I can tell you I'm 5'10" 165lbs. I needed 25lbs of weight with a 7mm Farmer john. My Wife, who is 5'2" at 150lbs needed 29lbs. Hope that gives you an idea.
Scuba Jerm:
And to narrow it down a little more....
I am 5-11, 191 lbs. With a 3mm Farmer John and hood (don't forget that little item if you have one), I have used 12-14 pounds in salt water in the past.
[Scuba Jerm, you need to eat a few hamburgers! And does your wife know you wrote that post?]
ScubyDoo
Contributor
boulderjohn:
I hate to get off topic here...but at 5-10, 165 Scuba Jerm is at ideal weight for his height, which is becoming ever more rare these days. Instead of him eating a few more burgers, I'd suggest others probably need to eat less. Proper fitness and health is afterall a major part of diving. Im 5-9, 155 and hope to stay that way as long as I possibly can.
ScubyDoo:I hate to get off topic here...but at 5-10, 165 Scuba Jerm is at ideal weight for his height, which is becoming ever more rare these days. Instead of him eating a few more burgers, I'd suggest others probably need to eat less. Proper fitness and health is afterall a major part of diving. Im 5-9, 155 and hope to stay that way as long as I possibly can.
Just joking, of course.
You may want to check the article last summer in Alert Diver about how hard it is to actually tell a person's level of health and fitness from a weight chart. According to those charts, Tatum Bell, the Denver Bronco running back who is one of the fastest runners in the NFL, is officially obese.
I don't want to hijack the thread though--I was just throwing in a friendly quip.
It looks like the advice above will give you a starting point, and then you can determine the amount of weight on your own. A 7/5 suit will give you 12mm over your core. If you are in Salt water, I believe you will need at least 20 lbs, probably more.
As far as the hijack goes...I like the Tatum Bell analogy.
As far as the hijack goes...I like the Tatum Bell analogy.
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