New guy looking for weighting advice

[mi000ke]

I'm 35 dives into my vast diving career but I got myself down from 18 lb to 10 lb diving a 5mm full suit by spending an hour in a pool with a private instructor (actually a weekly group pool session that I was the only one to show up to) tweaking my weight and trim, then after a few more dives taking the PADI peak buoyancy course and then on several more dives asking the DM for advice about weighting and trim. The dive ops that I have gone with recently seem to have taken it on as a challenge to get my weight down, which is pretty cool. And to Stuartv's point, control of buoyancy is way easier with less weight. At depth I now have very little air in my bcd and can control buoyancy with breath instead.

 

[PatW]

I wear a shark skin (neutral). I weigh 200 lbs and am 6' tall. I dive 11 lbs and I might be a tad bit over weighted.

I would think that 28 lbs is way over weighted. Getting properly weighted is one of the best things you can do for your diving. It really makes a huge difference in your ability to control your buoyancy and helps with your air consumption. You could probably ask around and find some one who can get you properly weighted. It will make a big difference.

 

[Darcimus]

Did a proper weight check tonight and I'm down to 14 lbs. I think my trim is okay too. I seem to be able to control my pitch with my arms (in puts me fins down, out puts me fins up). Why I was diving with that much extra weight....I dunno. Maybe I wanted a workout.

Starting to think I should have done my OW up here. I think a bunch of stuff got lost in translation. Or just didn't get covered at all.

The issue with pool sessions around here is that there's two or three instructors but they're always busy with the students taking OW or refresher. Then there's me....doin my own thing and managing not to drown.

 

[Rred]

I used to wear 30# of lead with a gull 1/4" farmer john and an alu80. I really doubt uou need that with a 3mm suit. The most logical way to tackle this is by 'wasting' an hour ag the shore or in a pool. Start with just your bc and tank, no fins, etc. needed. Just spread out and inhale, exhale all the way. See how much weight you need so that you sink when exhaled, rise when inhaled, with the bc empty.

And write that down.

You need to write notes, because once you get that number, you can repeat with the wetsuit and get the # to add for that. And, look online. You'll find an Alu80 actually has positive bouyancy when empty, so you need to carry that much more lead to still be balanced at the end of a dive. With a steel tank, especially high pressure steel, you can dive with less weight!

Fresh water weighs about 61 lbs. per cubic foot versus 64 for salt water, again you can check the exact numbers and write those down too, in case you are testing in pools or diving in quarries.

It is just a matter of slowing down, taking your time, checking things out and tasking notes, for future use. And then of course, lesrning to control your lung capacity and bouyancy.

If you need sone private pool time or guidance, do it. Cheaper in the long run. Whoever certified you should have gone into this.

 

[diver0008]

There is a technique that I tried that helped. At the surface, with no air in the BCD, your eyes should pop up above the surface with lungs full, and you should descend upon exhale. So, if you need air in the BCD to keep your eyes above water with lungs full of air, try dropping some weight until you don't.

And there's nothing wrong with super slow descents - easy on the ears.

 

[buddhasummer]

28lbs? Wow that is a lot, that's more than I use in a dry suit. As others have suggested a proper weight check is the only sure way to know but if you need 28lbs colour me surprised. Good luck getting it sorted, proper weighting is the key to comfortable, safe diving, well that and air, being warm and a mask that doesn't leak.

 

[RainPilot]

Congrats on getting it down, 14 lbs still seems like a bit much to me but a heck of a first step!

Just be careful of dumping too much too fast, some of the weight you will lose later is due to lung tidal volume dropping when you relax. If you take that off prematurely it will bite you at the safety stop....

 

[eelnoraa]

I kind of agree 14lb is still quite a bit for a 3 mil, but not too far off. Out of that, 4lb is to compensate AL80. Axiom I3 jacket can easily be 4-6lb positive on surface. That makes it 10 already. OP is just 4lb or less over, already a big progress.

 

[RainPilot]

Here's a chart that might help you with some weighting calculations

 

[Darcimus]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I should be able to drop a little more as I have a negatively buoyant AL80 on its way to me (-1.6 lbs at 500 psi). I've been spending a lot of time in the pool lately but I'm hoping that one or more pool sessions is all I'll need before the spring thaw. Bought a new 9/7/6 suit for the cold water that I'm wanting to try out. Might have to tough it out in the pool for 10 minutes or so to get the weight figured out for that one.