"Safe" weight distribution? Weight ditching question.

[dmaziuk]

Don't be silly. I said 'found'. To me - at least - that doesn't include victims "found" on a bench on the boat after suffering a heart attack.

That would be a rational way of looking at it, but I am fairly certain that what it actually means is: "the body was a) dead and b) had weights on when whoever filled in the accident report was examining it". Nothing more.

 

[Professor Nemo]

Doesn't diving with a steel tank and all your lead behind your wing make you unbalanced on the bottom?

Not really. It actually balances naturally because when below I am either parallel to the bottom, which means that the weight simple pushes down on me evenly, or I am perpendicular to the bottom and I can float easily.

 

[Professor Nemo]

Can't just make a blanket statement saying it will or won't. Depends on diver's physique, exposure protection, and other equipment buoyancy characteristics.

True. For example, I am fairly muscular and I don't carry that much weight. I am also hot natured so I dive in a pair of board shorts (bathing suite) and t shirt. I don't wear any sort of wet/skin suite. That alone effect how I sit on the surface. One poster recomended me raising my legs up but that simple pulls my face further forward into the water.

 

[Professor Nemo]

John-
Part of our training was "doff and don". Isn't that still taught anymore as an essential part of basic scuba?
We were sent down to the bottom of the pool, had to ditch our gear, including the weight belt, and put it back on again. Had to deal with ditching our tanks and passing them through a "hole" then putting them back on again afterwards, simulating a penetration or exit from a tight space, as well. Had to learn how to put the gear ON after entering the water. All basic stuff.
I don't know if that was NASDS curriculum or just a great instructor.

But in both of the cases you mention, simple common sense ("the tank is pulling me down, I'd better ditch it") would have done the job, from what this seems. Please, don't tell me doffing and donning is now just under consideration as a PADI advanced technical course....

No, my instructor working with NAUI had us complete that exercise as well.

 

[DiverDownD3]

True. For example, I am fairly muscular and I don't carry that much weight. I am also hot natured so I dive in a pair of board shorts (bathing suite) and t shirt. I don't wear any sort of wet/skin suite. That alone effect how I sit on the surface. One poster recomended me raising my legs up but that simple pulls my face further forward into the water.

Since you are from NC, you either only dive in June-September or you are a lot tougher than me to dive in late November-April when the water temps are in the 50-60s (maybe low 70s) without any kind of exposure protection.

 

[dmaziuk]

Some of us are vacation divers. Where the water is warm and blue and the vis is measured in metres rather than feet.

 

[Professor Nemo]

Since you are from NC, you either only dive in June-September or you are a lot tougher than me to dive in late November-April when the water temps are in the 50-60s (maybe low 70s) without any kind of exposure protection.

I only usually get to dive in the Summer months because of school. I went diving this past weekend off of Wilmington. Bottom temps at the Hyde were low 70s and I was perfectly comfortable. I don't know but I think 60s wouldn't be uncomfortable. I use to swim in non-heated pools in dec./jan. They were probably low 60s high 50s and I loved it. I even enjoy the occasional ice bath.

 

[Edward3c]

I have responded on this issue many times, and I will keep responding.

I once went through several DAN fatality reports, reading the descriptions of the fatalities carefully to look for dropping weights being an issue. I don't remember the exact numbers I came up with, but only a very tiny percentage of the cases of people having their weights on included the possibility that ditching the weights might have made a difference. The largest classification issue involved people who had cardiac issues, usually passing out or dying suddenly. In some of those cases, the people died on the boat after the dive. People who succumbed to oxygen toxicity did not remove their weights, either. Dropping weights would not help in the handful of entanglement issues. In the largest category of deaths due to diver behavior, the divers went OOA, sprinted to the surface in panic, and then died of an embolism on the surface.

IIRC, I determined that in about 10% of the cases, it was possible that dropping weights might have made a difference. Those cases were pretty much all cases in which the diver was found dead on the bottom, with no known reason for the demise. In only a handful of cases was the failure to drop weights clearly a factor in the fatality.

Hi John,

There were two aspects that caused BSAC to change weight training.

1. Divers were making it back to the surface, but not inflating their buoyancy devices or dropping weights. They succumbed to fatigue and drowned.
2. A number on group 1 had released the catch on their weight-belt, but the belt was under other equipment and got snagged.

As part of training for all BSAC diver grades the self removal of weight is a requirement.

I will concede to statistical figures are small, but the number of reaching surface and drowning has reduced.

 

[boulderjohn]

Hi John,

There were two aspects that caused BSAC to change weight training.

1. Divers were making it back to the surface, but not inflating their buoyancy devices or dropping weights. They succumbed to fatigue and drowned.
2. A number on group 1 had released the catch on their weight-belt, but the belt was under other equipment and got snagged.

As part of training for all BSAC diver grades the self removal of weight is a requirement.

I will concede to statistical figures are small, but the number of reaching surface and drowning has reduced.

PADI has added a weight release at the surface exercise into OW training for the same reason.

 

[AJ]

Not being able to swim to the surface without dropping weights in case of loss of buoyancy means you are overweighted. At least thats my humble opinion I can barely stay down with 30 bars left with a steel double 12. Drysuit and wing are completely empty. Even with full tanks I can swim to the surface. It's not easy, but I can do it. Beleive me, I tried.

Droppable weight is a choice everyone has to make for him/herself, no opinion there. Being overweighted is not good in any circumstance and should be avoided at all costs.