To weight or not to weight

[iztok]

Can't really add anything more except to establish trim as well. That will help with air consumption since that you're swimming in a streamlined fashion, not to mention preserving the environment by killing everything in your path with your fins.

Get the weight dialed in.

Learn buoyancy skills (this is an ongoing task).

Get the body trimmed out.

Work on air consumption.

Once you get the basics done then begin on other specialty skills like photography or hunting.

I just did my first PPB dive (counts towards my AOW) and honestly I think I fumbled a lot more then on any other dive. Trying to do better got me all twisted up in a wad But having said that I did learn few things to practice and I might take second PPB dive as my specialty. Which will bring me to 5 specialties completed (nitrox done, night done, deep review done doing first two dives on 8/15, wrech signed up for, dives on 8/15-16, had empty spot that might do with PPB).

 

[BettyRubble]

One point on dumping weight…

While overweighting and failure to ditch contribute to their share of A&Is, looking at old DAN reports it seems that uncontrolled ascents contribute to as much if not more. Because of that, I’ve been trying to keep a balance between easily ditchable weight and weight that I’m less likely to loose.

I’d be interested in what more experienced divers think:

Assuming you are carrying enough ditchable weight to become positive in any reasonable scenario, is the ability to become even more positive worth the added risk of an uncontrolled ascent if you accidentally loose it?

This happened to me at Dutch. Lost my weight belt at 40 feet but was lucky enough to be near a line so I put my head down and swam my arse off till I grabbed the line. Anywho, I share your concern. Right now I am entirely 'integrated' in my Zena BC but am really toying with the idea of splitting that weight between the BC and the belt.

 

[qrpc]

This happened to me at Dutch. Lost my weight belt at 40 feet but was lucky enough to be near a line so I put my head down and swam my arse off till I grabbed the line. Anywho, I share your concern. Right now I am entirely 'integrated' in my Zena BC but am really toying with the idea of splitting that weight between the BC and the belt.

During my AOW dives at Dutch my buddy for a dive had a weight pouch fall out at around 60ft. He had the other pouch plus some added weight on the BC, and we were near somthing he could hang on to, so there was no real issue. Like you, he didn't panic and did what he needed to do, but it's not hard to imagine how a routine incident like this could be part of a much more serious chain of events.

 

[BettyRubble]

During my AOW dives at Dutch my buddy for a dive had a weight pouch fall out at around 60ft. He had the other pouch plus some added weight on the BC, and we were near somthing he could hang on to, so there was no real issue. Like you, he didn't panic and did what he needed to do, but it's not hard to imagine how a routine incident like this could be part of a much more serious chain of events.

Exactly. You know what . . I'm going home tonight and work out the weight split. I'll dive the belt this weekend. . .

 

[iztok]

Exactly. You know what . . I'm going home tonight and work out the weight split. I'll dive the belt this weekend. . .

Cold freshwater 7mm for me I have the following (need 16lbs):

6lb non-ditch-able pockets on my BC.
5lb left ditch-able pocket on my BC.
5lb right ditch-able pocket on my BC.

More then likely I will not lose more then one pocket by accident. So this gives me good spread.

3mm I need 12lbs (freshwater):

6+3+3

This works for me in regards to splitting the weight. I will need 6+4+4 in saltwater for my 3mm this weekend I think.

 

[BettyRubble]

Cold freshwater 7mm for me I have the following (need 16lbs):

6lb non-ditch-able pockets on my BC.
5lb left ditch-able pocket on my BC.
5lb right ditch-able pocket on my BC.

More then likely I will not lose more then one pocket by accident. So this gives me good spread.

3mm I need 12lbs (freshwater):

6+3+3

This works for me in regards to splitting the weight. I will need 6+4+4 in saltwater for my 3mm this weekend I think.

My Zena doesn't have alot of pocket options so it's a belt plus the ditchable portions of the zena. But I love the zena so I'll try the belt and see how I like it.

 

[johnl45]

I started diving before BC's and I'm a floater to boot so this BC thing is new to me. Now that I'm back it I appreciated all the tips from you guys and gals.

Thanks

 

[ptyx]

During my AOW dives at Dutch my buddy for a dive had a weight pouch fall out at around 60ft. He had the other pouch plus some added weight on the BC, and we were near somthing he could hang on to, so there was no real issue. Like you, he didn't panic and did what he needed to do, but it's not hard to imagine how a routine incident like this could be part of a much more serious chain of events.

Rum helping, I had a "killer" idea yesterday night!

To protect against accidental release of your weights, just double your weight and put in each weight pouch what you'd normally split between both. That way, if you happen to loose one, you still have enough ballast to ascent under control!

(What? It seemed like a good idea at the time... - oh, and that's the beginner forum so just making sure: don't do that!)

 

[BettyRubble]

Rum helping, I had a "killer" idea yesterday night!

To protect against accidental release of your weights, just double your weight and put in each weight pouch what you'd normally split between both. That way, if you happen to loose one, you still have enough ballast to ascent under control!

(What? It seemed like a good idea at the time... - oh, and that's the beginner forum so just making sure: don't do that!)

Yeah, better stick with the pre-Rum ideas!

 

[sibermike7]

Great job working this all out Betty!
Be careful not to dump too much and find yourself positive at the end of a dive!

Do you know the buoyancy difference of your tank between full and empty?

When I started drysuit diving I found that the difference between the air I carried and couldn't get out of my drysuit before submerging and the increase buoyancy of an empty tank was about the same! This made it really easy to set the amount of weight I needed to carry.

Any plans to add drysuit to the mix?