Too Much Weight...

[mainedvr]

Been reading as many post as I can find about weighting ones self on the board and elsehwere. My wife and I over the winter took some pool time with an instructor to work on boyancy and well just to keep the feel for diving as we are new and knew we would be diving again come spring.

My question is this, my wife (she is fairly boyant to start) at this point is using around 28lbs in the ocean with an AL80 and her exposure suit (a 1mm with a 5mm over it, 5mm hood and gloves and booties). From all that I have read this seems like too much weight, but even doing pre dive weight test she floats while lungs are full and sinks slowly as she lets the air out of her lungs.
While watching her in the water she seems fine she free assends just fine actually better control than I (Im not out of control she is just in better control), she fins along with no major issues on control (were always working on our boyancy but she does good for our experience). Her major issue is decending, with out that much weight (at least while shore diving) she struggles with getting down and has tried different approaches.
I just recently read about air pockets in and around the BC or exposure suit and I am going to be more observant of her on our next dive. But, with reading all these post of people using 10-15 pounds with a 7mm for example, I just wonder what else we can do to get her weight down. I do realize we will continue to improve over time, just hoping to get some more pointers.

Thanks

 

[tacky]

Does she exhale and keep her fins quietwhile descending? If you have descent buoyancy control you could try descending one or two metres and then observe her.

 

[rongoodman]

How much air does she have in her BC at the end of the dive when she is doing her safety stop? There shouldn't be too much.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

First, don't get too worked up about it. People do like to brag about how little weight they use and then forget to mention they are diving steel tanks or a heavy back plate or diving fresh water. New divers tend to use more. Part of it is new wetsuits tend to be more buoyant then ones with multiple deep dives. Of course, some new divers tend to leave a little air in the BC and also get nervous and unintentionally fin when trying to descend. These issues will resolve themselves with time. Don't forget, female tend to be more floaty than guys, especially if they are curvy.

I have personally witness my sons reduce their weight requirements 10 & 25% over the first year of diving. Just keep and eye on it and do periodic weight checks. Just like reducing SAC, it takes time.

 

[mainedvr]

I will try that and as GrumpyOldGuy said it is about experience and my wife is curvy. Thanks for all the replies

 

[dkktsunami]

The proper way to do a weight check is with a nearly "empty" tank (500 psi) at the end of a dive, at ten feet, with an empty bc. This will assure that all the trapped air is out of your wet suit. The idea here is that you only want to carry the amount of weight necessary to hold your safety stop at the end of the dive. If necessary, you can create this situation by letting air out of your tank by freeflowing the octo - be sure to have buddy near by that knows what you are doing, and be in a safe place such as a deep pool or a lake. You could also start with a tank partially filled but you need to get under for a few minutes to work out any trapped air - a deep pool would work for this. After you have determined the proper weight when you begin a dive you will be approximately 6 lbs. heavy in an al. 80 (the weight of the air in a full tank). Newer divers frequently have trapped air and may need to "kick down". Keep a record of the weight, what gear you are wearing, fresh or salt, etc. This way you won't always have to recalculate weighting.

 

[BabyDuck]

This way you won't always have to recalculate weighting.

the above is an excellent way to do a good weight check, but i have issue with this part, because you *will* have to do it again. and again. and again!

something i don't think the board gets across to people as well as we could is that 'the weight you need is the weight you need, until it isn't anymore.' if your wife needs 28 lb now, lovely. keep diving, though, and that need will change.

when i started, i needed i think 38lb. the next month, it was 18. now in that same set-up, it is 12. when i started doubles, i needed a 11lb tail weight. suddenly, i didn't anymore. when i started sidemount, i needed 4lb at my shoulders. in jan, after nearly a year, that weight was making me miserable & we took it off. i still need some weight, but not where it was.

weight needs are fluid and ever-changing, based on equipment, comfort, experience, and the phase of the moon.

 

[spectrum]

Hi mainedvr,

It could be a lot of things as others have mentioned. You may find this feature helpful.

I take a special interest in helping new divers get off the starting block. I'd be happy to join you folks some day to work on this. I think I have a fair handle on the topic. My wife and I enjoy heading out with other couples. Just drop me a PM and we can set something up.

Pete

 

[dkktsunami]

Spectrum, great essay on buoyancy and trim.

 

[TSandM]

I echo BabyDuck -- it takes what it takes. When I did my GUE Fundamentals class, the first night we had lecture about proper weighting. Talking about how common overweighting is, the instructor looked at me and said, "I've seen women your size wearing 28 pounds of lead!" I smiled and told him that was what I used. He said, "We'll take some of that off you tomorrow."

Well, tomorrow came, and we did our weight checks, and you know what? He couldn't take ANY of it off me, because I am not a stupid woman, and I had done my weight checks -- in fact, I had done them several times. Wouldn't anybody want to know if they could cut down some of that ballast? But with my intrinsically floating body and the massive amounts of undergarment I have to wear to stay warm, 28 pounds is what I need (I've actually gone up to 31, with new undies).

If your wife isn't having instability problems, and if her BC isn't full of air at the end of the dive, she may not be that overweighted. I wouldn't obsess about it. Periodically, she can do a quick weight check during her safety stop -- purge her tank down to 500 psi and see if she can hand you any of her weight and hold her stop. It may well be that, with time, she can do this (especially if she has a new wetsuit that will "break in") but if she can't, it's totally okay. You need what you need, and there is no point in making problems for yourself on ascent just to try to reach some magic, accepted number.