Weight Calculator

[cwhite6]

Someone posted a link to an easy weight calculator to help get weight in the ballpark and I cannot find it. I also do understand you still need to do a weight test. I ask because last time I dived the DM did a proper weight check on me and I used 16# of lead in addition to my 6# SS plate. This was with a steel tank, a 7mil suit and in cold water. I will be diving next week in Destin, FL wearing a 3mil suit, an AL100 or 80 and my BP&W. I need to get close before I get on the boat as the operator I am going with gets you the weights before you get on the boat (and I have to rent them!). Anyway, any help and that link I am looking for would help a lot!

 

[muddiver]

You are brobably not going to need any lead weights with all the other junk you are going to be wearing. I would say a maximum of 2 additional lbs.

I base my assesment on my lead requirement for cold water is 26 to 28 lbs with a 5 mil wet suit and aluminum cylinder, no back plate.

In warm water I use around 8 lbs with a 3/2 mil wet suit.

With a thinner wet suit, a steel cylinder, a back plate and warm water you are going to loose a lot of buoyancy.

 

[DiverDean59]

Hope this helps. This may be a little heavy but should give you an idea. Taken from PADI Manual.
Exposure Suit Type	Start With
Swimsuit/dive skin	1 - 4 lbs
3 mm/1/16 in. one piece wet suit, shorties, jump suit	5% of your body weight
5 mm/3/16 in. two piece wet suit	10% of your body weight
7 mm/1/4 in. wet suit w/hood & gloves	10% of your body weight, + 3 - 5 lbs
Neoprene dry suit	10% of your body weight, + 7 - 10 lbs
Shell dry suit, light undergarment	10% of your body weight, + 3 - 5 lbs
Shell dry suit, heavy undergarment	10% of your body weight, + 7-14 lbs
Salt/Fresh Water change
Body Weight	Add(going to salt) or subtract (going to fresh)
100 - 125 lbs	4 lbs
126 - 155 lbs	5 lbs
156 - 186 lbs	6 lbs
187 - 217 lbs	7 lbs

 

[muddiver]

Nice table.

 

[NAM001]

THIS IS THE ONE I USE CANT FIND IT NOW ON HTE NET BUT HERE IS SOME STUFF


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© Constantin Novoselsky, AKA Selytch, 2006-2010

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Someone posted a link to an easy weight calculator to help get weight in the ballpark and I cannot find it. I also do understand you still need to do a weight test. I ask because last time I dived the DM did a proper weight check on me and I used 16# of lead in addition to my 6# SS plate. This was with a steel tank, a 7mil suit and in cold water. I will be diving next week in Destin, FL wearing a 3mil suit, an AL100 or 80 and my BP&W. I need to get close before I get on the boat as the operator I am going with gets you the weights before you get on the boat (and I have to rent them!). Anyway, any help and that link I am looking for would help a lot!

 

[dallaskincaid]

Wow, that seems like a lot of weight...

 

[OldNSalty]

I usually carry no weights, Aluminum plate and a steel 72 with a 3 mil...in fact I only wear the 3 mil to try and give me some positive lift

If you dive off the Sea Cobra in Destin they have a huge bucket of weights for use free but of course the supply is limited.

Have fun, dive some wrecks, hit the jetties, enjoy the fireworks (every Thursday) and pay attention to the flags on the beach.

 

[cwhite6]

Thanks for the help guys!!! I am doing a boat dive with Emerald Coast Scuba. I really find it odd that I have to pay for the tanks extra. In CA, the boats had the tanks on board and included. I will also probably be doing a dive at the Saint Andrews Jetties in Panama City. I was thinking that AL 100 might require me to have some weight to weigh it down. I think I will start with 8lbs and bring a few extra on board to see.

 

[EastCoastWreckDiver]

This calculator cant be right, I wear 10lbs in a 5mil in salt water and this is saying im going to need like 23lbs. That's just dangerous.

 

[munselln8]

I agree with East Coast...I just dove in 3mil saltwater and AL80, with a 6lb. plate and wore 2 extra lbs (total of 8 lbs). my safety stop was effortless and I really felt like I could have gone without the extra two lbs. this chart implies that I should have had 14 total lbs (8lbs on the belt, 6 in the backplate). Holy cow!! I would have been anchored Even with 2 lbs on the belt I had a shot or two of air in the BC at bottom...granted I was diving with about 9%-10% body fat. Even when I am at 15% bf in a 7mil w/hood and gloves I only wear 6-8 lbs on my belt....I would say...base it off of your experience and maybe add a few lbs as a safety (nothing worse than a paid charter where you are stuck on the surface unable to drop)...