Weight Question + Hello

[dougchartier]

Yep, I prefer having more smaller weights than a few big weights -- far easier to make adjustments. This is especially helpful as you start diving with, for instance, different types of tanks and exposure suits. Best of luck!

 

[NorCalDM]

One thing you need to remember is your weighting will change from fresh to salt water. I also make notes in my log book about my gear and weights, fresh or salt water so I can look back at what my setup was and how it worked for me.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

One thing you need to remember is your weighting will change from fresh to salt water. I also make notes in my log book about my gear and weights, fresh or salt water so I can look back at what my setup was and how it worked for me.

Tests should be conducted with 500 PSI or so and an empty BC.

You'll hear a number of rules of thumb about converting from fresh to salt water, but here's the physics and the real formula:

Typical salt water is 1.0256 times more dense than fresh water. (The Red Sea is a bit denser, the Dead Sea a LOT denser).
So let's postulate a diver, who with all their gear including lead, weighs 250 pounds and is neutral in fresh water with 500 PSI,
and an empty BC. That diver is displacning 250 pounds of freshwater. In salt water, that diver will be displacing the same
volume of saltwater, but that salt water weighs 1.0256 times more, or 256.4 pounds, so to stay neutral in salt water, the
diver must add 6.4 pounds to their belt.

So the math is: add to your belt .0256 times the total weight of the system (diver, tank, BC, lead, etc.).


Chuck

 

[wisper7]

Great, thanks! I'll probably have to figure out a way to factor in the added weight of the air since I have only a full tank (I'm sure Catalina has some weighting info out there somewhere), but I'll definitely be using that formula for salt to fresh, since I'll be going between the two regularly (hopefully)

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Get neutral with the full tank, then add six pounds. That might make you a pound heavy, but that's pretty close, and better a pound heavy than a pound light.

 

[3D diver]

This is where maintaining a dive log is usefull. Make a note of the weight you're using, what suit you're wearing, etc., and how your bouyancy seemed & over time you'll dial things in and have a reference you can check when diving in different conditions.

You might also consider setting up two seperate weight belts---one for fresh and another for salt water---if you're going to be doing both regularly.

 

[wisper7]

Sweet, that makes it easier. I just got my weights in today so should be able to test the weight soon. And 3D, I have integrated so won't be able to do that Good idea though.