I am fairly new to diving having just logged #30. I have been using 16 lbs. from about dive #5 and on. This weekend I could not control my buoyancy. I ended up dropping 4 lbs. and I was fine. Why all of the sudden do I have to drop 4 lbs.?
Weight question
- Thread starter jenlaur
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LeadTurn_SD
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Here are some possibilities:
1. Do you have your own equipment, or rent? Reason I'm asking is a change in equipment (less buoyant BC, wetsuit, tank, etc.) could account for the difference.
2. Any recent weight loss and gain in muscle mass? It would probably need to be a fairly big change in fat vs muscle however to account for 4 lbs of lead...
3. And finally, as you've become more comfortable with diving you have probably relaxed, and this means less unconscious movement of the hands and finning, more relaxed breathing and results in less weight needed... also many instructors "over-weight" their students, so it is normal to take some weight off as you gain experience.
Number 3 is probably most likely unless there was an equipment change.
Safe Diving and enjoy the lighter weight requirement!
1. Do you have your own equipment, or rent? Reason I'm asking is a change in equipment (less buoyant BC, wetsuit, tank, etc.) could account for the difference.
2. Any recent weight loss and gain in muscle mass? It would probably need to be a fairly big change in fat vs muscle however to account for 4 lbs of lead...
3. And finally, as you've become more comfortable with diving you have probably relaxed, and this means less unconscious movement of the hands and finning, more relaxed breathing and results in less weight needed... also many instructors "over-weight" their students, so it is normal to take some weight off as you gain experience.
Number 3 is probably most likely unless there was an equipment change.
Safe Diving and enjoy the lighter weight requirement!
Lead hit it right on the head. there are a number of possibilities that could come in play. Was it from fresh water to salt water? Id say most likey culprit though is just the amount of equipment of your using like if you added gloves or maybe a hood or just plain old using diffrent set ups as found in rentals.
nereas
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It would be helpful to know more info.
1/2 mm or 3 mm wetsuit?
Aluminum or steel tank? What size?
Your height and weight?
1/2 mm or 3 mm wetsuit?
Aluminum or steel tank? What size?
Your height and weight?
No rental equipment....all my own since OW checkouts. I consistently use a 3mm suit. No change in tanks or other equipment. I work out vigorously 4 days a week in a boot camp and we have added a little more in our weight workout but I don't think I've gained enough muscle mass to account for the 4 lb. drop. I think Lead may be correct, I may just be becoming more efficient. At least I'd like to think so!
nereas
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If you are boat diving a lot, then on your 15 ft anchor line hang, for your safety stop, you should empty your wing/jacket of air to see whether your sink, float up, or drift perfectly level. Make sure you hold onto the anchor line as you dump your air, so that you don't plunge into the depths.
If any air does come out, and you are at 500 psi in your tanks, then it means you are indeed overweighted. For the next dive, I would then remove 2 lbs (half from either side of your weight belt).
If no air comes out, then you are perfectly weighted.
If this is what you already did, to discover the 4 lbs weight drop, then it makes perfect sense.
And if you did not do this little exercise yet, then you need to do it. And repeat it every few months.
Ultimately you want your breathing to be slow and relaxed, in and out, and all the way out, slower than normal on land. And during your initial descent from the surface, you want to exhale deeply and slowly, to let yourself start to descend slowly underwater. If you are descending really fast, this is another clue that you may be overweighted. A good descent is slow, and is controlled by exhaling, not just by dumping air from your B/C.
You may have been diving with lots of air in your lungs before, or tending to hyperventillate a lot, and that may be why more weight was needed before. Just a guess.
If any air does come out, and you are at 500 psi in your tanks, then it means you are indeed overweighted. For the next dive, I would then remove 2 lbs (half from either side of your weight belt).
If no air comes out, then you are perfectly weighted.
If this is what you already did, to discover the 4 lbs weight drop, then it makes perfect sense.
And if you did not do this little exercise yet, then you need to do it. And repeat it every few months.
Ultimately you want your breathing to be slow and relaxed, in and out, and all the way out, slower than normal on land. And during your initial descent from the surface, you want to exhale deeply and slowly, to let yourself start to descend slowly underwater. If you are descending really fast, this is another clue that you may be overweighted. A good descent is slow, and is controlled by exhaling, not just by dumping air from your B/C.
You may have been diving with lots of air in your lungs before, or tending to hyperventillate a lot, and that may be why more weight was needed before. Just a guess.
Charlie99
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Please explain this statement. If you are underweighted, it is very difficult to control buoyancy, but being overweighted by 4 pounds should NOT cause a problem.
It will cause you to have 4 more pints of air in your BCD to compensate for the extra 4 pounds, but that should be easily controlled.
The air in the BCD will expand and compress as you ascend and descend, requiring you to release air as you ascend and add air as you descend. This is no different that what you need to do to compensate for wetsuit compression.
Having 4 extra pints of air in the BCD makes that adjustment a bit more tricky, but not dramatically so. OTOH, if you are 4 pounds underweighted, then you will have a very difficult time holding a final safety stop with a near empty tank and will have to fin downward.
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To say the same thing in a different way --- being 4 pounds overweight will be very similar to being perfectly weighted, but with 1 or 2mm thicker wetsuit.
I did descend rather quickly (but less than when I had the extra 4 lbs of weight). I had to add more air this time to remain off of the bottom which is why I considered it to be a weight issue. I do work on my breathing and do not seem to suck air. We drift dive in West Palm so no anchor line to hang on. However, when I watch my computer during my safety stop I notice that I have to fin frequently to stay about the 20' foot mark. This is no big deal really. I was just curious to understand why it was happening. Thanks for your responses.
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