How many of you actually take the time to properly weight yourself for: 1) your normal diving conditions; and 2) when you have changed up your diving or gear set-up (i.e. warm water, cold water, fresh water, salt water, change in equipment...etc.)?
And how do you do it - properly weight yourself?
All-to-often when I head to warm water I see divers hitting the water who either haven't dove in forever or who don't dive in warm water regularly. When getting ready to go diving, they simply grab a bunch of weight - as long as they can get down, they don't really care about proper weighting. That is when I see reef/wreck damage occur thank to divers slamming down or with horrible body positioning due to improper weighting.
Diving in cold waters, I have learned to appreciate proper weighting. I don't really prefer to carry more weight than necessary for the diving situation I am preparing for (it obvious varies depending on my set-up and if I am diving with students or my regular dive buddies).
Proper Weighting
Started by
Dive_Girl
, May 04 2006 01:29 PM
61 replies to this topic
#1
Dive_Girl
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 01:29 PM
It's Winter time - you know you're a diver when you're scraping ice off your windshield INSIDE your vehicle...!
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
#2
PerroneFord
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 01:40 PM
I don't wear any weight.
#3
Dive_Girl
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 01:44 PM
Then the weight of your gear must be sufficient - what is your setup and exposure suit? What water do you dive, fresh or salt?
I have to add weight to certain of my gear configurations in the PNW (salt water diving) due to my drysuit and undergarment - the exception is when I dive doubles - I don't have to add any weight to anything bigger than 85s. I don't with 85s, but do add about 4 lbs so I can have the luxury of adding additional air to my suit for the longer deco stops.
I have to add weight to certain of my gear configurations in the PNW (salt water diving) due to my drysuit and undergarment - the exception is when I dive doubles - I don't have to add any weight to anything bigger than 85s. I don't with 85s, but do add about 4 lbs so I can have the luxury of adding additional air to my suit for the longer deco stops.
It's Winter time - you know you're a diver when you're scraping ice off your windshield INSIDE your vehicle...!
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
#4
Capn Jack
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 01:51 PM
Me too. In fresh water, with a 3mm full, I'm ok with just my backplate. I usually haul extra weight for students, and to make sure I can hang on in case they try to bolt.I don't wear any weight.
Diving without ditchable weight worries me a little bit. However, if I carried any, I'd still be where I am when I dropped it.
What does the audience think about shifting to a composite backplate, and dusting off my weight belt?
No aquarium, no tank in a marine land, however spacious it may be, can begin to duplicate the conditions of the sea. And no dolphin who inhabits one of those aquariums or one of those marine lands can be considered normal.
Jacques Yves Cousteau
Jacques Yves Cousteau
#5
Dive_Girl
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 01:53 PM
Jack - what kind of tanks are you wearing? Steel, Alumnium, size?
It's Winter time - you know you're a diver when you're scraping ice off your windshield INSIDE your vehicle...!
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
Once in a while, it is good to step back, take a breath, and remember to be humble. You'll never know it all - ScubaDadMiami. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve - Lao-tzu. One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him - Chinese Proverb.
#6
Capn Jack
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 01:59 PM
Single Luxfor AL-80, hog harness, 5# SS backplate. In my pocket, I've got small EMT shears, crescent wrench, small light, & plastic finger reel, all with double-enders. Back of the plate I hang a 6' SMB.Jack - what kind of tanks are you wearing? Steel, Alumnium, size?
I also carry a t-rex titanium knife to compensate up for my other shortcomings.
No aquarium, no tank in a marine land, however spacious it may be, can begin to duplicate the conditions of the sea. And no dolphin who inhabits one of those aquariums or one of those marine lands can be considered normal.
Jacques Yves Cousteau
Jacques Yves Cousteau
#7
PerroneFord
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 02:01 PM
Then the weight of your gear must be sufficient - what is your setup and exposure suit? What water do you dive, fresh or salt?
Singles config:
Fresh Water
5MM shorty (farmer top)
SS Backplate
AL80
Doubles config
Fresh water
5mm Shorty
7mm Hood
SS Backplate
Al80 x 2
Can light
Backup light
I've tried 4-6 pounds on a belt, and that works ok when I want ditchable weight, but Im usually fine without it. I took my doubles config down to 450# last weekend and was ok. I may try to hold at 10ft with that config this weekend and see if I can do it.
#8
Latitude Adjustment
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 02:04 PM
"What does the audience think about shifting to a composite backplate, and dusting off my weight belt?"
With a 3 mil, al80 tank and my stainless steel back plate I only had 3# of ditchable weight. For travel I got a DSS composite BP and a 20# wing, unfortunetly on the Utila trip with only three dives before the doc banned me from the boat I didn't get much time to fine tune the setup.
With a 3 mil, al80 tank and my stainless steel back plate I only had 3# of ditchable weight. For travel I got a DSS composite BP and a 20# wing, unfortunetly on the Utila trip with only three dives before the doc banned me from the boat I didn't get much time to fine tune the setup.
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#9
ScubaDadMiami
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 03:13 PM
"What does the audience think about shifting to a composite backplate, and dusting off my weight belt?"
With a 3 mil, al80 tank and my stainless steel back plate I only had 3# of ditchable weight. For travel I got a DSS composite BP and a 20# wing, unfortunetly on the Utila trip with only three dives before the doc banned me from the boat I didn't get much time to fine tune the setup.
For travel, where there are weight restrictions for flying, this is about all you can do. You can also get a set of weight pockets or the pockets that you can put around the tanks. These all work with standard lead weights.
"The most important thing is not to stop questioning." Albert Einstein
"For the diligent diver, closed circuit rebreathers are actually safer than open circuit scuba." Tom Mount
"For the diligent diver, closed circuit rebreathers are actually safer than open circuit scuba." Tom Mount
#10
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 03:43 PM
For a couple of years now I've been measuring and keeping track of SW buoyancy for my individual gear items that are more than 1 lb + or minus. It's kind of a pain, but I only need to do it once. That way I can make reasonable adjustments to my weights when I add or subtract gear from my setup. I also make notes in my dive logs about weighting for the setup I was diving, particularly if it was good. That way I can go back and reference it later.
Like you, I don't like excess weight, since it tends to make buoyancy control more difficult.
Having said that, I would rather be a few pounds heavy than a few pounds light.
Like you, I don't like excess weight, since it tends to make buoyancy control more difficult.
Having said that, I would rather be a few pounds heavy than a few pounds light.
BB
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When you make fish laugh, they can't bite you.
#11
Basslet
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 04:01 PM
I hate people like you!!I don't wear any weight.
#12
VADiver
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 05:28 PM
I was weighted pretty good when I was diving a 3mm or 5mm wetsuit with dbl AL 80's, a SS backplate (6lbs), and a can light w/ 2x backups.
Now that I'm in my dry suit the weighting is a little off... My last dives were (brackish water)
(1) DBL AL 80's, SS backplate (6lbs), 8lbs V-weight, and my can light w/ 2x backups.
(2) DBL ST 130s, AL backplate (2lbs), can light and 2x backups.
TYhis weekend I'll practice with these configurations.
Now that I'm in my dry suit the weighting is a little off... My last dives were (brackish water)
(1) DBL AL 80's, SS backplate (6lbs), 8lbs V-weight, and my can light w/ 2x backups.
(2) DBL ST 130s, AL backplate (2lbs), can light and 2x backups.
TYhis weekend I'll practice with these configurations.
#13
Diverbrian
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 10:34 PM
Gee,
My normal configuration involves a six pound backplate, double HP130's or HP100's, and a drysuit with two layers of undies. Add in a LP45 and/or AL40 stage and I typically sink like a rock. If I dive a single HP120 with my Venture Wing, I will generally put in about six lbs of weight into my DUI Weight Harness but I haven't done that in quite a while.
Actually, I consider this an important topic. Too many divers are over/underweighted and it definitely takes the fun out of a dive when you have to kick down to hold a safety stop or have the excess drag from a ton of extra weight. I had to recover one student's weight belt last weekend from 30 ft. of water (fell during the remove/replace at surface drill) and nearly had to use my lift bag out of my backplate to bring it up. I would hate to see what happens if the student drops that.
My normal configuration involves a six pound backplate, double HP130's or HP100's, and a drysuit with two layers of undies. Add in a LP45 and/or AL40 stage and I typically sink like a rock. If I dive a single HP120 with my Venture Wing, I will generally put in about six lbs of weight into my DUI Weight Harness but I haven't done that in quite a while.
Actually, I consider this an important topic. Too many divers are over/underweighted and it definitely takes the fun out of a dive when you have to kick down to hold a safety stop or have the excess drag from a ton of extra weight. I had to recover one student's weight belt last weekend from 30 ft. of water (fell during the remove/replace at surface drill) and nearly had to use my lift bag out of my backplate to bring it up. I would hate to see what happens if the student drops that.
A person should be judged in this life not by the mistakes that they make nor by the number of them. Rather they are to be judged by their recovery from them.
#14
6Gill
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 11:05 PM
Gee,
Actually, I consider this an important topic. Too many divers are over/underweighted and it definitely takes the fun out of a dive when you have to kick down to hold a safety stop or have the excess drag from a ton of extra weight. I had to recover one student's weight belt last weekend from 30 ft. of water (fell during the remove/replace at surface drill) and nearly had to use my lift bag out of my backplate to bring it up. I would hate to see what happens if the student drops that.
Most people are not taught how to do a proper weight check and most students tend to be overweighted by the instuctor as this makes it easier to contol them(they stick to the bottom).Because of the BCD people find it easier to get away with being overwighted,pre BCD days ment having to work at the surface if packing to much weight.
Going through some o/w manuals from a varity of agencies and ranging from late 70's to 90's,the newer manuals spend the least amount of time discussing weighting,checking it and stressing the importance.
I'd be intrested to hear from people as to what was taught in their open water about determiningand self-checking their weight and how much time was spent on weights.
#15
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Posted 04 May 2006 - 11:30 PM
PADI circa 1994.. check to see at the end of the dive, with 500psi if you could empty the BC and float eye level.
Me, circa NOW, with 400psi, can I hold a 10ft stop.
Me, circa NOW, with 400psi, can I hold a 10ft stop.
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