[SCUBA Chick]

Hi!

I feel a bit of a numpty posting this but as I am new to this UK diving lark I hope that you will bear with me!

Right I have got myself sorted with my cold water diving gear and before I did this I had already completed my drysuit course. When I did my course I was wearing a Northern Diver Vortex suit and one of their undersuits and gloves (can't remember the thickness I'm afraid!) with a 12l steel. I used 8kg of lead and had no problems descending.

So, I got myself an Otter Brittanic Membrane drysuit (with the telescopic middle) and a 200 undersuit with gloves and hood. But, when I went to try out the new kit, again with 8kg of lead and a 12l steel I was too floaty to descend. Luckily I had taken my fourth element long sleeved top which I swopped for the undersuit (as the water temp was a tropical 19 degrees) and then was able to sink without a problem.

The dives were done at Caperwray so we are talking freshwater rather than saltwater....

What concerns me now is how much extra lead to buy for both the ability to descend in fresh water but also for the sea water diving which we will be moving onto shortly once I have sorted my weight requirements out...

For the record I am around 10 stone in weight and am 5 feet inches tall....

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as drysuit diving is all new to me!!!!

Cheers

Scubachick