Correct Weighting

[Dangerous Dan]

The last dive i did was in my 4mm compressed neoprene Northern Diver Divemaster, 12 litre cylinder + 3 Litre Pony, Buddy Stab jacket etc.
This was a fresh water quarry dive and i had 12 Kg of weight on my weight belt but still felt underweighted, the instructor suggested using ankle weights but reading about ankle weights on a recent thread i dont want to move to them, straight away.
I personally weigh 10.5 stone if that helps.
In comparison to the weight on other divers weight belts this already seems a lot. Also what weight do i add for the same setup in saltwater?
Any suggestions would be appreciated?
Thank You

[NeilP]

Just do a weight check to get your weight right, it doesn't matter how much or how little you need, aslong as you are not underweighted.
Best to do this with an empty cylinder.

Too much and your air consumption will increase, too little and you may find yourself unable to hold a stop at the end of a dive.

Again, it doesn't matter what the weight is, we are all different. It's not 'trendy' to have a little, or alot. It takes what it takes.

Myself? I'm 13 stone, use a Membrane suit with FE Arctic top and bottoms, 15ltr and a pony - I use 9kg of shot.

I only dive in seawater, so it will be less for freshwater.

[nigelH]

You need three kilos extra in the sea.

OK you really need 2.7% extra on your total kitted up weight including current weights, tanks, the works but that is near enough three kilos for everybody.

[Mark Griffith]

I often dive with an advanced instr who has over 30yrs under his heavy belt.
He carries 34lb and always has had to.Dont be taken in by all the talk of having to carry less,get yourself neutrally buoyant @6m with 50bar in your tank and you wont go far wrong.
Cheers

[RoscoLad]

Hi, there is a very similar thread running on Diverforum.com at present.

To address your concern over the large amount of weight you need:

I also dive in the ND Divemaster and for sea I require 15kg. The thread under diverforum suggests the 'problem' maybe due to the undersuit. I am guessing but do you use the Flectron undersuit. One diver reported that diving in thermals rather than the undersuit can allow you to reduce your weight requirements. Try a pool dive in the dry suit without the Undersuit...I have yet to, so cant comment..but it sounds interesting.

Also on the Othree website there is an interesting advert for their undergarments, commenting on the large weight requirments of 'woolie' undersuits.

The difference for sea/fresh water (for me) is 2-3kg.

For me, once I was aware of this, the fact that I'm carring 15kg, although stops me from running around, I at least feel that its nothing I'm doing incorrect and therefore there is no 'problem'.

Hope this helps.

[keith_henson]

im diving a tri-lam aquion (old skool) stylee drysuit, 400g woolie (im a wuss and have less than 4% body fat), twin 12s, ss backplate, CD wing and require 8lbs ( approx 3.6kg) in fresh water. with 1/2kg on tail of tanks. Salt water is add 7kg, better be a bit heavier than lighter as lesson learned in stoney with mattbin!

might invest in a shot belt this summer


keith

[MATTBIN]

Go with that Keith, I popped onto the surface during last weekend's sea dive as I couldnt hold the 6m stop once I got to 30bar, should of added a bit as I was a tad underweighted, just a nice slow ascent from 5m, missed about a minute or two of safety stops so no drama. Better heavy than light - too true.

Matt

[AirHog]

Originally Posted by RoscoLad

I also dive in the ND Divemaster and for sea I require 15kg. The thread under diverforum suggests the 'problem' maybe due to the undersuit. I am guessing but do you use the Flectron undersuit.

Although I am not an instructor by any means, I can speak from fairly recent experience on this and say that at least some of the 'problem' is to do with the experience of the diver(s) in question.

I bought an Otter Skin and Commercial 200 undersuit at the NEC in 2003. Dived it and was finding I needed an awful lot of weight (14-16kg) to hold stops and such like with little air left in my tanks (look at the username). Blamed the uindersuit and so bought an Uggi at LIDS in 2004. Dived this and removed 2kg from my belt striaght away. Between these 2 events I think did more diving than I had done in the previous 4 months, but this didn't register. Cold spell over Jan/Feb this year so decided to move back to the 200 undersuit for extra warmth. Didn't change my weighting at all.

Looking back over the last year, I have gained more experience in different conditions than over the previous 2 years. I started drysuit diving in earnest and also changed from single to single/pony and now to twins. I now dive 8-10kg in fresh water, depending on cylinder config and 10-12 in salt, again depending on cylinder config.

The fact that I am more comfortable in the water/with my drysuit and, basically, with my skills is what has lead <no pun intended> to me dropping weight - not so much the kit I dive with.

Just my thoughts.

Mark

[Dangerous Dan]

[quote=RoscoLad]I also dive in the ND Divemaster and for sea I require 15kg. The thread under diverforum suggests the 'problem' maybe due to the undersuit. I am guessing but do you use the Flectron undersuit.
Also on the Othree website there is an interesting advert for their undergarments, commenting on the large weight requirments of 'woolie' undersuits.

The difference for sea/fresh water (for me) is 2-3kg.
[quote]
Yeah i dive a Flectron 200 undersuit, i think im goin to try 15 KG in the sea

[Allan Carr]

Originally Posted by keith_henson

might invest in a shot belt this summer


keith

Really recommend you do. I have back problems and it makes a huge difference. My 28 year old fit healthy son got one recently and commented how much more comfortable it is.