Weighting wetsuit to drysuit

[Arfie]

Originally Posted by Buoyant Babe

Don't build your hopes up - you need what you need. Good luck trying it out

Oh I know I need what I need, I just hope I need less.

Time will tell tomorrow, I may need a fork lift to get my kit to the water though.

Arfie

[calski]

Originally Posted by ratcliffe

MY GOODNESS, He Lives!!! Hello there Callum!

Hi Derek!

Hope you're well!

calski

[PeeBee]

Arfie

I don't know how big you are but I'm 14 and a half stone 6 foot tall, dive a seaskin like yours with twin 12s and 4th element stuff underneath. In a puddle I need about 5Kg and 8kg in the sea, I used to dive with 12 or 14 Kg but once I'd worked out where the air was I got rid of the lead and still expect to lose more. Being overweighted made it harder for me to dump air from my suit so it's worth spending ages getting your weight sorted.

I'd also add (at the risk of kicking off another argument) that if you are new to diving a dry suit then be cautious about using the wing underwater. You will have to put air into the suit to take of squeeze so as you ascend you need to think about getting rid of excess. If you are also having to think about managing the air in your wing then you will have more to think about than you need. This is particularly true if you ascend too fast with the corresponding gas expansion then it becomes a potential incident pit. Certainly as you get used to the suit then using the wing as well makes sense but I'd suggest only using the wing at the surface at first.

Good luck hope it's nice and warm and dry.

[mala]

Originally Posted by Arfie

OK, so after caving in to peer pressure I have finally relented and bought a Seaskin membrane drysuit and Fourth Element Arctics, just in time for the weather warming up.

Anyone got any idea as to the difference (if any) it will make to my weighting changing from a 7mm with 7mm jacket to the drysuit? I currently use about 12.5KG in puddles with the wetsuit but none at all in the pool with a 2mm shorty, but all the rest of the same kit on.

My hope is that I will be shedding some lead as that is an aweful lot of uncompressed neoprene especially in my size. But I remember Bouyant Babe saying she thought I might end up with MORE lead

Any idea's so I know how much lead to pack for tomorrow?

Arfie

i'll guess you might need less.

[Buoyant Babe]

Originally Posted by mala

i'll guess you might need less.

Let's start a useless poll

[Arfie]

Cheers Peebee,

I'm about your height but a tadge heavier

No need to worry about a wing, I use a BCD and a single

Arfie

[Arfie]

Well I used the same weight as I normally do and I was having a floaty feet issue. A quick purchase of spring straps and that was sorted.

Second dive I ditched a couple of KG and I'm sure once I'm more used to this drysuit malarky I could drop another KG or two, not quite the 6-8KG that Endo had me hoping I could drop, but still, it's good news.

So a full 7mm wetsuit and overjacket is more bouyant than a membrane drysuit and arctics.

Arfie