Weighting wetsuit to drysuit

[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

[Naomi S]

I could be wrong and i'm sure someone will pipe up if i am but i think you need more for drysuit especially the more clothes/ thick undersuit you have underneath. It depends on how much air you are going to put in it too. Personally i use bcd for bouyancy and just put enough in suit to take the squeeze off.

I'd recommend messing about with weight in the pool before going into open water with a new suit.

[endoman]

I've raided the church roof and we have a supply of a little more! I'm still sure you'll be able to loose some weight, all that neoprene was ever so floaty.

[Arfie]

There is no way I am going near a pool at 28C in a drysuit and undersuit, I'll be dehydrated in a matter of minutes.

I will probably be using the BCD for bouyancy it seems most other people I know do that (cue a load of "I use my suit" posts )

Arfie

[Buoyant Babe]

Originally Posted by endoman

I've raided the church roof and we have a supply of a little more! I'm still sure you'll be able to loose some weight, all that neoprene was ever so floaty.

Big Church, was it?


I'm not so sure about the needing less weight endo, think of all the air in a membrane drysuit. I'd add more, and take extra with you too. YOu can always take it back off.

I used to wear 11k to get me under in my last membrane, and that was with my Weezle. With my Arctics I needed more...and I was stick-thin at the time. With my neo suit and arctics I needed 13k with a single tank.

[calski]

Definitely more I'd say. In my wetsuit I'm using 8Kg, in my drysuit, it's 14Kg plus 2 x 1Kg ankle weights.

Mind you, I'm rubbish in my drysuit (not enough practice) so maybe I could get it down with more messing...

HTH

calski

[endoman]

Originally Posted by Buoyant Babe

Big Church, was it?

I a few kilos when I went from Thinsulate undersuit to the arctics, but I'd also dived a bit more which helped.

We'll know the answer this time tomorrow, and maybe church goers will be dry on Sunday :-)

[Arfie]

Originally Posted by Buoyant Babe

Big Church, was it?

Bitch

Originally Posted by Buoyant Babe

I'm not so sure about the needing less weight endo, think of all the air in a membrane drysuit. I'd add more, and take extra with you too. YOu can always take it back off.

I'm taking tons of the damn stuff, I just don't want to carry it

Originally Posted by Buoyant Babe

With my neo suit and arctics I needed 13k with a single tank.

This is what I'm hoping will cause the difference, you see you used 2KG more in a neo suit so the neo is more bouyant and I would guess had less air trapped in it as it's usually a tighter fit. I'd guess I have at least three times as much neoprene covering me so even with a bit of air in the drysuit I'm praying I can lose some lead.

So this drysuit lark, is more clobber, more faff and probably more weight. I shouldda stayed wet.

Calski: what thickness wetsuit were/are you using? I would have thought the thickness and size can make a significant difference. When I ditch the top jacket, I can lose 4KG (possibly more but I couldn't be arsed faffing around).

Endo, HOW DARE YOU post that shit on my thread? I demand a retraction and an apology

Arfie

[Buoyant Babe]

Originally Posted by Arfie

Bitch



I'm taking tons of the damn stuff, I just don't want to carry it



This is what I'm hoping will cause the difference, you see you used 2KG more in a neo suit so the neo is more bouyant and I would guess had less air trapped in it as it's usually a tighter fit. I'd guess I have at least three times as much neoprene covering me so even with a bit of air in the drysuit I'm praying I can lose some lead.

So this drysuit lark, is more clobber, more faff and probably more weight. I shouldda stayed wet.

Calski: what thickness wetsuit were/are you using? I would have thought the thickness and size can make a significant difference. When I ditch the top jacket, I can lose 4KG (possibly more but I couldn't be arsed faffing around).

Endo, HOW DARE YOU post that shit on my thread? I demand a retraction and an apology

Arfie

Yeah, but I was fatter by the time I got my neo suit...and I only dived my Membrane in the summer at the time so I didn't wear extra layers. I had to add more lead to my membrane when I bought my Arctics. I think I'm going to need the same lead in my new Seaskin in the sea as I did in my neo.

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

[ratcliffe]

Originally Posted by calski

Definitely more I'd say. In my wetsuit I'm using 8Kg, in my drysuit, it's 14Kg plus 2 x 1Kg ankle weights.

Mind you, I'm rubbish in my drysuit (not enough practice) so maybe I could get it down with more messing...

HTH

calski

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