[Finless]

OK, another weighting problem .............. actually, it's more of a concern ........... well, more of an interest?

Having gleaned info from other posts on the subject I am concerned that I am overweighted, however, I know that "it works for me" is a good mantra ............ but I like to do things properly.

After my swiftish ascent the other week, I cleaned and greased up my 'in and out' bit and then went for a splosh in Eastbourne Marina - sea water and nice and safe! After having a 10 minute dive amongst the weed and slime and rubbish and ........... I was happy that nothing was inflating when I didn't want it to.

Next job was to dump 200 bar of gas into the atmosphere (sob) and do a buoyancy check.

The first thing I did was to drop down to 2.3 mtrs and held my depth nicely and felt comfortable. My suit wasn't too loose (I suppose I should say "it didn't FEEL too loose") and all was hunky dory BUT I was carrying 8kgs of lead + ankle weights + my UKD8 ................... Indeed, I was so happy that I didn't even bother removing any lead to try with less.

This decision was backed up be recollections last year of diving with only 6 kgs of lead and feeling my 3 mtr stop was "on the edge"?

The reasons for my concern and this post requesting opinions is that most people seem to suggest that my kit config only requires 4kgs of lead - Gates Pro VSN 1100 suit and twin 12s on a 3mm SSBP.

Am I a floaty barsteward or did I misunderstand or misread the previous posts?

So. What think ye, gentlefolk! Hath my expanding gizzards rendered me a life as a floaty craven knave? Gadzooks and forsooth, I bid ye to speak honestly and without fear of a gauntlet in the mush!

 

[David Pye]

If it helps, on twin 12s, 3mm steel backplate and a neoprene drysuit (Othree PBB undersuit) I need around 12lbs (5.5kgs, google says) of lead to stay down comfortably though I think I could possibly lose a little myself.

 

[finbar.taylor]

If it helps, on twin 12s, 3mm steel backplate and a neoprene drysuit (Othree PBB undersuit) I need around 12lbs (5.5kgs, google says) of lead to stay down comfortably though I think I could possibly lose a little myself.

is it a compressed neo suit?

That sounds like a lot to me Gledders did a weight check with me and reackons I'm 2-3kg heavy with the same set up as you except I don't have any wieght!
I'm not the smallest person around I had to argue to get an HSE medical as I'm officioly clinicaly obease, I need to be 3 inches taller for my wieght(note I need to get taller not lose wieght).

I would suggest doing a proper wieght check you'd be suprised how much you can drop

Fin

 

[Dave_S]

i'm in much the same boat

i did a dive last year and left some of my weight behind by accident, half way through the dive i grabbed some rocks as i was feeling all light and floaty

however at the end of the dive un-loaded my rocks and did a boyancy check, where i found i could get down even without the extra weight

the answer seems to be that the "light floaty" feeling is what i should be like rather than what i have accustomised myself too over the years

something i plan to remady this summer - the problem is you need to do several boyancy checks,

bare kit , larger cylinder , with the stage etc etc

obviously at the end of a dive when you have the empty cylinder everyone want's to get on the boat and home they don't want to spend 30mins hanging around whilst i bugger about with my Kit

mission for the summer is to sort bouyancy

Dave

 

[Finless]

is it a compressed neo suit?

That sounds like a lot to me Gledders did a weight check with me and reackons I'm 2-3kg heavy with the same set up as you except I don't have any wieght!
I'm not the smallest person around I had to argue to get an HSE medical as I'm officioly clinicaly obease, I need to be 3 inches taller for my wieght(note I need to get taller not lose wieght).

I would suggest doing a proper wieght check you'd be suprised how much you can drop

Fin

I'm 5'8", medium build with an expanding stomach.

I did part of a proper weight check ie down to 30 bar and holding a 3 mtr stop. I suspect the difference might be due to my version of what is a comfortable amount of gas in my dry suit ................

I recollect that with only 6 kgs of lead I felt a little tight in the suit and I certainly felt the cold more than normal ................

Perhaps my lead weighs less than everybody else's ............. perhaps it is infested with tiny finned bacteria that keep trying to swim to the surface ............... perhaps I'll weigh my lead to see if it is the weight it is supposed to be.

I am not prepared to sacrifice my inwater comfort and warmth to loose a few kgs off my belt.

I seem to recollect (although it was a long time ago) that I thought I need 10 kgs to dive on a single 12 ltr ...................

It's all so puzzling .................. oh well .............. I'll just go back to believing that everybody is more dense than me!

 

[MATTBIN]

Bryan,
with respect it's easy, get 30bar in your twins, get to 3/5m and see if you can hold it comfortably. If you can you are weighted ok, if you sink you've got too much, if you float up then not enough.

Really, stop worrying about how much lead others carry, in much the same way I dont worry about my breathing rate, I was going to say SAC but thought you'd just twist it (ooouch!!!). What works for you works, just get out there and dive a bit more instead of worrying 'have I got too much lead", unless of course you are carrying 25Kg

I dont think you've done much diving lately, have you? in which case its no surprise you need a bit more lead. I have been using two undersuits recently, I need more lead to loft it all, but I'm toasty warm so I dont give a toss.

Matt

 

[Finless]

Bryan,
with respect it's easy, get 30bar in your twins, get to 3/5m and see if you can hold it comfortably. If you can you are weighted ok, if you sink you've got too much, if you float up then not enough.

Really, stop worrying about how much lead others carry, in much the same way I dont worry about my breathing rate, I was going to say SAC but thought you'd just twist it (ooouch!!!). What works for you works, just get out there and dive a bit more instead of worrying 'have I got too much lead", unless of course you are carrying 25Kg

I dont think you've done much diving lately, have you? in which case its no surprise you need a bit more lead. I have been using two undersuits recently, I need more lead to loft it all, but I'm toasty warm so I dont give a toss.

Matt

I diagnose calcium deficiency and weak wrists? Also, I can guarantee your SAC is safe from my hands!

No, I haven't done much diving recently but the weight I'm using is the same as I decided upon at the end of last year. As mentioned, when I got the 12s I started with 6 kgs and felt a bit unhappy at the 6 mtr and 3 mtr stops ...... mainly cold because of being compressed more than I was used to.

You are right of course, if I'm happy and it works for me then so what ................. however, I'd like to know what is causing the difference. Perhaps the amount of gas in my suit that I consider necessary to be warm and comfy is much more than other people have? Maybe, I still have gas trapped in my wing ........ although, I did have a feel and a squeeze or two the other day and when I did it diving I didn't get a slap in the face OR notice any gas trapped there.

I don't mind diving the way I do so much as I want to understand the reason that I apparently use about 4 or 5 kgs more lead than others?

Anyway, if the weekend's boat diving is blown out then I will prob go to Leyborne(sp) with Colinicky - he needs to play with his sideslungs and I still need to be under water with my new rig. TBH, I still don't have the feeling of security I had with my previous set up (twin 10s) and my Mares BC style wing ................ It's really weird not being able to put my hands straight on what I need ............... a bit like having itchy bits and scratching in the wrong place. :frown:

Oh well, much more practice with this set up is needed I suppose.

 

[MATTBIN]

It could be you're light headed??

Matt

 

[5363]

It could be you're light headed??

Matt

Yeah, I've heard that brain cells are very dense, so killing them off with beer means you need more lead...

I've had to use more lead recently due to stomach problems...the size of it that is!