from 7 to 3?

Vegas · 06-19-2007, 08:58 PM

Hi all!
I am wondering if you all have any idea about how much weight I should remove going from a (very new) 7 mil semi-dry, with a 6/3 hooded vest, down to a (brand new) 3 mil with no hood? If it helps to know, I'm 5'5", about 150 lbs., and diving in fresh water.

With the cold-water garb, I have been doing really well diving with 20 lbs., but I know, with so much less neoprene on me, I'll need alot less weight.
anyone have any idea how much less?

Thanks for your help!

.

**glynneco** · 06-19-2007, 09:04 PM

salt to fresh? or Fresh to salt? or staying the same?

Vegas · 06-19-2007, 09:48 PM

Opps! sorry!
I'll still be diving in fresh water. Same lake, pretty much the same locations.
Now that it's summer the water temps have risen from the mid 50's to the high 70's (and still rising), as long as you're above the first thermocline!

No gear changes other than the suits, and minus my hooded vest & 5 m gloves.

**MgicTwnger** · 06-20-2007, 12:20 AM

Obviously you can loose some lead. Exactly how much is trial and error: you need enough so you don't pop to the surface with an empty tank.
Here's what I do: first let you buddy and everyone else on the dive know what you are doing. Surface and purge until you are down to about 200 - 300pounds and see if you can descend. You should be just able to go down comfortably. If not, more lead. If you seem to go down too quickly, less lead. Play around till it feels right. Too much weight is almost as bad as not enough, most people use too much.

**glynneco** · 06-20-2007, 12:50 AM

Newbies usually use more lead to GET down then stay down. As you gain experience you'll need less. The question then will be how much do you need to stay down at the end of the dive. I dive with 4lbs in fresh water. MgicTwnger is right. Fool around at the end of the first dive to see what works. On the second make sure you can still get down. If not keep adding till you sink. That will also give you a goal to work toward. The less wgt you carry the better your buoyancy, the better your air consumption. Are those tanks boyfriend bought AL or steel? AL floats. Steel sinks.

Any way go play around. You'll figure it out!

**Scuba Mama** · 06-20-2007, 03:49 PM

Vegas, Here is a trick I use at the quarries. I will put on my wet suit take all my weights down to the waters edge. If using weight integrated its fine to put the weights in the pouches and if wearing a belt its ok to have it on. Put you mask and snorkel in place, pick up the weights, hold them about your waist, lay face down in the water, and breath. If on you breath in you rise good, if you start descending on exhaling good. Now, if you don't really rise or fall adjust the weights as needed. Once you have the amounts of weights needed to rise and fall per breath, add an additional 2 to offset the tank once it becomes light. If you using the new steel, don't add the two. The biggest part of this is to let yourself relax with the breathing, then you should be able to adjust according. It will take some fine tuning with the diving. I used this with a dry suit and at the end of my dive with 500 psi in my cylinder I was able to hold my level at 7 feet of water.

Vegas · 06-20-2007, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glynneco

Newbies usually use more lead to GET down then stay down. As you gain experience you'll need less. The question then will be how much do you need to stay down at the end of the dive. I dive with 4lbs in fresh water. MgicTwnger is right. Fool around at the end of the first dive to see what works. On the second make sure you can still get down. If not keep adding till you sink. That will also give you a goal to work toward. The less wgt you carry the better your buoyancy, the better your air consumption. Are those tanks boyfriend bought AL or steel? AL floats. Steel sinks.
Any way go play around. You'll figure it out!

I usually dive with an aluminum tank (only switching to steel for the Ocean because that's what the boat supplied) - that's why the new steel tank in the lake threw me off so much on Friday.

I am going back to the aluminum, and sticking with it for now, because I know what works, so far, with that. I figure changing ONE piece of gear at a time (right now, changing the wetsuit), and adjusting my weights to that, seems to be my best bet.

I know I will be dropping quite a bit of weight, I will be wearing about 1/3 the neoprene I was wearing before!

We're planning a Thurday afternoon trip to an easy little cove at the lake, so I will get a chance to play around and figure it out!

I really appreciate all the suggestions - I will be giving them a try!

**MgicTwnger** · 06-20-2007, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vegas

I figure changing ONE piece of gear at a time (right now, changing the wetsuit), and adjusting my weights to that, seems to be my best bet.

For sure.
That goes for all your gear and not just with weighting. Trying to get used to more than one thing at a time can be daunting.

**glynneco** · 06-21-2007, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MgicTwnger

For sure.
That goes for all your gear and not just with weighting. Trying to get used to more than one thing at a time can be daunting.

Most assuredly. The term is "Task Loading". It's gotten a lot of divers in trouble.

I was on a dive in the Caymans and a couple on the boat were both diving with ALL new equipment for the first time. As I swam past them at 70 ft I could hear BOTH there computers beeping away as they pogoed up and down the water column. During the surface interval I overheard them ask the divemaster what the flashing lung symbol meant!

Vegas · 06-22-2007, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glynneco

Newbies usually use more lead to GET down then stay down. As you gain experience you'll need less. . . . .
Any way go play around. You'll figure it out!

So our Thursday evening dives went great!
I wore my new 3 mil suit, and it fit like a dream!

The water was 78 degrees at the surface (air temp was 105), and we could see the shimmer of the thermocline (very cool) before descending through it.
There is still the Algae bloom, so vis was about 10'.

Going from the 7mil to the 3mil, I took the suggestions I got and dropped 1/2 my weight - down to 10 lbs. (I am still really new, so I know this will go down over time with experience). With 490psi left in the Al 80 tank I did a "buoyancy check" -- BC empty and holding a breath, I floated at eye level, when I exhaled, I slowly sank. I don't think I could ask for too much better than that right now.

Something else funny happened too! I caught a catfish! I didn't mean to! I had picked up a can to throw away on the first dive - when I went to pull it out of my "goodie bag" I noticed that I had a little friend. It was about 5" long, with little black whiskers, and terribly cute! I've no idea where I picked him up at. He was in fine shape, and when I let him out of the bag
(oh, dear - I "let the catfish out of the bag" - that's just terrible)
he sat in my hand for a few minutes, then, with some coaxing, swam off to join his little friends on the bottom. I know I'm silly when it comes to fish. I just love 'em!