OK, how much extra weight?

[S&M in Pgh]

OK, now that I have decided to go from a shortie to a 3mm fullsuit, how much extra weight should I add to the belt? With the 2/3mm shortie I used 14lbs.

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[Pilot70D]

There are so many variables that it's really hard to say exactly how much additional weight you might need. Tanks (even when made from the same material) don't weigh the same. Fresh water vs. salt water will be a little different. Warm water vs. cool water may also cause some differences. If you wear a hood then there will be slightly more buoyancy to contend with.

 

I dive in salt water only and primarily in the Caribbean or off shore near southern Florida. With a 2/3mm full wetsuit I use 18-20 lbs of weight. I am just over six feet and weigh 240 lbs. As far as extra items I have a bunch. I always have a small dive light in the right pocket of my BCD along with a small, sheathed dive knife. I have a five foot surface safety signal sausage rolled up and attached to my upper right D-Ring on the BCD. In addition to the normal set of regulators I have a Suunto Cobra air integrated dive computer with a compass. I wear a wrist mounted Aeris II backup dive computer on one wrist. If diving in anything but really clear water I wear an Oceanic wrist mount compass on my other wrist (the wrist compass is much easier to see and use underwater). I also have a digital camera in an underwater housing attached by a lanyard to another BCD D-Ring and last but not least I have a dive slate attached to yet another D-Ring.

 

I have never weighed all of this stuff so I don't know what the combined weight is. I list all of these items only so that you can compare the total weight of your gear with mine for guesstimating your weight requirement. One observation I have made over the years is that many divers enter the water overweighted. Remember that you have to haul every pound of that lead while underwater. More weight means more air burned hauling the excess baggage.

 

I hope this info is helpful. Everyone have a great day out there.

[scubaran]

OK, now that I have decided to go from a shortie to a 3mm fullsuit, how much extra weight should I add to the belt? With the 2/3mm shortie I used 14lbs.

 

Thanks

 

Mike

 

Hi,

 

With all things equal, if you were using 14lbs I'd think the sleeves, legs of the full suit would only cause you to add a small amount of weight if any, like the other poster said, tanks, etc. can make a difference. If I were you, I'd put 2lbs. in my BC pocket, get in the water and do a bouyancy check (should have your your mask 1/2 in/out of the water with all the air out of your BC if properly weighted). If you show to heavy (can't keep your mask above the water, get rid of the 2lbs in the BC (if boat diving, just hand it up to a crew member). If just right, go for it.

 

Randall