Don't know why people would be critical they can either "a" get the over half century experience then talk or "b" open their own TH-cam change or "c" don't watch it. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule of running a shop and taking care of a family to explain scuba in a non biased way
I first got certified in 1975. I haven't dived since 1983. back then I had a full Baily suit with farmer johns. Living in Chicago every dive was cold. I had a pack pack mounted BC that was horseshoe-shaped around the tank and it held 20lbs of shot in the backpack. There was a ring on the bottom you pulled on to jettison the shot. I also wore 10 lbs on a separate belt. Most people were still wearing the old mae west style BCs back then as you well remember. It's nice to see this is a more accepted setup today as there was a great concern over integrated weights back then
Hi there Mr Peirce this is my first ever comment to anyone on youtube so hope I've done it correctly... I'd just like to say i really enjoy watching your videos, as a relatively new diver I've taken onboard a lot of useful tips from you for example you were bang on the money in one early videos about the bad tips our instructor was telling us to do like having the gauges facing us as they were turned on and about turning the valve back a half turn ( which incidentally i did question and ask what if you forgot you already turned it on and turned turned it back off but was told "I've never heard anyone that has done it to date" ) never did quite like my instructor so perhaps he felt the same about all us guys. Anyway keep up the great work sir and like may of us i look forward to the next video upload.. One last thing don't be so hard on Kevin we all know you love the guy really..
Love watching this guys tech tips, i'm getting back into diving after 15 years and its great to be able to listen to someone that tells you what you need to know but also tells you why..... Many thanks Alec
I Know I was not the first diver to giant step off a boat forgetting a weight belt. Integrated weight BCD solves that problem for warm water diving, but in cold water with a full 7mm wetsuit I prefer a weight belt matching the buoyancy of the suit so that if I needed to in an emergency, I could take off the BCD and not shoot to the surface.
Great video Alec. 20 pounds on belt and 1 weight on each ankle and it gets me down and still down when my tank gets near empty. When this bcd wears out I'm going weight integrated. That's Montana Diving. Keep them coming. Montana Mike.
I was skeptical about WI BCDs initially but now that I've tried and used them I love them. You might still need a small weight belt but an 8 pound weght belt is nothing to us real dvers from the north.Alec
I didn't expect you to drop that Pretty in Pink weight belt with those adorable multicoloured weights! Shocking! 🦈 In 50 years I've never "taken a dump". So to speak. 😎
Most of my diving has been done in cold water where 7mil or dry-suit is very often needed. I was in cabo a couple of years ago diving and the DM, who was from El Salvador, didn't understand why I was using a weight belt with a weight integrated BCD. In hindsight I see that it wasn't necessary that close to the equator but it was just how I dove. I had always divided my weight among a belt, ditch-able pockets, and trim pockets.
He probably didn't use any weights, or very few, so had no concept of diving with a 7mm suit. I laugh when I hear divers rave about the divemasters buoyancy skills when they are on a southern holiday. Trust me, put that guy into ma 7mm suit and watch him flounder!! Alec
Great video, Alec. You have answered a lot of questions for me. I have a back inflate bcd and I have been having trouble with it pushing me face down in the water when I am at the surface. Now that I see how the balance of weights work, I will try and stuff more weight into my trim pockets (thank you for your advice about that as well; I do put weight in the trim pockets but not as much as in the front prior to this video) and use less upfront in my detachable pockets. I hope that will help fix the issue.
I have a similar travel wing bcd lice Alec. When I'm upright it doesn't push me forward. I use 1-2 pounds in each trim pocket. If I have to stay longer or swim I do. an otter roll on my back. And it helps to not inflate it fully
Mr. Peirce your videos are very informative and easy to listen / watch. I watch / listen to your videos instead of the vendor's. I also enjoy how you and Kevin embrace technology and encourage others to accept modernization. Can you cover a subject on how to travel as a scuba diver? Thanks and keep up the great videos!
I did a vid quite some time ago about packing your dive bag but I have some new ideas on that to share. Plus we have sure done a lot of dive travel all over the world. That's a good idea. Thanks for watching. Alec
Well, that was a weighty subject. I really like the idea of wight pockets, you always know the weights are secure. My first dive with my new BC I didn't put the weight pouch in properly. Well, it falls out, I'm swimming on my side and heading for the surface. The dam thing took a while to find. The joys of diving.... Gotta love it.
I dove with a master diver as buddy. He had a integrated bc and I was on my wing + steel backplate harness with no wheight belt. At the middle of the dive the guy was very agitated and he signalled let's go back to the entry point. Than he showed me that he lost a 4 kg wheight pocket , but he was not positive, so he was overwheighted at the start of the dive. Probably the pocket was not clipped properly and was lost when he jumped from the boat. Loosing a wheight pocket is sometimes good :)
Chirana Gheorghita Eugeniu Theodor I think a lot of people dive with too much weight, it's easy to forget about. I dive all year here in Ulladulla in Australia, the water temp ranges from 22deg to 14deg cel. I've never adjusted my weights and do notice the difference in buoyancy control.
Yes, found that one out! It was simply a matter of folding the Velcro down into the right flap. I had folded it onto itself and not pushed the latch in properly. Ha!
Hi, I'm a new diver as of this past summer, and am learning in Atlantic Canada, so 25-30 lbs is typical for me even though I'm a medium-sized female. I'm a somewhat nonathletic person before this, and not particularly strong. A lot of my dives have been boat, and I find it really hard to pull myself up the ladder, so taking off my weight belt first and handing it up to someone before I climb out really helps. Can't do that with the integrated weights. But weight belts tend to slide around during my dive and there's no quick release if the buckle is god-knows-where around my back so ... integrated weights. A couple of times when I was using integrated weights, my instructor had me take the entire BCD (with tank) off completely before climbing up. Thank goodness there were a lot of strong guys around to lift all of that up to the boat for me! I'm still sorting it all out, but I think your advice about combining some integrated weights with some weights on a belt is probably the way to go for those of us diving where we need more weight than we can walk up a ladder with.
Good to hear from you Melissa - and from Atlantic Canada where they grow REAL Divers! I've dived in Halifax but no where else out there yet - and maybe never unfortunately given my age and aversion to cold water now. You're right in 2 ways. 1. Splitting your weight requirements between the BCD and a belt is perfectly sensible. It makes for a more trim profile and is much easier on your body too. 2. Experimenting as you've been doing is the only way to find what works best for you. Take all the advice you can get but check it out yourself to see if it works. Don't just accept and live with someone else's system. You'll notice that I never use the word "must" or the phrase "the only way" because that idea simply doesn't work in scuba any more than it works in intimate relations (if you know what I mean!). As I've aged I have more and more often removed my integrated BCD at the surface (don't forget to inflate it a bit!!) and either pulled it up onto the dive platform myself or let those enthusiastic, young, strong, divemasters who are always trying to prove they're great divers do it for me. It makes them feel special so do them a favor. Don't be afraid to play the weak, little girl just as I'm not afraid to play the weak, old man. I save my energy for the next dive! And, for the record, I'm NOT a weak, old man and you're NOT a weak, little girl. I know that because you're a scuba diver in Atlantic Canada. Are you reading this Tom Sinel?? Good luck. Alec
I have found that when I had to remove my BCD for class I had a lot more trouble with the weight integrated BCD. When I had the belt on I stayed on the bottom and had no problem with the maneuver. With the weight integrated BCD, The BCD stayed on the bottom and I found myself dangling head down, holding onto the BCD. That whole BCD on the knee thing is harder than it looks.
If cold water diving is what You mainly do, I would suggest transitioning to Steel 300bar tanks. Might be hard to Come by in the U.S. But it reduces the amount of lead needed. I dive 2x12L 230bar Steel tanks, drysuit and 13lb (6,5kg)of lead.
Thats a good setup for Norway's 'hot' water. The most common tank in the USA and Canada is the 80 cu/ft aluminum which many are very comfortable with more lead vs heavier tank. Thanks for watching.
Great videos Alec. Keep them coming. I have the ScubaPro BC with the Air2 integrated octopus, and although a good idea to minimize hoses, and devices around you, not to crazy about it, not sure why. Been using it for 10 years now, and would not buy it again, with the Air2 included.
Interesting to see your comments regarding plastic coating over your weights. I've never seen that before and I"d be interested to see the data that supports needing it. I struggle to see how a few weights sitting in the water for half an hour or so would make much difference to the water quality.
Probably doesn't, but ... It's 2017 and sometimes the appearance of concern for the environment is important. Just as hunters have been forced to stop using lead shot while hunting waterfowl and lead plumbing (in the drains of course) has been eliminated, NOT using exposed lead weights probably doesn't have much real or measurable benefit. Trying to protect the environment is as valuable as actually doing so. Besides, they look a lot better. I'm old Tom so some of these ideas are very foreign to me too. But I appreciate the significance of the damage done to the environment by humans and I have no problem with efforts to try and minimize that damage, no matter how hard to justify.
Hola Alec. Almost all year around here at Black Sea in Romania we dive with 7mm full suit. I used to get a lot of lead on me and was very unconfortable. I dive now during hot season with a wing with 5 mm steel backplate harnesd (Audaxpro brand) + 15 L steel tank + my beloeved heavy Poseidon 5000 regs and i need no extra wheight. When I dive in drysuit with 2 undergarments on me in the same setup I will need a extra of 8 kg of lead. Where to put those: on my Northern Diver wheight and trim harness which spreads the entire wheight (commonly 8 - 10 kg) on my hips and legs. So in drysuit I dive pretty confortable with 6 kg bc + 10kg lead = 16 kg (and i am only 72 kg in wheight, not like Kevin :) ). And that's a lot of wheight. I wonder when I will see a video with all this setup (drysuit + wing and steel backplate harness + wheight harness) from you.. I hardly expect it ... like the one with the "keeping your drysuit dry" :). Keep up the vids comming. They are great.
Wow! That's quite a setup but, as I say, if it works for you (and is safe), that's the way to do it. I hate it when I hear someone say "the only proper way to do it is ...." The proper way to do it is the way that works and is safe! Thanks for watching. Alec
And snow too but not like the 18" of ice on our lakes in winter. Cold is relative to your location as I remember dive guides shivering in 85F in Bonaire when we left Canada at -15F and were going crazy in the heat.
Another great video. What's you take on BCD with oct regulators? guess one fewer thing to pack and lighter, though not as nice for your dive buddy vs a bright yellow long second stage... depends on how nice you wanna be :) in your case the wife, so no Q here... Guess you take the risk of buddy pulling on it an deflating your BCD in the process! maybe not a good thing... And why are wings so dam expensive ? simpler, ought to be cheaper, but niche market ??? Back when double tanks and simple straps (and over the head BC that looked like a life jacket) was all I knew.
Hi Alec, heres one comment from Norway. I use weight and lots of it.. Think total amount is about 26-27 pounds give or take. Two integrated drop pocket in my Mares Hybrid AT BCD and a weight belt to overcome my drysuit etc.. But I must say this, if I could eliminate the drop weights I would and perhaps down the line I will. Reason is simple, when you have experienced the elivator once, you dont want that again. So my drop pocket fell out, luckily in my safestop, but imagine if it was 100 feet or deeper. Why it dropped i do not know, perhaps it got hooked in something, perhaps it was old and tired, no offence 😁 well i don't know. All I know now is it can suddenly drop and it is always in the back of my mind. And oh yea, there are not to heavy either. Here is a video showing the incident in full, note I did try to flare out, but was too boyent to make a difference at 5 meters (10-15 feet or so).. th-cam.com/video/jz_2NlCV2Sw/w-d-xo.html
Pretty scary. Glad you're OK. I always suggest that one doesn't use the Dry Suit for buoyancy. Some divers try but you simply can't dump air from a Dry Suit quickly. In shallow water you can fly up in seconds. The air in the suit and BCD doubles in siize in just 30'. In deep water you have a bit more time because the increase in air volume is much slower. Regardless, losing your weight can be very serious. Take care. Alec
So to follow up, do you suggest me using the bcd for boyency control when waring a drysuit. It is pretty much the opposite of what I learned. But I am very int to pick up any new teaching if you care to tell me. First thing I do is to inflate my suite just enough to be boyent, then increase in small steps the deeper I go, always with the valve fully open. Use only BCD when on the surface. Am i doing it wrong?
Tom, that's what I'm doing too (drysuit). The reality is that you have to add air to your drysuit (especially Tri/bylaminate I have) to prevent extreme squeeze and add warmth back as you go down (restore thickness of undergarment). But as Alec mentioned you can't dump air from drysuit as quickly as BCs (which is why I'm now pre-dumping a bit ahead of an ascend so I can swim my way up at the speed I want, and can let extra air slowly expel as it travels to my shoulder. Only use BCD at surface. In your case - weight dropped by accident - this is WHY I don't use my BCD weight pockets (plus they are the old velcro type, and I don't want my tank+reg+bcd to weight a ton pulling out into a kayak - I too wear 26#). Another student drop their weight pocket - thankfully at the surface. Cost to replace weight + custom pocket gets high, but the risk of uncontrollable ascend is way too risky to me.... as Alec mention he can't remember the time he ever had to dump weight, BUT we do see fair amount of accidental release. IMO use a good belt they seem rare to come undone by accident ?
Alec even if he had used a BCD for air, it's unlikely he would be neutral if dumping half your weight by accident... and to counter that he would be swimming down and the release valve of the BC would not be right direction (unless you can reach the bottom rear dump valve. Tough... weight accident dump scare me!
Looks like we do it pretty much the same way.. I am perhaps not as skilled as you both are, believe I have according to my log book about 43 dives and embarking my Rescue diver course this weekend. Credentials aside I do believe I am starting to find a way to be neutral in the water, just removed 10 pounds of weight I forgot to remove after loosing equal amount of body fat (yes it can be done Kevin) he he, no offence Kevin just building on the funny good intentional jokes by Alec. Anyway I digress, where was I, oh yea the neutral boyent rule we all learned in PADI is to do the weight check on the end of the dive, I did and found that I sank to the bottom like a stone and not the stone they used to carry with then back in the day. So I removed as I said about 10 pounds mainly from my integraded weight pocked, used to have 12 pounds in each pocked and 12 pounds on the belt. Now I have as said above about 7 in each pocket. I do not like the belt as I do feel it stops the air flowing freely in the suit, it tends to take a bit longer to shift air from body to feet so you tend to pump more into the suit than you would need, and then tip over to find you have too much in the feet. Well its a balance act for sure. I know Alec said he isn't fond of those wing bcds, but if a i.e. D8 with a Wing donut, backplate to and weight pocket to compensate for the drop weight, well I would be all for it. Sadly it cost a tone of money which at the moment I do not have. So my XCD2, Mares Hybrid AT and my bulky weight belt and ancle weight need to be married just a tad longer. So my question remains, will I get more or better trim function by using my BCD to control boyency, or should I leave that for the surface and use my suit. I get the empty bit, but I am mainly now focus on getting that trim positing and neutral feeling and control
I do weight checks every time if I've changed something in my setup/ worn more or less layers. Deflate your BC and hold a normal breath you should be at eye level, exhale and you should start descending at a reasonable pace.
Thanks for these tips! They're very useful. I'm picking my first BCD up in a few days, it'll be a BP/W. Where would you recommend putting the weight pockets? The one I'm interested in requires me to stitch them on, alongside light pockets and all that.
I just recently was reminded of how important placement of weight pockets is. I was trying a friend's steel tank and put the usual weights in the usual place, to the rear. I rolled onto my back to check things out and ..... got stuck. I needed help to get over onto my face. So, to answer your question, largely through trial and error in safe diving conditions, you will discover where to put the weights. If you have a negative tank & steel BP you do NOT want the weights near the back close to all the weight. Put them near the front so you can maintain a level attitude. Also you may need to move the weight, whether lead, tank or BP, along your body length so you can keep your head up (or down) without constantly finning. Have fun. Alec
Cheers! I'll be going for an aluminium BP (will be diving with aluminium tanks too 99% of the time). I was recommended by my friends to put the weight pockets on the two tank cam bands -- is that the only place that they can (and should) be placed? Thanks!!
Yo Alec! Love your videos...I ve been looking at travel BCs...im torn between the Hollis TLS and the Bio lite, but leaning towards the bio lite. Do you have a BC for traveling and one for local dives? Also, I was wondering...ever since i started diving i noticed the dry mouth from the regulators always made me thirsty. Do you think you could take a camel back water bladder and drink from it at depth? Tell me your thoughts! Great videos and i hope you are enjoying your retirement. Cheers!
Many dedicated divers have 2 BCDs - one for travel (Biolite) and one for local. If you can drink from a Coke bottle, I have to believe you can drink from a bladder. Try it. Alec
I am 165cm 115lbs and I dive locally in vancouver with a drysuit and 28lbs of lead! My full gear with tank full of air almost weigh as much as myself hahaha
We have a very enthusiastic tech diver who frequents the shop. He's about 5'5", 150 pounds and wears double 130 cf steel tanks. He straps them to a furniture dolly to bring them into the store for fills. Thanks for watching. Alec
All lead is bad, hard or soft. But soft has a much larger surface are per pound of lead so degrades faster (ie gets less and lighter). Most soft lead bags are environmentally sealed with some lead pellet coating to reduce friction. Check the manufacturers web site to see how their lead is prepared and if it works for your diving.
Hi Alec. im looking for info on tech or cave diving and the right BCD for those kinda dives. I tought i saw 1 of your vid's with the Biolite vest and that it had interchangable back plates. but i could be wrong. maybe you could shed some light
The Biolite is designed to be lightweight fro travel. It doesn not have any interchangeable parts. It may not be the best choice for caves nor other tech diving. Alec
Example: I'm diving and my tanks starts to slip downward, tank strap loose... I am diving by myself... I need to take my BC off to fix tank. Is there a way to get a weight intergrated BC off and back on without having your feet going to the surface?
Option one, get your buddy to fix your tank, this is a skill that must be demonstrated during certification, option two lean forward undo the bcd, and let it sit on top of you while you spin your body around underneath. Also a skill required for certification, but it’s super sketchy, and I would only do it in an emergency.
Can you do a video, or recommend a resource on weighting a back inflate? I'm taking my open water course next week, so I'm new to this. I've seen a lot of people recommend them, but I've seen people say they tip you forward at the surface. I've heard from a couple people that it isn't a problem if they are correctly weighted. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Do you think I need to purchase a 3mm wetsuit? Because I have a 7mm for cold water diving in New Hampshire, but a good 3mm wetsuit is not cheap, so idk if it's worth to purchase one for warm water diving or 7mm will do for both cold and warm water.
You can wear a 7mm in warm water. Some will tell you that it's too warm for diving in the tropics but there's really no such thing as too warm. The water is usually 75 to 80 degrees (24 - 27C) so still a lot less than your body temperature. The biggest problem with wearing your 7mm is the extra weight you will need to get down, probably 5 or more pounds. I find that a decent 3mm suit isn't too expensive. Check out Henderson - a great suit, very substantial company and fair prices too. Good luck. Alec
That sound about right. I'm guessing you are about 5'10 or 6' and weigh between 160 and 190. Close? Warm water divers freak out when you say that you need 24 pounds. What do warm water divers know eh? (that's Canadian for 'Huh?') Take care. Alec
I have a Mares Dragon BCD. Earlier today I lost my weight pocket (satchel). It was snapped into place and properly aligned in its track. There was only 5 lbs in it. Has anyone lost their Mares wt. pockets too?? sign- Frustrated.
my dive instructor doesn’t have to wear any weight ! He was a BIG BOY 300LBS EASILY he wore 2lbs in a 3mm and he sunk like a rock minde you he has zero muscle and all fat I’m skinny as a rail and I need 6-8 lbs to sink
If the dive warrants it I sure do Wally. I personally (and it's a sentiment apparently shared by lots of divers) prefer a wetsuit given a choice. A drysuit not only insulates you from the cold water but it also insulates you from the sensation of being underwater. You lose some of that "Wow! I'm scuba diving!" thrill. A wetsuit is just as warm as a drysuit, for short periods. The heat in each suit is coming from the same source - your body. So in a short cold dive, say under the ice, I like a wetsuit. On long cold dives, say a deep wreck dive in northern waters, a drysuit. Also, I consider a drysuit a piece of safety equipment. Most think of it as purely exposure protection so some divers shun the expense of a drysuit as unnecessary. It not only keeps you warm for a much longer period, it also protects you from hypothermia and it allows your extremities, arms, legs and fingers, to work properly during the dive. Imagine a small emergency, say your reg comes out of your mouth, and your arms and fingers are numb!. Take care. Alec
Alec Peirce Scuba Thx for taking the time to share that information Alec. I hope to meet you one day. Come down to Cozumel Sept. 22-29 next month. Dive with us.
Very common question Kyle but one for which there is no accurate answer. It depends on too many varying factors. The best answer is to take the advice of the divemasters on the dive boat, add 2 pounds to that and then you will find out yourself once in the water. All the old "Rules of Thumb" that old divers quote like "10% of your body weight" are useless. Not only have wetsuits changed a great deal, so have our bodies. Today's wetsuits are much more buoyant and today's bodies have a higher fat content. Let me explain some of the factors that affect correct weighting for a diver: - water salinity - the more salt in the water the more weight you need. - currents - strong currents require more weight - depth - the deeper you intend to go the less weight you need (although BCDs will conter this) - on a shallow dive you should add more weight - tank size and style - high pressure steel tanks require less weight. - gear used - old, heavy rubber fins or old wetsuits need less weight. Also the thickness of the wetsuit is a major game changer. - body shape - generally Ectomorph bodies (long and lean) need less weight while Endomorph (short and round) need more however I have seen some real contradictions to this. - breathing - if you're a slow, deep breather you will need less weight but a fast, shallow breather will need more. - experience - new divers need more while experienced divers need less - age - young divers need more; old divers need less - gender - women need more - food preferences - people who eat Mexican food need more (gas!); vegans need less That last one is a joke!! Don't become a vegan because you get to use less weight! You'll be disappointed! The point is that there's no way to know for sure how much you need. Maybe I can help narrow it down a bit but don't be upset with me if I'm way off. Assuming you'll be wearing a wetsuit and probably a 3mm full suit (not a shorty) which is the most common in the Keys, you should start with about 8-10 pounds. With a 5mm suit try 12-14 pounds. In a 3mm shorty suit start with 8 pounds. I suggest that you take a bit extra, maybe 2 pounds more than you think you need, for your first dive. Your BCD will easily overcome this if it's too much. There's no way to make yourself heavier if you don't have enough and getting down that first 15' can be frustrating if you are under-weighted. Divemasters generally want you to have less weight than you probably need. Their greatest challenge is over-weighted divers so they suggest less than you likely need. Plus they personally use less than most divers themselves (experience and breathing control) so they don't consider all the above factors that can make your weight needs different. Yours is the first comment that I've replied to this morning so I got carried away but you certainly have a lot of information to help you decide. Good luck diving in the Keys which is one of my favorite places to dive. Alec
Wow, Alec, very in-depth reply. (No pun intended) I too am getting ready to make my first dive in over 20 years and have no idea of how much weight I will need. This information is extremely helpful. Thanks.
hi im new to scuba diving i hope you can help, i went for my first try dive and really enjoyed it but with one big problem i could not hold the regulater in as i have no teeth so can you help. meny thanks john
Wow! Tough one John. I take it you don't want to use your dentures probably in fear of losing them. Years ago we had a neck strap that held the regulator in place but it was loose on our neck. It just kept the reg close to our mouth if it fell out. I suppose it could be tightened to actually hold the reg in but suppose you wanted to spit it out. Maybe a twist of the head sideways would still allow that. I'm thinking out loud here. Maybe another viewer has an idea. Alec
for one thing make sure you use the much more flexible nylon braided hose (vs old rubber ones) and a small/light weight second stage regulator (I have the Aeris Ion which is tiny) - and maybe a shorter hose with a swivel ? that would put a lot less strain on your mouth to start with.
In all my years as a scuba instructor I have never faced that problem John - not too many teeth yes, but no teeth - that 's a new one. I have to assume you use dentures and don't want to wear them underwater. Years ago it was common for regulators to have a neck strap that held the regulator in place. It didn't really hold it in your mouth but just kept it on your neck. Maybe a strap like that with a Velcro piece would work. I'll have to think about that one. Perhaps another viewer has an idea. Alec
I can think of two possibilities: 1) A full-face mask. Expensive, and they require special training, but it's an option. 2) A custom mouthpiece. You may be able to get one molded to fit your gums as well as a standard mouthpiece would fit one's teeth.
I quickly checked the Mares Vector online and it says it comes with weight-integration. Maybe yours is an older model and perhaps you can add the pockets. You'll need to check with a Mares dealer. Good luck. Alec
That's one of the most common questions (problems?) we face at the store - divers want to buy a BCD that will carry all their weights and eliminate the weight belt. Sorry, but it can't be done - at least not practically. Certainly if you dive in warmer water where your weight requirements are less, say, under 20 pounds, you may and should succeed in this goal. But for cold water divers, especially with a dry suit and even moreso with big divers, it's just not feasile. While warm water divers shake their heads at the suggestion, it is quite possible and quite correct for a big diver in a dry suit to need 30 pounds or more. I've seen properly weighted divers with over 40 pounds! So, to answer your question, assuming 30 pounds of weight, a 30 pound tank, a 5 pound regulator and an 15 pound BCD (it's extra heavy because of it's size - BCs range from 5 to 15 pounds) and you have a total weight of 80 pounds. Let's consider a big diver who is using a steel tank since he probably needs (or thinks he needs extra air) with a weight of 40 pounds (120 cubic foot) and now you're at 90 pounds. Yeah! I want to carry around a 90 pound scuba unit!! Getting into the water is one thing, climbing a boat ladder is another and walking over slippery, weed covered rocks is definately another. I would suggest 16 pounds in the BC - 4 four pound pockets , and a 14 pound weight belt. A 14 pound weight belt is nothing - same as tropical diving. Now the scuba unit is 65 to 75 pounds - still heavy but manageable. And you have a weight belt to drop if necessary - much cheaper than pockets. Have you also considered that the weights in a BCD are hard on the BC? Everything is strained and the BCD is fabric with sewn edges and heat-sealed seals. 30 pounds of weight pulling straight down while you pull up on the top - not good. There's my thoughts. Maybe that helps. What works best for you is the best answer and that may include many considerations - age, weight, fitness, dive situation, etc. Good luck. Alec
Yeah this was my issue too... I've been wrestling my hippo BC for years trying to convince myself that integrated was the way to go. To be honest, this whole time I thought the idea was to totally eliminate the weight belt. I can't wait to go and redistribute- since I have 35lbs or so stuffed in mine. Every time I dive I feel like the Kursk- you know... without the explosion.
Chirana, with a heavy lead backplate (and steel tank, heavy reg) do you not find having all the weight out back harder to be leveled and not want the tank to roll your sideway ? I would think having it more even distributed (I wear a weight belt with smaller weight all around) would be better....
how is it possible that i take 12 kilograms approximately 27 pounds of weight in the red sea without any wet suit , i only dive with my swimming suit. i am big guy that weights 170 kilo's 😂. but still what will happen if i had a wet suit on it will be hell for sure 😂
Don't know why people would be critical they can either "a" get the over half century experience then talk or "b" open their own TH-cam change or "c" don't watch it. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule of running a shop and taking care of a family to explain scuba in a non biased way
Thanks Ivory. I can't help but agree. Alec
I first got certified in 1975. I haven't dived since 1983. back then I had a full Baily suit with farmer johns. Living in Chicago every dive was cold. I had a pack pack mounted BC that was horseshoe-shaped around the tank and it held 20lbs of shot in the backpack. There was a ring on the bottom you pulled on to jettison the shot. I also wore 10 lbs on a separate belt. Most people were still wearing the old mae west style BCs back then as you well remember. It's nice to see this is a more accepted setup today as there was a great concern over integrated weights back then
Hi there Mr Peirce this is my first ever comment to anyone on youtube so hope I've done it correctly...
I'd just like to say i really enjoy watching your videos, as a relatively new diver I've taken onboard a lot of useful tips from you for example you were bang on the money in one early videos about the bad tips our instructor was telling us to do like having the gauges facing us as they were turned on and about turning the valve back a half turn ( which incidentally i did question and ask what if you forgot you already turned it on and turned turned it back off but was told "I've never heard anyone that has done it to date" ) never did quite like my instructor so perhaps he felt the same about all us guys. Anyway keep up the great work sir and like may of us i look forward to the next video upload..
One last thing don't be so hard on Kevin we all know you love the guy really..
Well Kevin is certainly loveable - like a really big Teddy Bear!!
Thanks for your comments and I'm glad you picked up some ideas. Alec
Love watching this guys tech tips, i'm getting back into diving after 15 years and its great to be able to listen to someone that tells you what you need to know but also tells you why..... Many thanks Alec
Thanks for watching Drew.
I'm so glad that you're re-discovering scuba. It's the perfect sport for old guys LOL.
Alec
Great divers never stop learning. love your videos especially the sea hunt ones my grandfather and dad watch them and they still hold up today.
Great to hear Jon. I hope they're enjoying them. Lots more neat stuff coming. Thanks for watching. Alec
I Know I was not the first diver to giant step off a boat forgetting a weight belt. Integrated weight BCD solves that problem for warm water diving, but in cold water with a full 7mm wetsuit I prefer a weight belt matching the buoyancy of the suit so that if I needed to in an emergency, I could take off the BCD and not shoot to the surface.
Great video Alec. 20 pounds on belt and 1 weight on each ankle and it gets me down and still down when my tank gets near empty. When this bcd wears out I'm going weight integrated. That's Montana Diving. Keep them coming. Montana Mike.
I was skeptical about WI BCDs initially but now that I've tried and used them I love them. You might still need a small weight belt but an 8 pound weght belt is nothing to us real dvers from the north.Alec
I didn't expect you to drop that Pretty in Pink weight belt with those adorable multicoloured weights! Shocking! 🦈
In 50 years I've never "taken a dump".
So to speak. 😎
Me neither which is a good thing in scuba.
A
Most of my diving has been done in cold water where 7mil or dry-suit is very often needed. I was in cabo a couple of years ago diving and the DM, who was from El Salvador, didn't understand why I was using a weight belt with a weight integrated BCD. In hindsight I see that it wasn't necessary that close to the equator but it was just how I dove. I had always divided my weight among a belt, ditch-able pockets, and trim pockets.
He probably didn't use any weights, or very few, so had no concept of diving with a 7mm suit.
I laugh when I hear divers rave about the divemasters buoyancy skills when they are on a southern holiday.
Trust me, put that guy into ma 7mm suit and watch him flounder!!
Alec
You're brave ice diving in a wetsuit! I'm in a drysuit up to about 20 degrees!
Great video, Alec. You have answered a lot of questions for me. I have a back inflate bcd and I have been having trouble with it pushing me face down in the water when I am at the surface. Now that I see how the balance of weights work, I will try and stuff more weight into my trim pockets (thank you for your advice about that as well; I do put weight in the trim pockets but not as much as in the front prior to this video) and use less upfront in my detachable pockets. I hope that will help fix the issue.
Hope it helps Joshua. It took me a few dives to get it right but the effort was well worth it. Alec
I have a similar travel wing bcd lice Alec. When I'm upright it doesn't push me forward. I use 1-2 pounds in each trim pocket. If I have to stay longer or swim I do. an otter roll on my back. And it helps to not inflate it fully
Mr. Peirce your videos are very informative and easy to listen / watch. I watch / listen to your videos instead of the vendor's. I also enjoy how you and Kevin embrace technology and encourage others to accept modernization. Can you cover a subject on how to travel as a scuba diver? Thanks and keep up the great videos!
I did a vid quite some time ago about packing your dive bag but I have some new ideas on that to share. Plus we have sure done a lot of dive travel all over the world. That's a good idea.
Thanks for watching.
Alec
Well, that was a weighty subject. I really like the idea of wight pockets, you always know the weights are secure. My first dive with my new BC I didn't put the weight pouch in properly. Well, it falls out, I'm swimming on my side and heading for the surface. The dam thing took a while to find. The joys of diving.... Gotta love it.
I dove with a master diver as buddy. He had a integrated bc and I was on my wing + steel backplate harness with no wheight belt. At the middle of the dive the guy was very agitated and he signalled let's go back to the entry point. Than he showed me that he lost a 4 kg wheight pocket , but he was not positive, so he was overwheighted at the start of the dive. Probably the pocket was not clipped properly and was lost when he jumped from the boat. Loosing a wheight pocket is sometimes good :)
Chirana Gheorghita Eugeniu Theodor I think a lot of people dive with too much weight, it's easy to forget about. I dive all year here in Ulladulla in Australia, the water temp ranges from 22deg to 14deg cel. I've never adjusted my weights and do notice the difference in buoyancy control.
Several BCDs have poor pocket setup. It pays to double check before you hit the water. Alec
Yes, found that one out! It was simply a matter of folding the Velcro down into the right flap. I had folded it onto itself and not pushed the latch in properly. Ha!
Alec, Thank you so much. thsi has helped me greatly. Diving in Queensland Australia.
I'm glad you've picked up some tips Milton.
Take care.
Alec
Thanks Alec. I really enjoy your videos and find them very informative. Happy diving
Thanks for your support Alan.
Alec
Another great tech tip thank you for them and look forward to watching more.
Thanks for watching Faris. Alec
We are big guys diving in mountain streams with 7MM suites and doubling up to work 4 to 6 hours a day. We use a LOT of weight.
Were you hunting gold? Sounds like a lot of work.
A
Another excellent informative video. Thanks so much
Hi, I'm a new diver as of this past summer, and am learning in Atlantic Canada, so 25-30 lbs is typical for me even though I'm a medium-sized female. I'm a somewhat nonathletic person before this, and not particularly strong. A lot of my dives have been boat, and I find it really hard to pull myself up the ladder, so taking off my weight belt first and handing it up to someone before I climb out really helps. Can't do that with the integrated weights. But weight belts tend to slide around during my dive and there's no quick release if the buckle is god-knows-where around my back so ... integrated weights. A couple of times when I was using integrated weights, my instructor had me take the entire BCD (with tank) off completely before climbing up. Thank goodness there were a lot of strong guys around to lift all of that up to the boat for me! I'm still sorting it all out, but I think your advice about combining some integrated weights with some weights on a belt is probably the way to go for those of us diving where we need more weight than we can walk up a ladder with.
Good to hear from you Melissa - and from Atlantic Canada where they grow REAL Divers!
I've dived in Halifax but no where else out there yet - and maybe never unfortunately given my age and aversion to cold water now.
You're right in 2 ways.
1. Splitting your weight requirements between the BCD and a belt is perfectly sensible. It makes for a more trim profile and is much easier on your body too.
2. Experimenting as you've been doing is the only way to find what works best for you. Take all the advice you can get but check it out yourself to see if it works. Don't just accept and live with someone else's system. You'll notice that I never use the word "must" or the phrase "the only way" because that idea simply doesn't work in scuba any more than it works in intimate relations (if you know what I mean!).
As I've aged I have more and more often removed my integrated BCD at the surface (don't forget to inflate it a bit!!) and either pulled it up onto the dive platform myself or let those enthusiastic, young, strong, divemasters who are always trying to prove they're great divers do it for me. It makes them feel special so do them a favor. Don't be afraid to play the weak, little girl just as I'm not afraid to play the weak, old man. I save my energy for the next dive!
And, for the record, I'm NOT a weak, old man and you're NOT a weak, little girl. I know that because you're a scuba diver in Atlantic Canada.
Are you reading this Tom Sinel??
Good luck.
Alec
I have found that when I had to remove my BCD for class I had a lot more trouble with the weight integrated BCD. When I had the belt on I stayed on the bottom and had no problem with the maneuver. With the weight integrated BCD, The BCD stayed on the bottom and I found myself dangling head down, holding onto the BCD. That whole BCD on the knee thing is harder than it looks.
If cold water diving is what You mainly do, I would suggest transitioning to Steel 300bar tanks. Might be hard to Come by in the U.S. But it reduces the amount of lead needed. I dive 2x12L 230bar Steel tanks, drysuit and 13lb (6,5kg)of lead.
Thats a good setup for Norway's 'hot' water. The most common tank in the USA and Canada is the 80 cu/ft aluminum which many are very comfortable with more lead vs heavier tank. Thanks for watching.
Great videos Alec. Keep them coming. I have the ScubaPro BC with the Air2 integrated octopus, and although a good idea to minimize hoses, and devices around you, not to crazy about it, not sure why. Been using it for 10 years now, and would not buy it again, with the Air2 included.
It's not a BAD idea. I'm just not sure why it's still around. Alec
Alec why do you say that about Air2? I have one and like it. Maybe a video?
There's a video about that configuration coming. Watch for it. Most divers who try it agree. Neat idea but not really helpful. Alec
As I say in my video, if you use and like it, stick with it. No problem. Alec
🤣love your tips and videos Alec
Thanks! 😃 Lots more to learn and laugh at.
A
Excellent video. Thank you.
Thanks for watching. Alec
Interesting to see your comments regarding plastic coating over your weights.
I've never seen that before and I"d be interested to see the data that supports needing it. I struggle to see how a few weights sitting in the water for half an hour or so would make much difference to the water quality.
Probably doesn't, but ...
It's 2017 and sometimes the appearance of concern for the environment is important. Just as hunters have been forced to stop using lead shot while hunting waterfowl and lead plumbing (in the drains of course) has been eliminated, NOT using exposed lead weights probably doesn't have much real or measurable benefit. Trying to protect the environment is as valuable as actually doing so.
Besides, they look a lot better.
I'm old Tom so some of these ideas are very foreign to me too. But I appreciate the significance of the damage done to the environment by humans and I have no problem with efforts to try and minimize that damage, no matter how hard to justify.
Hola Alec. Almost all year around here at Black Sea in Romania we dive with 7mm full suit. I used to get a lot of lead on me and was very unconfortable. I dive now during hot season with a wing with 5 mm steel backplate harnesd (Audaxpro brand) + 15 L steel tank + my beloeved heavy Poseidon 5000 regs and i need no extra wheight. When I dive in drysuit with 2 undergarments on me in the same setup I will need a extra of 8 kg of lead. Where to put those: on my Northern Diver wheight and trim harness which spreads the entire wheight (commonly 8 - 10 kg) on my hips and legs. So in drysuit I dive pretty confortable with 6 kg bc + 10kg lead = 16 kg (and i am only 72 kg in wheight, not like Kevin :) ). And that's a lot of wheight. I wonder when I will see a video with all this setup (drysuit + wing and steel backplate harness + wheight harness) from you.. I hardly expect it ... like the one with the "keeping your drysuit dry" :).
Keep up the vids comming. They are great.
Wow! That's quite a setup but, as I say, if it works for you (and is safe), that's the way to do it. I hate it when I hear someone say "the only proper way to do it is ...." The proper way to do it is the way that works and is safe! Thanks for watching. Alec
Killing it with that shirt and apron! Also great videos
Thanks Alex.
I hope you're getting more than fashion tips from my vids!
Alec
Here in NE Texas, we do have cold water seasonaly. (To reinforce your point.)
And snow too but not like the 18" of ice on our lakes in winter. Cold is relative to your location as I remember dive guides shivering in 85F in Bonaire when we left Canada at -15F and were going crazy in the heat.
@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter Yeah, ours doesn't usually freeze but the 40s isn't unusual in the winter.
I'm giving a like 5 years later just for "shares in Goodyear" lol. Poor Kevin!
He loves the attention Greta!.
Another great video. What's you take on BCD with oct regulators? guess one fewer thing to pack and lighter, though not as nice for your dive buddy vs a bright yellow long second stage... depends on how nice you wanna be :) in your case the wife, so no Q here...
Guess you take the risk of buddy pulling on it an deflating your BCD in the process! maybe not a good thing...
And why are wings so dam expensive ? simpler, ought to be cheaper, but niche market ??? Back when double tanks and simple straps (and over the head BC that looked like a life jacket) was all I knew.
There's a vid about that on the way. Watch for it. Thanks, Alec
You are fun! 🐠
I am!
can you do a comment on true BP&W using stainless and aluminum plates and options
Hi Alec, heres one comment from Norway. I use weight and lots of it.. Think total amount is about 26-27 pounds give or take. Two integrated drop pocket in my Mares Hybrid AT BCD and a weight belt to overcome my drysuit etc.. But I must say this, if I could eliminate the drop weights I would and perhaps down the line I will. Reason is simple, when you have experienced the elivator once, you dont want that again. So my drop pocket fell out, luckily in my safestop, but imagine if it was 100 feet or deeper. Why it dropped i do not know, perhaps it got hooked in something, perhaps it was old and tired, no offence 😁 well i don't know. All I know now is it can suddenly drop and it is always in the back of my mind. And oh yea, there are not to heavy either. Here is a video showing the incident in full, note I did try to flare out, but was too boyent to make a difference at 5 meters (10-15 feet or so).. th-cam.com/video/jz_2NlCV2Sw/w-d-xo.html
Pretty scary. Glad you're OK. I always suggest that one doesn't use the Dry Suit for buoyancy. Some divers try but you simply can't dump air from a Dry Suit quickly. In shallow water you can fly up in seconds. The air in the suit and BCD doubles in siize in just 30'. In deep water you have a bit more time because the increase in air volume is much slower. Regardless, losing your weight can be very serious. Take care. Alec
So to follow up, do you suggest me using the bcd for boyency control when waring a drysuit. It is pretty much the opposite of what I learned. But I am very int to pick up any new teaching if you care to tell me. First thing I do is to inflate my suite just enough to be boyent, then increase in small steps the deeper I go, always with the valve fully open. Use only BCD when on the surface. Am i doing it wrong?
Tom, that's what I'm doing too (drysuit). The reality is that you have to add air to your drysuit (especially Tri/bylaminate I have) to prevent extreme squeeze and add warmth back as you go down (restore thickness of undergarment). But as Alec mentioned you can't dump air from drysuit as quickly as BCs (which is why I'm now pre-dumping a bit ahead of an ascend so I can swim my way up at the speed I want, and can let extra air slowly expel as it travels to my shoulder. Only use BCD at surface.
In your case - weight dropped by accident - this is WHY I don't use my BCD weight pockets (plus they are the old velcro type, and I don't want my tank+reg+bcd to weight a ton pulling out into a kayak - I too wear 26#). Another student drop their weight pocket - thankfully at the surface. Cost to replace weight + custom pocket gets high, but the risk of uncontrollable ascend is way too risky to me.... as Alec mention he can't remember the time he ever had to dump weight, BUT we do see fair amount of accidental release. IMO use a good belt they seem rare to come undone by accident ?
Alec even if he had used a BCD for air, it's unlikely he would be neutral if dumping half your weight by accident... and to counter that he would be swimming down and the release valve of the BC would not be right direction (unless you can reach the bottom rear dump valve. Tough... weight accident dump scare me!
Looks like we do it pretty much the same way.. I am perhaps not as skilled as you both are, believe I have according to my log book about 43 dives and embarking my Rescue diver course this weekend. Credentials aside I do believe I am starting to find a way to be neutral in the water, just removed 10 pounds of weight I forgot to remove after loosing equal amount of body fat (yes it can be done Kevin) he he, no offence Kevin just building on the funny good intentional jokes by Alec. Anyway I digress, where was I, oh yea the neutral boyent rule we all learned in PADI is to do the weight check on the end of the dive, I did and found that I sank to the bottom like a stone and not the stone they used to carry with then back in the day. So I removed as I said about 10 pounds mainly from my integraded weight pocked, used to have 12 pounds in each pocked and 12 pounds on the belt. Now I have as said above about 7 in each pocket. I do not like the belt as I do feel it stops the air flowing freely in the suit, it tends to take a bit longer to shift air from body to feet so you tend to pump more into the suit than you would need, and then tip over to find you have too much in the feet. Well its a balance act for sure. I know Alec said he isn't fond of those wing bcds, but if a i.e. D8 with a Wing donut, backplate to and weight pocket to compensate for the drop weight, well I would be all for it. Sadly it cost a tone of money which at the moment I do not have. So my XCD2, Mares Hybrid AT and my bulky weight belt and ancle weight need to be married just a tad longer. So my question remains, will I get more or better trim function by using my BCD to control boyency, or should I leave that for the surface and use my suit. I get the empty bit, but I am mainly now focus on getting that trim positing and neutral feeling and control
Great video, thank you! What is the most reliable way to calculate how much weight you need?
I do weight checks every time if I've changed something in my setup/ worn more or less layers. Deflate your BC and hold a normal breath you should be at eye level, exhale and you should start descending at a reasonable pace.
Thanks for these tips! They're very useful. I'm picking my first BCD up in a few days, it'll be a BP/W. Where would you recommend putting the weight pockets? The one I'm interested in requires me to stitch them on, alongside light pockets and all that.
I just recently was reminded of how important placement of weight pockets is. I was trying a friend's steel tank and put the usual weights in the usual place, to the rear. I rolled onto my back to check things out and ..... got stuck. I needed help to get over onto my face.
So, to answer your question, largely through trial and error in safe diving conditions, you will discover where to put the weights. If you have a negative tank & steel BP you do NOT want the weights near the back close to all the weight. Put them near the front so you can maintain a level attitude. Also you may need to move the weight, whether lead, tank or BP, along your body length so you can keep your head up (or down) without constantly finning.
Have fun.
Alec
Cheers! I'll be going for an aluminium BP (will be diving with aluminium tanks too 99% of the time). I was recommended by my friends to put the weight pockets on the two tank cam bands -- is that the only place that they can (and should) be placed?
Thanks!!
Yo Alec! Love your videos...I ve been looking at travel BCs...im torn between the Hollis TLS and the Bio lite, but leaning towards the bio lite. Do you have a BC for traveling and one for local dives? Also, I was wondering...ever since i started diving i noticed the dry mouth from the regulators always made me thirsty. Do you think you could take a camel back water bladder and drink from it at depth? Tell me your thoughts! Great videos and i hope you are enjoying your retirement.
Cheers!
Many dedicated divers have 2 BCDs - one for travel (Biolite) and one for local.
If you can drink from a Coke bottle, I have to believe you can drink from a bladder.
Try it.
Alec
I am 165cm 115lbs and I dive locally in vancouver with a drysuit and 28lbs of lead! My full gear with tank full of air almost weigh as much as myself hahaha
We have a very enthusiastic tech diver who frequents the shop. He's about 5'5", 150 pounds and wears double 130 cf steel tanks.
He straps them to a furniture dolly to bring them into the store for fills.
Thanks for watching.
Alec
Alison Ho hey there. ;) Wanna go diving together in the PNW?
Qi Lu When? I’m off to a liveaboard in the Bahamas in a week!
Alison Ho have fun there! I’ve booked a liveaboard too but in December.
I’ve always wanted to go diving with sea lions in Vancouver. Have you tried that?
With the concern about uncoated lead weights your soft weight must be a larger issue as far as an environmental contamination.
All lead is bad, hard or soft. But soft has a much larger surface are per pound of lead so degrades faster (ie gets less and lighter). Most soft lead bags are environmentally sealed with some lead pellet coating to reduce friction. Check the manufacturers web site to see how their lead is prepared and if it works for your diving.
Hi Alec.
im looking for info on tech or cave diving
and the right BCD for those kinda dives.
I tought i saw 1 of your vid's with the Biolite vest and that it had interchangable back plates.
but i could be wrong.
maybe you could shed some light
The Biolite is designed to be lightweight fro travel. It doesn not have any interchangeable parts.
It may not be the best choice for caves nor other tech diving.
Alec
Example: I'm diving and my tanks starts to slip downward, tank strap loose... I am diving by myself... I need to take my BC off to fix tank. Is there a way to get a weight intergrated BC off and back on without having your feet going to the surface?
Option one, get your buddy to fix your tank, this is a skill that must be demonstrated during certification, option two lean forward undo the bcd, and let it sit on top of you while you spin your body around underneath. Also a skill required for certification, but it’s super sketchy, and I would only do it in an emergency.
Can you do a video, or recommend a resource on weighting a back inflate? I'm taking my open water course next week, so I'm new to this. I've seen a lot of people recommend them, but I've seen people say they tip you forward at the surface. I've heard from a couple people that it isn't a problem if they are correctly weighted. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Back inflated aren't a concern on the surface they do tip you slightly forward but you get used to it and lay on your back and they are very nice.
On the way. Alec
Awesome, thanks! I look forward to it.
Funny thing is, I need more lead in the Red Sea with 3mm then in Germany with7mm cause of the high salt.
I believe it. I've dived the Red Sea and experienced the same thing.
Alec
Do you think I need to purchase a 3mm wetsuit? Because I have a 7mm for cold water diving in New Hampshire, but a good 3mm wetsuit is not cheap, so idk if it's worth to purchase one for warm water diving or 7mm will do for both cold and warm water.
You can wear a 7mm in warm water. Some will tell you that it's too warm for diving in the tropics but there's really no such thing as too warm. The water is usually 75 to 80 degrees (24 - 27C) so still a lot less than your body temperature.
The biggest problem with wearing your 7mm is the extra weight you will need to get down, probably 5 or more pounds.
I find that a decent 3mm suit isn't too expensive. Check out Henderson - a great suit, very substantial company and fair prices too.
Good luck.
Alec
I would be watching out for over heating while topside in the case of shore or open boat dives!
Michigan I use 24lbs of weight and I have a 7mm suit
That sound about right. I'm guessing you are about 5'10 or 6' and weigh between 160 and 190. Close?
Warm water divers freak out when you say that you need 24 pounds.
What do warm water divers know eh? (that's Canadian for 'Huh?')
Take care.
Alec
I have a Mares Dragon BCD. Earlier today I lost my weight pocket (satchel). It was snapped into place and properly aligned in its track. There was only 5 lbs in it.
Has anyone lost their Mares wt. pockets too?? sign- Frustrated.
The real frustration will be trying to replace it.
It will either be hard to find or very costly.
Sorry. It happens. Look on eBay.
Good luck.
Alec
my dive instructor doesn’t have to wear any weight ! He was a BIG BOY 300LBS EASILY he wore 2lbs in a 3mm and he sunk like a rock minde you he has zero muscle and all fat I’m skinny as a rail and I need 6-8 lbs to sink
Only two types of diver bodies, sinkers and floaters. Once you know what type you are, your weight and gear decisions are based on that.
I’m one of those neg buoyant people. Question... you mentioned you wear wet suits in extreme cold. Do you not wear dry suits?
If the dive warrants it I sure do Wally.
I personally (and it's a sentiment apparently shared by lots of divers) prefer a wetsuit given a choice. A drysuit not only insulates you from the cold water but it also insulates you from the sensation of being underwater. You lose some of that "Wow! I'm scuba diving!" thrill.
A wetsuit is just as warm as a drysuit, for short periods. The heat in each suit is coming from the same source - your body.
So in a short cold dive, say under the ice, I like a wetsuit. On long cold dives, say a deep wreck dive in northern waters, a drysuit.
Also, I consider a drysuit a piece of safety equipment. Most think of it as purely exposure protection so some divers shun the expense of a drysuit as unnecessary. It not only keeps you warm for a much longer period, it also protects you from hypothermia and it allows your extremities, arms, legs and fingers, to work properly during the dive. Imagine a small emergency, say your reg comes out of your mouth, and your arms and fingers are numb!.
Take care.
Alec
Alec Peirce Scuba Thx for taking the time to share that information Alec. I hope to meet you one day. Come down to Cozumel Sept. 22-29 next month. Dive with us.
I like to ask how much weight should I use If I'm going on a treasure dive in the Florida Keys?
Very common question Kyle but one for which there is no accurate answer.
It depends on too many varying factors.
The best answer is to take the advice of the divemasters on the dive boat, add 2 pounds to that and then you will find out yourself once in the water.
All the old "Rules of Thumb" that old divers quote like "10% of your body weight" are useless. Not only have wetsuits changed a great deal, so have our bodies. Today's wetsuits are much more buoyant and today's bodies have a higher fat content.
Let me explain some of the factors that affect correct weighting for a diver:
- water salinity - the more salt in the water the more weight you need.
- currents - strong currents require more weight
- depth - the deeper you intend to go the less weight you need (although BCDs will conter this)
- on a shallow dive you should add more weight
- tank size and style - high pressure steel tanks require less weight.
- gear used - old, heavy rubber fins or old wetsuits need less weight. Also the thickness of the wetsuit is a major game changer.
- body shape - generally Ectomorph bodies (long and lean) need less weight while Endomorph (short and round) need more
however I have seen some real contradictions to this.
- breathing - if you're a slow, deep breather you will need less weight but a fast, shallow breather will need more.
- experience - new divers need more while experienced divers need less
- age - young divers need more; old divers need less
- gender - women need more
- food preferences - people who eat Mexican food need more (gas!); vegans need less
That last one is a joke!! Don't become a vegan because you get to use less weight! You'll be disappointed!
The point is that there's no way to know for sure how much you need.
Maybe I can help narrow it down a bit but don't be upset with me if I'm way off. Assuming you'll be wearing a wetsuit and probably a 3mm full suit (not a shorty) which is the most common in the Keys, you should start with about 8-10 pounds. With a 5mm suit try 12-14 pounds. In a 3mm shorty suit start with 8 pounds.
I suggest that you take a bit extra, maybe 2 pounds more than you think you need, for your first dive. Your BCD will easily overcome this if it's too much. There's no way to make yourself heavier if you don't have enough and getting down that first 15' can be frustrating if you are under-weighted.
Divemasters generally want you to have less weight than you probably need. Their greatest challenge is over-weighted divers so they suggest less than you likely need. Plus they personally use less than most divers themselves (experience and breathing control) so they don't consider all the above factors that can make your weight needs different.
Yours is the first comment that I've replied to this morning so I got carried away but you certainly have a lot of information to help you decide.
Good luck diving in the Keys which is one of my favorite places to dive.
Alec
Wow, Alec, very in-depth reply. (No pun intended) I too am getting ready to make my first dive in over 20 years and have no idea of how much weight I will need. This information is extremely helpful. Thanks.
hi im new to scuba diving i hope you can help, i went for my first try dive and really enjoyed it but with one big problem i could not hold the regulater in as i have no teeth so can you help. meny thanks john
Wow! Tough one John. I take it you don't want to use your dentures probably in fear of losing them. Years ago we had a neck strap that held the regulator in place but it was loose on our neck. It just kept the reg close to our
mouth if it fell out. I suppose it could be tightened to actually hold the reg in but suppose you wanted to spit it out. Maybe a twist of the head sideways would still allow that. I'm thinking out loud here. Maybe another viewer has an idea. Alec
thank you very much you have been very helpfull. meny thanks john
for one thing make sure you use the much more flexible nylon braided hose (vs old rubber ones) and a small/light weight second stage regulator (I have the Aeris Ion which is tiny) - and maybe a shorter hose with a swivel ? that would put a lot less strain on your mouth to start with.
In all my years as a scuba instructor I have never faced that problem John - not too many teeth yes, but no teeth - that 's a new one.
I have to assume you use dentures and don't want to wear them underwater.
Years ago it was common for regulators to have a neck strap that held the regulator in place. It didn't really hold it in your mouth but just kept it on your neck. Maybe a strap like that with a Velcro piece would work. I'll have to think about that one. Perhaps another viewer has an idea. Alec
I can think of two possibilities: 1) A full-face mask. Expensive, and they require special training, but it's an option. 2) A custom mouthpiece. You may be able to get one molded to fit your gums as well as a standard mouthpiece would fit one's teeth.
i have a mares vector can i add on integrated weights to it
I quickly checked the Mares Vector online and it says it comes with weight-integration.
Maybe yours is an older model and perhaps you can add the pockets.
You'll need to check with a Mares dealer.
Good luck.
Alec
I was just thinking about this!! Should I stuff 30 lbs in my bcd or split it with a weight belt?
I'm in cold water, in Vancouver
That's one of the most common questions (problems?) we face at the store - divers want to buy a BCD that will carry all their weights and eliminate the weight belt. Sorry, but it can't be done - at least not practically. Certainly if you dive in warmer water where your weight requirements are less, say, under 20 pounds, you may and should succeed in this goal. But for cold water divers, especially with a dry suit and even moreso with big divers, it's just not feasile. While warm water divers shake their heads at the suggestion, it is quite possible and quite correct for a big diver in a dry suit to need 30 pounds or more. I've seen properly weighted divers with over 40 pounds! So, to answer your question, assuming 30 pounds of weight, a 30 pound tank, a 5 pound regulator and an 15 pound BCD (it's extra heavy because of it's size - BCs range from 5 to 15 pounds) and you have a total weight of 80 pounds. Let's consider a big diver who is using a steel tank since he probably needs (or thinks he needs extra air) with a weight of 40 pounds (120 cubic foot) and now you're at 90 pounds. Yeah! I want to carry around a 90 pound scuba unit!! Getting into the water is one thing, climbing a boat ladder is another and walking over slippery, weed covered rocks is definately another. I would suggest 16 pounds in the BC - 4 four pound pockets , and a 14 pound weight belt. A 14 pound weight belt is nothing - same as tropical diving. Now the scuba unit is 65 to 75 pounds - still heavy but manageable. And you have a weight belt to drop if necessary - much cheaper than pockets.
Have you also considered that the weights in a BCD are hard on the BC? Everything is strained and the BCD is fabric with sewn edges and heat-sealed seals. 30 pounds of weight pulling straight down while you pull up on the top - not good.
There's my thoughts. Maybe that helps. What works best for you is the best answer and that may include many considerations - age, weight, fitness, dive situation, etc. Good luck. Alec
Alec Peirce Scuba thanks for your detailed response!!
Yeah this was my issue too... I've been wrestling my hippo BC for years trying to convince myself that integrated was the way to go. To be honest, this whole time I thought the idea was to totally eliminate the weight belt. I can't wait to go and redistribute- since I have 35lbs or so stuffed in mine. Every time I dive I feel like the Kursk- you know... without the explosion.
lbs 35 here.
That's what Kevin puts on one side....
A
Wiiings
yeahhhh... wings with 5-6 mm backplate harness. no wobbling and no.more aditional wheights.
Chirana, with a heavy lead backplate (and steel tank, heavy reg) do you not find having all the weight out back harder to be leveled and not want the tank to roll your sideway ? I would think having it more even distributed (I wear a weight belt with smaller weight all around) would be better....
it is steel backplate and tank. i find the reg perfect
+Alain Dumesny it depends on ur physique and your gear or kit. the wing is supposed to compensate for the rolling
how is it possible that i take 12 kilograms approximately 27 pounds of weight in the red sea without any wet suit , i only dive with my swimming suit. i am big guy that weights 170 kilo's 😂. but still what will happen if i had a wet suit on it will be hell for sure 😂