Weights & Lead Choices For Scuba Divers

[@Teampegleg]

Soft lead weights are also good for stopping tanks from rolling. When I line my tanks up on a picnic table for testing and setup I use a lead weight so they are stay there with the valves facing up.

[@Marco-bq4hj]

it would have been interesting to hear about plastic/rubber coated lead, I have always been suggested to use the plastic/rubber protected lead also for environmental reasons as lead is potentially toxic and corrodes easily in salty waters (but never really had some proper studies on this)

[@toriless]

My beads are coated, it only added 10% to the price. I think they were from Sherwood. Yes, for local dives, but I also have one on an Ethernet cord right now.

[@peterclark85]

I purchased a bunch of weights when I lived in Florida, and now that I am in Chicago I still have uses for them. One favorite is to help weigh down outdoor Christmas decorations that have a bad habit of falling over in the wind. I've also used them as basically a sandbag type weight on a lighting system for a video shoot. But by far my top reason for owning at least a single hard weight...underwater GoPro tripod! Just take an adhesive mount and attach it to the weight. Then simply attached your camera. You can take it and set it down on a rock and it will stay perfectly still, even in the ebb and flow of the current. Got some video of the reef in the Keys using that method. Just set it down, swim away for like 5 minutes, then swim back and pick it up. Now I have gotten some strange stares from airport security when they find a 4 lb lead weight in my carryon camera bag lol, but never had an actual issue with it. That said, for future trips I may just take an extra adhesive mount and put it on a rented weight and then remove and toss the mount afterwards. I have enough extras at this point.

[@marcdog4]

Good tips James. Here in Hawaii we often make our weights from fishing lead recovered on cleanup dives. The 2 techniques most used are melting the fishing weights down and casting in dive weight mold or just measure whatever fish lead you have/need and drop them in an old sock and tie it off. Done.

[@jilka-b]

I literally just cast my own custom hard weights to fit my BCD weight pockets! Extra lead ingots were sitting in the keel of a sailboat I bought, so I had a free source of weight. They may need some minor tweaks and a second go-around, but once I'm happy I'll coat the lumps to encapsulate the lovely substance.

[@mikedavies4694]

A number of months ago, I actually took the time to weigh all my lead. Quite a few pieces were not exactly the weight listed on them. A trip to the fishing store to buy some 2oz pencil leads, quickly equalised my weight between left and right sides. Staying level is now so much easier. Drysuit diving with a pony.

[@ernstdevries8265]

Thanks for your very useful information. I missed you mentioning that lead is toxic for the natural environment. Especially the loss of lead pellets from leaking soft lead units should be prevented anyway.

[@aralverson]

I've flown with my lead weights before, but only because it didn't cost me any extra to fly with it. The dive shops around the island that I have to fly to only carry 2kg weights, and I like to get more precise with my buoyancy and trim instead of diving with an extra 2-3 lbs more than necessary.

[@unchartedodyssey]

Another thing to consider about soft weight is that it retains a lot more water and doesn't dry quickly So, if your doing a shore dive out of the back of your car your going to be dealing with a lot more water.

[@toriless]

It drains instantly.

[@unchartedodyssey]

Tell that to the puddle in my car

[@rickhandin]

Good video, again. Missed the discussion about rubber/plastic coated lead weights and the environmental effects that lead actually has.

[@Teampegleg]

Solid lead doesn’t readily corrode in salt water. Most of the issues with lead and water have to do with slightly acidic freshwater. Salt water is naturally alkaline.

[@schpitz101]

Great video on a simple topic. Very important that if you use integrated pockets, and keep your weight in your pockets or bag, ONLY use soft shot weight! The hard edges of the formed weights wear your pocke materials and can crack any plastics it presses against in transport. Put hard weights in the trunk of your car instead (I forever have 10lbs rattling around my Swift)

[@francisbevacqua8014]

Nothing to do with lead. But a follow up on how you feel about the Garmin now that youve had it for a while? And can you do a comparison with the Teric?

[@kodiererg]

I have a mk2. No interest in air integration, so it's not a 2i, and so far I love it. I'm taking a tech course next month and have been green lighted to use it in the course, the only thing I would change is your safety stop count down is shown in pretty small text and I would blow that up a bit, but it does vibrate to tell you when to start and when you're done. I took it for a night dive, and I did have to hit the back light button to read it, but it does stay lit for about 10 seconds. I like that the menus are super easy to navigate, I hate scrolling menus where if you push the button one time too many you have to go all the way through the loop again. The out of water features are pretty cool, it even tracks your sleep patterns if you wear it to bed. I've dropped in a couple times and so far no dings or scratches. I highly recommend it.

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

@@kodiererg I would love to get a mk2s, if only they had a titanium bracelet for it. The mk2 is too big for my taste.

[@matthewshutchison]

Hey there James! Great tips as always... I'm well on my way to completing all of your content and look forward to all information that you have to offer. With that said... and I'm not sure if you are still reviewing comments on some of these older videos; however, I figured this would be the most relevant video to post this request. I would personally LOVE to see a quick tips video for doing the "maths" for calculating weighting for different environments / conditions. For instance... I live about 20 minutes from the local dive shop you visited in Tampa so diving is plentiful in a variety of conditions. I dive 10lbs in a 5 mil in fresh water springs over here... now add salt water and you add buoyancy... drop down to a 3 mil in fresh or salt and you also drop buoyancy... I think you get where I'm going with this. Is there a better way other than lugging extra weight around and trial and error to figuring all of this out? Cheers!

[@Hookmodo]

Thanks for another great video! Can you please do a video on weight systems for a BP/W? I know it's easy for a stainless steel plate, but I'm thinking more geared towards light weight travel setups w/ a wetsuit. Thanks again!

[@joewelsh1804]

You made light work of that subject. 😇 😇

[@LarsDennert]

Soft weights were all the rage. I've gone back to solid ones. They have some advantages. They are more compact. There is surprisingly a lot of air space in shot weight. I can fit an extra lb in the same acb pocket. My kids are equipped with direct dump pockets in their wings. A ditch would mean losing only the weight, no pocket. Consequently, loading the pockets is a pain with shot. It's like maneuvering a sack of potatoes in there. A solid weight is easy to manipulate.

[@BlueHorizonDiving]

Good video James. Yeah I like the soft weights for when drysuit diving.

[@CritterHunter]

Only sir James can get 300 thumbs up and no thumbs down. I bow down my friend

[@joshs3916]

I have the same dive helmet. Very cool. No way to get a book shelf lol. I love soft weights, the solid lead is great until it falls and makes a whole in your buddy's boat. But you really need the solid for when you needn't to don an old school dive belt

[@WoodByWright]

I was hoping you'd talk about tungsten weights. I thought about dumping the serious amount of cash for a set of tungsten weights.

[@flipflop82ful]

Real pimp divers hire people to carry their weights, two heavily overleaded diveguides that hold on to you and control your boyancy

[@Carter4240]

@@flipflop82ful and give the guides gold bars instead of lead

[@toriless]

$$$$$$$$$

[@toriless]

By the way, gold a heavier then lead, so he is wrong.

[@mrstihl16]

@@toriless tungsten has entered the chat.

[@Makdiver]

plastic/rubber coated lead- My too - We are not aloud to dive whit lead that are not coated..And if i travel i bring all my gear but not tank and lead,, thanks for a great video..

[@toriless]

Mine are coated, at least that it the claim. They also use uniform bead sized unlike cheaper ones. I forget what size they said.

[@SamanthaCoolBeans]

Aaah ‘Non-radioactive metal’? That’s where I’m going wrong... I’ve been feeling poorly ever since I bought a Depleted Uranium V-Weight 😂😂

[@toriless]

Darn Russian black market. 😄

[@andrecandrade]

I own 2 soft 1Lbs weights to dive around where I live. Dive boats do not have 1Lbs and I need exactly 2Lbs for my summer dives

[@TheIzzandrew]

Lol i need to get skinnier so i dont have to have 14lbs

[@andrecandrade]

@@TheIzzandrew The Stainless Steel backplate helps a lot :-)

[@toriless]

Damn warm water diver!

[@Chogogo717]

Two 1lbs weights… that’s two rocks borrowed from the hotel garden. 🤣

[@stephendoherty8291]

Go for more smaller weights. As you lose body weight (ideally body fat!) you can drop some weight and small weights can be useful for trim pockets and wont destroy the pockets as much

[@kevindavison6019]

I dive cold water with a double layer 7 mm wetsuit (14 mm thick) and need to use integrated weight as well as a weight belt in order to have enough weight to sink. I was lucky enough to find a cache or lead both hard and soft weights at a garage sale for super cheap do i didn't go broke. I also made my own soft weights by sewing up some old denim and using reclaimed lead shot bought on ebay. I have made some low profile weights that fit the exact dimensions of the BC pockets by melting scrap lead from a sailboat keel (bought on Craigslist) and pouring into a mold made from scrap steel. I just bought a backplate wing setup and will be making weights than bolt directly to the plate. I'm really trying to ditch the belt.

[@jeffworst9939]

Double layer 7mm wet suits! I think it's time you explore the world of dry suits. I'm curious... how much weight are you carrying with that suit on? How much lift does your wing have?

[@kevindavison6019]

​@@jeffworst9939 34 LB with the wetsuit i just bought a backplate with a 32# bladder up till now I've been using a jacket style BC with unknown capacity I've been saving for a drysuit but the wetsuit was only $150 when I got started and the drysuit with all the options is better than $3K I'm tall average shaped guy but I have big feet so trying to find a used suit that doesn't need alterations is tough. water temps in the summer up here in maine are between 45-60 degrees and the suit does pretty well in 50deg+ water the drysuit would extend my season though.

[@toriless]

Those lead shots are not coated and are polluting the water.

[@stephendoherty8291]

Considering the toxicity off lead in the marine environment, is it not time we stop using bare lead especially all the lost weights on the seafloor. Even hobby fishermen are not using lead weights on fishing rods. You can buy weights incased in (more easily found if dumped) yellow plastic. Makes threading the belt easier too

[@toriless]

Yep, and painted ones usually have about half the paint gone.

[@lairdb]

No giveaway for an autographed beat up solid weight? Bummer.

[@Sgyozo]

There are some more dense non-radioactive materials, but lead is the most convenient. Mercury falls out for obvious reasons, tungsten would be good, but pretty hard to work with it, even in the industry. Gold, platinum, iridium, osmium, palladium, rhutenium, rhodium are pretty pricy too. :D I'd choose platinum if i would be a billionaire.

[@WoodByWright]

I've actually been looking at buying a set of tungsten dive weights. I have a friend who dumped a serious amount of cash in on that.

[@Sgyozo]

@@WoodByWright I guess, if one could get tungsten 'sand' or i don't know, maybe 2-3mm size particles... Put it into a mould, with some epoxy, on a vibrating table and/or vacuum... It's doable. Probably a lot pricier than lead, but hopefully it's a one time investment.

[@toriless]

I have platinum equipment but not weights, seems like waste.

[@toriless]

Beads are also coated, at least any worth using so they do not leach off into the water. Most belt style are abused and the coating it often only partial. I should also note the make harnesses for weight in addition to belts. They can load either kind.

[@weiniesail]

plenty of dive boats in SE Florida don't have sufficient weights on a crowded day. I'd often fly from ny with about 4 or 6 lbs (which always triggered TSA bag checks). But worth it when the boat only has big 6 or 8 pound bricks in the crate left.

[@Teampegleg]

I’ve had that experience as well, 2lb weights are hard to come by too. So I’ve had to go back to my car and pull out some of my personal weights. Also experienced the same in tulum too.

[@weiniesail]

@@Teampegleg There are some boats (walker dive charters in w. palm) that always have a plentiful supply of rubber coated lead. They do that because they give track how many they give you and make sure they get them back at the end of the trip. Most boats out of boynton usually have the worst pickings. Most carribean resorts don't have this problem because no one is going to steal lead and fly back home with it.

[@toriless]

Hey, I used to have to fly with a couple of hard drives and some cables to install them. I got my bag searched. I move them to carry on and knew they would be looking inside the first few times.

[@stephendoherty8291]

You can also choose to dive with a steel tank which adds some "free" weight thats not a lump of lead. Even empty its still a "different" weight to lead. Lifting it onto the dive boat is the downside but they are more robust than aluminium tanks imho

[@toriless]

Aluminum is more popular because of cost. It is not any better then SS.

[@Zerthar07]

I prefer hard weights as they are more compact. If I need to put 8 kg per pocket in my weight integrated bdc the hard weights fit, the soft won't. That's in winter time with a dry suit and a thick undersuit.

[@LodgeMan2011]

Weight a minute. Do you use belts and integrated systems simultaneously so in case of emergency, you’re not dumping all of your weight? I personally do not. But I know several divers that do

[@butimo]

That would be a very interesting topic to hear James opinion about. I personally also not use any dump-able weights. Dump-able weights may make it easier to get out of a boat and especially for the crew to lift my gear out, but dumping your weights for emergency is coming with an immense risk of popping very fast to the surface. Better be correctly weighted.

[@stephendoherty8291]

I kept trim weights in my bcd (integrated weights) so technically i wouldn't dump all my weight in an emergency either. But few divers had much weights on a belt as well as the integrated ones on the bcd. Most did it to more equalise the weight vs all at the front (pointing at the sea floor) as integrated weight systems do. I know a few who trapped the small additional weight they needed to their airtank.

[@toriless]

No, you put some in the pockets or on the tank and only some the the emergency dumping portion. This allows a controlled but quick ascent.

[@toriless]

@@butimo You only put in enough to change you buoyancy enough. Dumping all is risky. It is yet one more reason to not use a weight belt.

[@toriless]

@@stephendoherty8291 If you dive with a dry suit it can add considerable weight depending on the gear used. Compressed neoprene does not require the heavy undergarment and thus not nearly as much more weight. You can dive in jeans with that type.

[@johnanderson8480]

Hello James I am looking to take my divemaster course and would Like to take it with you is this possible?

[@WodnikJarek]

Tungsten and gold are more dense (about 19x water density, while lead is about 11x denser than water). And yes, I have weights made from lead, not gold :) Unfortunately lead is a poison, especially for children, so I use plastic molded leads only..

[@toriless]

Such a pauper !! 😄

[@leahyeahnah6866]

Can you read my mind? You always seem to make a video on exactly what I'm thinking about.

[@L.presidente]

Isn't lead dangerous?? I just started my open water certification and now I'm worried

[@YouTube_user3333]

Soft weights don’t go well in aluminium boats. Always weigh your lead. It’s very rarely what it’s meant to weigh. All the comments about lead corrosion. Don’t worry about it. A simple spray of paint keeps them looking great and makes them easy to find if you have to drop them.

[@ilciavo]

I use my weights to go free diving or workouts 😉

[@toriless]

I used some to hold light in place on a beam in the entry area for Halloween.

[@kodiererg]

Tungsten W on the periodic table isn't radioactive, and is more dense than lead, but lead is way cheaper. I bought hard leads because they're cheaper.

[@toriless]

That is why dive shops and tours use them. it is all about cost.

[@pucioy]

James, gold is heavier :)

[@jeffworst9939]

Yes, it's quite a bit denser. The obvious issue is cost. Gold, as of today, is about $29,000 per pound. In addition, you'd need security guards each time you dive around you. Also, if you "dumped" some of that weight, it would ignite a gold rush. Lead dive weights about $3 per pound.

[@leopoldbloom4835]

Yes, but the only divers using it as weights are rich Russians at Hurghada.

[@CephBirk]

I was sad to see no mention of P-weights or V-weights. These are lesser known options that often make trim easier.

[@MrMurray88mph]

Hey any chance you can review the DiveRoid? it looks interesting but also a kickstarter scam.. any thoughts?

[@toriless]

Most of KS and IGG are scams but I did get two of those Paralenz cameras through their campaign. That is legitimate item. I was talking about it in a store once and the owner was there. I went back a couple of months later and they were stocking them. It is pretty cool item to have depth sensitive color filtering. The did have to add a blue (warm water) vs green (cold water) switch to make it work.

[@toriless]

Often any tech projects is a re-brand from legitimate companies. I have lost track or have many projectors, swatches, spy cameras, etc. are made by others and they just remove the old case and put a new one on and charge to another 30 to 400% upcharge.

[@mikkosport2300]

James, lead is NOT the heaviest (i.e. densiest) non-radioactive material. E.g. gold and platinum are denser. Lead is, indeed, most feasible due to density/price ratio. The denser the weight material the less it is needed (even by weight) to compensate boyacy.

[@robertharrison4387]

Go buy 6 lbs of gold and go dive with it then 🤓

[@toriless]

Same for aluminum, aluminum tanks are cheaper, not better.

[@stevenlovell3466]

If you travel a lot and use a weight belt, do yourself a favour and purchase a weight belt with fitted pouches. When it comes to loading it with lead, everyone else will be trying to prise open the belt slots on their weights, whereas you can just simply place the weights in their pouches. You then have more time to go off and buy James a Guinness.

[@toriless]

You can even get the pouches separately if needed.

[@Daveador876]

Lead is still poisonous, thats why the uk banned lead fishing weights in fresh water.

[@cristianconrads9109]

What about Tungsten!!!

[@DiversReady]

Bit pricey.

[@cristianconrads9109]

@@DiversReady This was because of the comment of Lead being the heviest metal non radioactiv, I like to see someone camming with depeted uranum belt, but tugsten is non radioactive. And the king of heavy metal, becide AC-DC, is Osmium but in contact with Oxigen is toxic and vent a very smelly odor.

[@jason950216]

Actually why not tungsten, even denser than lead

[@crashlvmc]

You almost made the 5 minutes, if we remove the intro and outro you probably did. Congrats James!!!!

[@Gelfling1199]

Not quite! Into is 10 seconds. Close but no cigar! The content is worth the extra time though.

[@WoodByWright]

Longer is almost always better. Get the detail in.

[@g00gle5ucks5]

Actually gold is heavier than lead and it's non-toxic. I advise every diver to use gold weights for diving.

[@DiversReady]

Hahahaha!

[@Quantumanticz]

Man those puns are really…weighing on me 😐

[@Frankiewizard]

I always thought lead was toxic.

[@codysheridan100]

Gold is heavier :P

[@diveinstructordaniel1095]

And sometimes almost cheaper 😂😂

[@The_Endless_Summer]

I've seen dive ops charge $25usd a day for weight rentals.

[@toriless]

I think it is normally about a buck per pound for the blocks (maybe less) but I bought my own bags for $5 per pound (with shipping) before I even finish my OW certification so I never had to pay it. Years later and still no vacation dives.

[@The_Endless_Summer]

@@toriless That's fine if you live near where you dive but I'm on the road a lot and don't need to cart lead around the world with me.

[@jefferymorrison4617]

Just a slight correction... lead is an element and not a mineral.

[@toriless]

Minerals are materials that meet five requirements. They are: 1) naturally occurring, 2) inorganic, 3) solids, 4) with a definite chemical composition, and, 5) an ordered internal structure. Minerals include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sulfur, chloride, iron, iodine, fluoride, zinc, copper, selenium, chromium, cobalt, etc. ... but I think he meant metal.

[@jefferymorrison4617]

I believe you’re correct.