How to Perfect your Weighting for Scuba Diving! (1st Basic Principle of Scuba Diving)

[@chadhartley8067]

I recently got my Confined certification and only have 6 dives logged. I watched this to gain more knowledge. Thank you for a great video.

[@bignickdigga1]

Log, Log, Log! Document the weight you use for different dives. Fresh vs Salt, 3mm vs 7mm. Even cold vs warm. It's a ready reference for the next time you dive in the same condition.

[@everythingscuba]

Great comment Jeremy!

[@mitchhushak4264]

Agreed!! Logging is absolutely crucial. Add to the fresh vs. salt list drysuit, recreational BC, sidemount and backmount twinset! No way I could remember all those different weighting requirements!!

[@RK-de5wg]

Agreed! It’s very frustrating when switching from salt to fresh and trying to remember what worked for each when you go diving. Then you can have at least a base line to go by.

[@SeattleRingHunter]

Don't forget to log your personal body weight either. All too often we are focused on gear and lead it all counts and people change over the course of seasons... Cheers, #SeattleRingHunter

[@alexadams4677]

Jeremy, great comments! I log each and every dive including fresh or saltwater, wetsuit thickness, conditions and amount of weight I'm carrying. I don't own my any tanks, so I rent the aluminum cylinders available on the boat. Doing so has allowed to perfect my buoyancy or the past 2 decades pluss of diving. In my view, keeping a record of the entire dives allow a diver to maintain neutral buoyancy based on past diving experiences.

[@mrodri66]

Always useful to look at these kind of lectures to refresh your memory

[@mitchhushak4264]

I'm glad you touched on the fact that breathing out a tank makes it more positive, regardless of material. I've had divers argue with me that the advantage of steel tanks is that they never go positive, and therefore you will never become floaty at the end of the dive. Trying to explain to them - it is not the absolute buoyancy of the tank that matters, it's the difference in buoyancy characteristics from full to empty - is usually hopeless.

[@TheGweedMan]

Most, if not all, steel tanks never go positive. They do lose air over time just like aluminum tanks. Aluminum tanks are positve when empty. A Luxfer 80 tank filled with 3000 PSI (200 bar) breathing gas is 1.5 pounds negatively buoyant and at 750 PSI (50 bar) that same tank is 3 pounds positively buoyant.

[@seikibrian8641]

@@TheGweedMan So what? You don't take just a tank when diving; you also have a mask that constrains air, a tank carrier of some sort (usually a BCD), probably a wet suit or dry suit, and -- of course -- yourself. ALL OF THOSE THINGS go into your buoyancy. In the grand scheme of things, tank material is of almost no consequence; it's the change in mass from a full tank to a nearly-empty tank that matters.

[@donr3407]

Whilst using side mounts it is very obvious the effect you are referring to. Aluminum 80s while going empty will definitely tilt there butt end up much higher than steel 80s. This seems counterintuitive and makes it confusing. Due to the weight distribution differences between steel and aluminum constructed cylinders it is inevitable that there will be a larger weight difference between top and bottom for aluminum 80s then with steel. Mostly this effect is due to the first stage being so much heavier in contrast Ben aluminum compared to steel. So the same first stage will have much more effect weight-wise on aluminum then on steel cylinders.

[@jonchall8]

Yes, apparent weight of a tank in water is buoyancy minus weight. Buoyancy is volume*density of water. Volume of a rigid cylinder never changes therefore buoyancy never changes. Mass and therefore weight reduces as you release air (which has mass) from the tank.

[@matthewthurn]

Amen

[@bernardflannery5379]

Hi, Im repeating OWDIVER course in summer. Cheers man this really really encouraged me, I paid and struggled with buoyancy B4 for years , but now, I see nuetral buoyancy and efficiency in the distance.

[@parrdog1]

one other negative consequence of too much weight is the more air in your BCD the more the expansion and compression of that space which makes it harder to be neutral as you move up it expands and makes you want to go faster up and as you go down it compresses and makes you want to go down.

[@badgermoon9229]

And then you end up using even more air because of having to constantly adjust the air in your bc to remain neutral.

[@ahmedsamy8406]

I realize that jacket style bcd needs a little squeezing and applying preassure by hand to fully empty it that caused me to have some air in it making me + buoyant and I used to use more weight to compensate that effect while I actually wasn’t in need

[@jtflypegasus]

I must say coming this kind of teaching from a PADI is refreshing and maybe surprising as well. Good teaching of Archimedes' buoyancy principle.

[@everythingscuba]

Thank you for the kind words. However, we here at Everything Scuba adhere to the notion that regardless of what organization you train with, the quality of the instructor is the most important factor. I’ve seen many SSI, NAUI, SDI students who have had less than stellar instruction. PADI has its faults but the arguments against them not being a quality organization are old and tiresome. Instructors should hold themselves accountable to their students and the quality of their teaching. Thanks again for watching!

[@thegentlemananomaly]

Excellent ! this was not covered very well in my original certification

[@rickfowler5342]

This video is VERY well done! Excellent job!

[@searching4279]

Thank you . I just started using a dry suit, so now I'm dialing that weight in.

[@hocksee]

I find when we go on diving trips in the tropicals (In my case Philippines ), the DM ignores weight check most of the time. We rush to jump in the water ,descend immediately rushing. Sometime I had ear issues because of that and was forced to ascend many times during the dive. I struggle later with my buoyancy and the DM starts to add more weight or remove some weights during the dive, or sometime shift my tank up or down. I learned from watching you and other youtube channels to check my weights before any dive and I insist on it now. I know now where to place my weights and how much do I need. I also find that during PADI training they don't tell us much about buoancy and weights and that should be addressed. I'm still working on my frog kick now and things are getting better with every additional dive. I now could stay 55 minutes during dives thanks to all your tips about breathing, trim, and weights. That worked well for me. Thks again.

[@stevenbeverly5101]

Thanks!

[@pbillings808]

The point of the "normal" breath is to compensate for the ~5 lbs of non-reserve air in a full AL80 tank. In that scenario, your breath volume would ideally be about 2.3 liters, perfectly offsetting that weight of 2.3 kilos or 5 lbs. Other size tanks, though, won't be as well "matched", not to mention that few people know how much 2.3 liters is! A less variable approach is to pause at the END of a normal exhale (don't force it out) while carrying a FULL tank and weight yourself to be eye level. This gives perfect buoyancy at that moment in time without having to know/guess "how much breath". You then simply realize you're going to be 5 lbs lighter after you've breathed the non-reserve air (again, assuming an AL80 tank), so just add another 5 lbs to what you already found; you'll then be perfectly neutral at the END of the dive -- the goal of all of this. If using an HP100 tank, for example, you would add about 7 lbs (100 cubic ft of air weighs 7.7 lbs, but you're going to leave about 1 lb as reserve.) Does this leave you "light" if you have to use that reserve? No, because you can breath out past the end of a normal exhale to compensate for 1 lb if needed. (Also make sure you flood your wetsuit by letting water in at the neck so trapped air doesn't increase the weight you need for the test.) Finally, the other good approach is to check when your tank is at reserve levels. After your safety stop, just purge the tank down to reserve pressure. (Do NOT do this in really cold water, though, the 1st stage may freeze up!). Probably discuss with your buddy before the dive as well! The difficulty is it's hard to add/subtract weights, so the easiest thing is to just evaluate whether you sink if you let air out of your BC (at the end of an exhalation). If so, then subtract a couple pounds of lead (1 kilo) for the next dive and reassess later. If your BC is empty (no air comes out when venting) and you're not sinking, then you're golden. Write that in your log book for future reference!

[@pbillings808]

You made a good list of negatives about being overweight. One more that's especially important for new divers developing their skills is that buoyancy changes are more drastic with a given depth change. In other words, things get out of hand FASTER when overweighted. The more overweighted someone is, the less time they have to even recognize there's a problem and further to take corrective action before it's too late to avoid the train ride to the surface.

[@richarddechau4200]

This is just what I have been looking for. Thank You. I do tons of snorkeling during scallop season. When things are fantastic I use a hookah system. Typically we are working 4 to 7 foot of water. This is when we want to stay at 2.5' to 5.5' under the surface and just move and pick up our dinner.

[@theessexhunter1305]

Add a 1kg weight @ the lower part of an ally tank as 1 kg past the pivot point of the tank strap will keep the tank trim as you use the air.

[@diverdave4056]

way back in 1979 my YMCA Scuba instructor took the needed time to teach us this and had us practice it a lot ! Sadly ... these day all you have to do is a little pool work and a written test with a check out dive to get certified ! That's why I always dive Solo

[@lackofprivacyandinvasionof5783]

Hey there, I appreciate your videos! You explain everything extremely brilliant. Please keep on making these video’s

[@everythingscuba]

Thank you for your kind words and thanks for watching! We try to make the complex things simple and easy to understand.

[@lackofprivacyandinvasionof5783]

@@everythingscuba Over weight caused something that should never have happened! Think this conversation needs to be a private conversation. I still am extremely annoyed at the lack of responsibility/ stupidity that day.

[@lackofprivacyandinvasionof5783]

Ruptured eardrum girl!

[@lackofprivacyandinvasionof5783]

I’d send you a video but I believe constraints ( IT ) are holding.

[@keeponwishin]

I did my first ocean dive last fall in the beautiful waters off of Cayman Brac. I was going from cold freshwater quarry dives wearing a 5-7mm wetsuit to warm saltwater dives wearing a rashguard. The divemasters there intentionally took us to the more shallow sites on the first few dives so we could dial in our weighting before tossing us out over the walls. I underweighted myself on the first dive, not taking into consideration the air used up in my tank, and I embarrassingly spent most of my safety stop upside down. Second dive was much better, although I ended up being slightly overweight at the beginning of the dive, but I figure that’s better than unwillingly blowing through my safety stop.

[@byteme9718]

Just grab a rock toward the end of the dive.

[@markshoub7335]

Master Diver 231 dives: I’m 5’7” & 158 lbs. With an Al 80 and 3mm full wetsuit, I use 12 lbs of lead in salt water. I recently saw a brand new diver, bigger than me, given 10 lbs of lead! I should have spoken up to suggest he start with 16 lbs, and then remove weight on his checkout dive. Checkout dives are extremely important. Unless you really know your gear, a checkout dive, first thing on a dive trip, should always be done. It confirms your weighting, and the functioning of your kit. I never skip it. It really bugs me when I’m asked to do a checkout dive with a full tank. I bleed a used tank to 500 psi, and use that to confirm weighting.

[@knightclan4]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience

[@Uhi-puhi]

regarding being overweight there is one more reason for why it is bad - it simply can be dangerous. If you need almost full BCD to compensate for your lead on 5 meters (which I saw once) you may not be able to compensate for the weight at all at greater depths, lets say 30-40 meters - simply because wetsuit will be so compressed at the depth that you'd need additional air in your BCD, but having it fully inflated at shallow depths there might be no more lift capacity left in your BCD, making you negative at depth even with fully inflated BCD

[@davidmcdonough1587]

You make great videos, thanks! Do you organize trips?

[@mikedavies4694]

Started last year, taking my OW in a drysuit. Purchased all my own gear, including lead. Started off, 1st OW dive in my course, pretty much 40lbs lead. 2nd dive, took ankle weights off, so lost 6 lbs. 6th dive, I took 2lbs off my upper trim. 7th dive, I took 2lbs off each hip. It was at this point, I actually weighed the lead I owned; and was surprised to find my 2, 10lb weights, actually weighed 10lbs 6oz for 1, and 9lbs 14oz for the other. The half lb difference gave me body roll. I went to my local fishing supply shop and purchased 2oz pencil leads, which I used to equalize both sides. Every change, was put in my log book. I once put a fleece vest on, without changing my lead. At the end of my dive, I found I was very, floaty. The next time I wear it, I know to add lead. Actually weighing my lead, and logging changes, made it much easier to figure out where I should be. I now have just under 31lbs of lead. 8 of that are split between my 2 upper trim pkts. ( Scubapro Hydros Pro)

[@spikehealy3312]

are you diving a steel or aluminum tank?

[@mikedavies4694]

@@spikehealy3312 I am diving with Faber HP100 main and a 30cu Catalina pony.

[@mikedavies4694]

@@spikehealy3312 and am now closer to 30lbs.

[@saidimaya3958]

Thanks for this very informative piece of information.

[@ramytk1]

Time in the water just for weighting. If you are over weighted if it much more difficult to ascend properly in the event of an emergency. I’m a bigger guy and in my open water class I was at 16 lbs. of weight. Now I’m at 9 lbs for fresh water. My body has not changed. Best tip I can give you is fully understand what the instructor is saying when you perform the weight check. I did it incorrectly so they added weight. That is not the instructors fault. That I was mine for not letting all the air out of my BCD. I know better now, but it took a little bit more understanding on my part to get it right. Great video.

[@everythingscuba]

Ramy, great comments! I think it’s true that as divers develop experience and comfort they will gradually decrease the amount of weight needed. Appreciate you watching!

[@markshoub7335]

I check my weight with a reserve tank if available. If not, I ask DM’s for their opinion, or opinions of other divers of my size. I do check weight by doing a checkout dive to determine buoyancy. At the end of my dive, I will reach back to feel the bladder in my bcd, to see if it has air in it, and how much. If it’s empty, or nearly so, and I am neutrally buoyant at my safety stop at 5m, then I am properly weighted for my equipment. Experience definitely helps!

[@heinpkoi]

I like the fact that you put number of the difference between fresh and salt water weight so basically with the exact same gear we can calculate 3% more weight when switching from fresh to salt water.

[@robertwillemsen368]

when switching from fresh to salt water you will need MORE weight! the water is 3% more dense and will push you up! The amount of extra weight is your complete volume in liters( including diving gear etc etc) times 0.03 kg. Not 3% more of the weight you use in fresh water!

[@heinpkoi]

@@robertwillemsen368 oups my mistake typing it down but yes more weight in salt than fresh sorry

[@danieljohn589]

This is fantastic - thankyou!

[@hermangroenewald6939]

Excellent explanation, as weight is very important. Thank you very much. Regards from South Africa 🙌

[@MrRomanpa]

Excellent class! Thanks

[@jhare18]

Learned again a lot. Great explanation. 👏👏👏🏆🏆🏆👏👏👏❤️

[@everythingscuba]

So glad!

[@tcoiler]

Thanks for the extra detail on why over weighting increases consumption!

[@everythingscuba]

+Chip Atkinson thanks for watching!

[@SeattleRingHunter]

I took a Peak Performance Buoyancy course with my certified IDC Staff Instructor. For new divers eapecially we highly recommend you take this speciality at least once from a quality instructor. It unlikely you will find a dive buddy that has enough full understanding, patients and practice to serve you correct so just take a proper class too get the most benefit and don't be afraid to stop your instructor at the end of the day and write down all details in your log for future consideration and review. For new divers I think the biggest take away is that many are overweighted and need to be made aware of how that experience is when properly weighted and to developer appropriate skills when fully trim. Also as other have stated be excessive in your log taking of all factors each time you dive especially in your early days and as you get older or a few season pass don't forget we often add a few lbs of body mass. Its a dynamic equation from the gear that is on board the diver, to body weight, type of water and also type or application of diving being performed all have a factor in regarding "Perfect Weighting for SCUBA". Cheers, #SeattleRingHunter

[@everythingscuba]

Great points as always Seattle Ring Hunter! Thanks for contributing your comments!

[@spikehealy3312]

it would be cool if people learned buoyancy and weighting in an OW course, not in an adv course

[@antoninorex5857]

I weight myself in my wet suit without a BCD or Tank . I start with 10% of my total body weight and add or minus as needed til im neutrally buoyant in 3' to 5' of water.

[@c.patricksadowski9959]

Great video, however a steel tank (depending on the brand) is going to be less positively buoyant than and AL80 at the end of the dive using the same reserve pressure of 500 lbs. the difference is about 2lbs positive (for the AL80) vs an HP100 Steel Faber.

[@TheGweedMan]

A steel tank is never positively buoyant. After the air is consumed during the dive it does weigh less but not enough to be positively buoyant. An empty aluminum tank won’t float and is absolutely positively buoyant.

[@c.patricksadowski9959]

@@TheGweedMan again, I said “less positively buoyant” which is absolutely a correct statement. The AL 80 with 500 Psi will be about 2. pounds positive. The HP100 will be -0.59 lbs negative.

[@keithbauman7006]

You asked at the end of this video how we had determined how much weight to use. I went to a pool and loaded myself a few pounds light. I then added weight in two pound increments until when I vented my BCD I would sink at a slow rate. I am going back out into the pool this week and adjust myself using the method you demonstrated where you take a full breath and hold, then vent your BCD. This should drop you to mid lens level. Then forcefully exhaling the remaining air in my lungs I should sink.

[@everythingscuba]

Keith we did not recommend taking a “full breath”. When doing a weight check take normal volume breath and hold it at the surface. Then exhale to see if you slowly descend. Thanks for your comments and thanks for watching!

[@brotherbax4083]

Newly certified diver here with only my four open water training dives. However, even in pool sessions I was playing with breath control to adjust depth. After reading more, I believe in the open water sessions I was overweighted because my buoyancy was largely affected by very minor changes to the BCD. Up two feet in the column and was ascending like crazy. Dumped a little and was sinking like a stone. I think we could have spent more time on the weight check. So, my question about weight check is if I rest at eye level with the BCD empty and descend by letting out breath (on a full tank) and get that weight dialed in, should I add five pounds after that to help ensure I can remain level at the safety stop on an almost empty tank?

[@everythingscuba]

That is correct. You would add 4-5 pounds to accommodate to the fact that the air in your tank also has weight and as you consume it during a dive your tank becomes lighter. Therefore the additional weight will compensate for that. Thanks for your question and thanks for watching!

[@gtxgtx1903]

Watching this before diving in Mallorca next week. Excellent video. what if we get a full tank instead of an emergency tank. What principles do i use then to know my proper weight? also eye height when breathing out?

[@johnnyf4r]

Great Video, Well explained

[@everythingscuba]

Thanks Johnny! And thanks for watching!

[@heyyangiee]

thank you for such great content, I have just finished with my open water, and I did struggle with weighing and buoyancy, I def need more practice.

[@TheGweedMan]

Take the PADI Advanced Class. It’s perfect for newly certified divers. There are many that will disagree with me but after teaching hundreds of new divers (and almost 80 New Instructors) I have clearly witnessed the improvement from taking the Advanced Class.

[@muratismailzeren]

Tnx for wonderfull information..The change in the salt ratio of the water according to the region should also be taken into account in the selection of weight.

[@collinlampkins]

Honestly I had to learn the hard way how to properly weight myself, I got certified in a tropical area so we didn't use wetsuits and I had 8 lbs then. I went to colder water with a 7 mm and thought 12 lbs would be enough. I knew I was light cause I released all the air in my BCD and still couldn't sink so I used the free dive technique to go down head first to 30 ft... I'm pretty athletic so coming back to the 15 ft safety stop wasn't impossible but it was still pretty hard. That's how I learned that I needed more weight for 7 mm suits😂

[@dougcramer5454]

One problem I have is that I almost drowned twice in my life. Last time when I was 21. Took swimming lessons when I was 51 now I'm 58. AOW ,nitrox drysuit. Instructors always tell me I'm overweight. 16 lbs I weight 210 6"2. . I still have the fear ingrained in me of drowning but after the 1 dive I am more relaxed and don't need as much wieght. I have to kinda argue when going on dives with the dive master telling them I will not go down. They have to respect more that everyone is different. I have 40 dives in . Great video.

[@davidoliver3136]

I kinda have the same issues. I’ve found when I enter the water on my first dive with a dry wetsuit, I take a minute to pull the neck opening out and fill the inside of my wetsuit. I’ve been able to use a couple less lbs this way.

[@fr0stief0n]

kudos for including the metric sys XD

[@seanbracy3799]

I haven’t dived in a couple years (getting back to it) but you can take a donut buoy, the kind made with an inner tube in a bright colored bag and you can use that to float some extra weights by yourself. It holds them on the way out and while you dive so you can pop some in or out any time you’re at the surface with a nice bright thing holding them right there.

[@ismaildelaty]

Wonderful scientifically detailed informations, Thank u so much

[@gregropp1003]

Because I dive in both fresh and salt both cold and warm water I simply got into the habit of checking my weight before each dive and then log it afterwards.

[@DirtFishMish]

This was a great watch, thank you! :)

[@everythingscuba]

+DirtFishMish thanks for watching!

[@chaztaz6562]

Many scuba KZbin channels - Always seem to gravitate to your channel. Quality explanations, demeanor, and presentations. Thank you for your time. Liked, Subscribed, and a simple $ "Thanks" for your time. Onto your next video on this subject: "How to perfect your trim position for scuba diving". Edit: Tried to send a simple $ "Thanks" however, I'm in Canada currently and the credit card info does not provide an option to enter a U.S. billing address for my card... Odd as I thought it was conntected with my Google Account. Regardless, Thank you for your time.

[@everythingscuba]

Thank you so much for your kind words. We do our utmost to deliver content in an easy to understand fashion without “dumbing it down”. Glad you enjoy our channel and thank you so much for the $ “Thanks”. It is so much appreciated!

[@davelundergoesunder]

Excellent video Lyle. Thank you! I found your channel through Triton's Realm. I was certified 30 years ago and do not have a lot of Dives because I do not have much free time. Recently, I have been getting back into diving. This video was extremely helpful. (I only weigh about 135 pounds and 18% body fat) When my skill-set was at its peak, I used to be able to stay down with six pounds of lead while wearing a 6 mm Farmer John. Yes, it took a little extra effort to get down. Nowadays, I am using 12 pounds with a three mm Farmer John. I am over weighted in my opinion, but plan to reduce that as my skill-set improves.

[@rickfowler5342]

One thing to consider: Although you may weigh the same as in younger days, your mass/density of both muscle/bone is likely less. Therefore you will probably need more weight than you used to dive with.

[@172sbct]

So I don’t understand, you can do a weight check with full tank or reserve. Either way you would never be properly weighted? Do it with reserve tank you are weighting against that and do it with full tank and you are weighting against that. What am I missing?

[@donr3407]

Thanks again for another great video. I was wondering would it be too abstract for you to make a video showing proper waiting for vintage non BCD diving. It's a whole nother world. Thanks again and happy diving.

[@vtonthestage]

Such a great video!

[@scotthickman5692]

The Basic Weighting Guidelines worksheet provides a framework for estimated lead based upon body weight and other factors (suit thickness, salt vs. freshwater.) Q: Does "body weight" in this guideline mean only actual body weight, or body weight PLUS all gear being worn (BCD, tank, etc.)? Thanks for any insight.

[@philipkraft9946]

I’m new to your channel and learned more about scuba than with any other. Can you please do a video on the features of the Galileo dive computer? Or a link to a “How To” site? Thanks! Keep up the good work!

[@mart-mariwilken5106]

Very helpful and informative thx!

[@gabrielex]

I've always been taught that the reserve is supposed to be 50 atm, 35 bar seems way too low to me in case of emergencies, especially for dives deeper than the ones allowed by the basic OWD.

[@everythingscuba]

Dive Planning: Air & Gas management for beginner scuba divers. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWLTqJ9ueLh-rKc

[@jerardwashington7390]

THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION

[@vnoockthebrain]

Me: 183 cm tall, 90 kg weight (sporty). My setup for fresh water: 7,5 mm semi-dry neoprene+hood+gloves+ 5 mm boots, aluminum plate wing BCD, 12l steel tank. I dive with 7 kg additional lead, and it works perfect for me. I only can go down on the surface with empty bcd and exhaling. Next time I need to take a breath, I am already at 1 meter underwater. But I never dove with this setup in salty water. How much more weight should I take with me on the boat to dive in salty water and still not be overweighted?

[@ilciavo]

what about your drysuit for buoyancy control? I’ve had a bad experience with a rented drysuit. I use 10kg with my drysuit and my buoyancy is 👌🏽. I rented a lighter drysuit wearing an under-suit and a bigger cylinder. At the beginning I noticed I was more buoyant than normal, and in he end I had a rapid ascent ☹️. Please! do check your buoyancy every time you change any part of your gear and make this an habit. It’s also good to have extra weight for other divers that have too little weight and may become positively buoyant.

[@scottguimond2268]

As a new diver, I understand to add more weight once we get to that eye level without any air in our BCD. But how feasible really is that. Say you’re shore diving, and you have to swim out a decent amount before you can no longer touch. You end up under weighted, and have to go all the way back in and get to your car to get more weight? I’m curious what other people do in these situations

[@svr5423]

I'll do it this way: with empty tanks (reserve), empty BCD and empty drysuit (within reasonable limits, not taking minutes to squeeze out the last bubbles) I must be able to perform station keeping at 1 to 2m of water, still being able to descend when exhaling and also being able to ascend when inhaling. Keep extra weights near the dive site. If you're unsure, it's ok to be a little overweight. Consult your log for similar situations. And by "a little" I mean not more than maybe 2kg. Trim is also important, you'll sometimes have to move the center of gravity aft or towards the bow if you experience a pitch-up or pitch-down moment.

[@TheGweedMan]

Your video on weighting is very well done and easy to understand. Thank you for taking the time to record this information. As a PADI Course Director (#161555) I would add two more comments. I do most of my diving from the beaches in Southern California. In our initial confined water training we dial in the weights using your system of floating at eye level and then adding weight for the loss of gas in our cylinders. However we also have to add weight as we’re doing a weight check in a fresh water pool and diving in salt water. Typically if a person can dive on the beaches of Southern California they can dive just about anywhere in the world and have a good feel for the amount of weight needed to comfortably and easily attain neutral buoyancy. Also in your promotional photo before the actual video recording it shows uncoated lead weights. Lead is not your friend. I highly recommend using only coated lead weights to minimize or eliminate any touching of lead. Even the soft lead pouches contain lead pellets that are at least partially touched when we handle them. Thanks again for a great video. Well done!

[@everythingscuba]

Thank you for your kind words and informative comments! In the video you’ll see me loading my trim pockets with yellow coated lead weights. We agreed. The less handling of lead the better. Thanks again for watching!

[@amybradley5821]

Lead doesn’t go through your skin so no worries with unclaimed lead if that’s what you are worried about. I’m a chemist

[@everythingscuba]

@@amybradley5821 good to know. Thanks for your comment!

[@johnmeyers3954]

How much does cold water vs warm water affect weight? I know that cold water is more dense but how much per degree? My guess it is not measurable but thought I would ask. Thank you..

[@everythingscuba]

John the biggest factor that affects weighting in warm vs cold water is the exposure protection or additional gear you are wearing. For example diving in a 1mm wetsuit in the Caribbean I typically wear 10 pounds of weight in salt water (which is denser than even cold fresh water). When diving in the Midwest quarries in cold fresh water wearing a dry suit I carry 28 pounds of additional weight. Thanks for watching and your question!

[@matthewfrost532]

I am a hookah rig diver and I am trying to figure out how much weight to just keep me on the bottom of the pool as I am looking for leaking in the pool the deepest I go is a 12 foot pool or less how much sure I use with just a swimsuit that's it last fall I did use a farmer John wetsuit it I just had my brother in law hold me at the bottom. I was thinking about making or getting a 5 to 10 lbs and see where that puts me I am 200lbs active guy 6 foot every thing I will be doing it fresh water pools or creeks for fresh water clams 7' max I use to free dive it all the time now I use the hookah rig and get held down to get them.

[@McrsftHater]

I weigh about 85 kg. My weight belt is 4 kg of led using 5 mm full wetsuit + hood. Totally not 10% of my weight.

[@iamremy-kl3xm]

So no matter how deep you go the deco is always 15-18 feet?

[@everythingscuba]

Technically the 15 foot safety stop is not a “deco stop”. As a recreational diver we should never violate our no decompression limit so we could in theory go straight to the surface in the event of an emergency. But, a safety stop is a built in safety measure to allow further degassing to occur before reaching the surface. As a recreational diver (no deeper than 130 feet if AOW trained), who does not violate his no decompression limit, the. He’s a 15 foot safety stop is recommended. As a technical diver who plans to go beyond NDL, they will have a specific plan for deco stops at varying depths for specific time periods as part of their planned dive.

[@du2lx]

I am 5'6" with my normal weight plus my camera, and usual gadget .. i use 8 lbs all the way

[@souswes]

It’s always fun when you’re in a new neoprene configuration and trying to get the right weighting. Wore more than ever neoprene on my deep diver cert, told them I need a weight check at the beginning, bring extra. I sank, all is fine….until the safety stop. At 400 PSI I had to grab the rails of the platform to stay down. Turns out those AL80s go from -6 to +2 between empty and full. Lesson learned Bought a semi dry wetsuit and am fine tuning. Did a pre dive check, and the check at the end with 500 PSI at 10 feet to maintain depth. At the 12lbs mark I settled on I did have to go head down to get under the first 5 feet. I should just call 14 lbs the sweet spot with my setup the way it is for fresh water. It’s no fun fully exhaling and holding on the out breathe to try to sink the first 3 meters

[@svr5423]

Air has weight, all tanks loose density (and thus get lighter) when they are empty. The bigger the tanks, the bigger the difference.

[@arnoldartz6445]

Hi u there, so everything what come to said it's correct, steel tank help a little bit more in be positive, but there are many factor to take care, ex. if u dress dry suit or wet suit, if salt or fresh water, even our health condition. I saw some diver eat before go down, so I my opinion it's irresponsible from them, but it's happen.

[@johnmontgomery2735]

Hey there, hope all is well with you. Haven't seen any videos lately.

[@monotart8557]

will this also apply to free diving?

[@everythingscuba]

We are not free diving instructors and so cannot answer that for you. I’m sorry. Thanks for watching and thanks for your question!

[@munyor8135]

For freediving, no weight is the best, or if you have a thick wetsuit just a little. Best if your buoyancy is like water's. It also depends on body composition, and your wetsuit buoyancy, but it changes, for example I have a 5mm thick wetsuit, I need to use my arms to get down to ~7m, then I can dive with it 'normally' because it's buoyancy is decreasing with pressure (tiny air bubbles get compressed inside). Therefore I recommend a maximum 3mm thick wetsuit with no weights, cold also helps your blood flowing to your vital organs. FME( F my english). I hope this will help.

[@ebidickson5942]

Am a new scuba diver and I have too much bouyancy I float alot

[@UrielShlomoGarcia-fi4yu]

I just finished my PADI Open Water Exam and passed.

[@andreasmitropoulos]

Hi I have enjoyed your video. I am an AOWD Nitrox diver with < 50 dives. A thing that it is underestimated or not mentioned so much is when you enter the water at the beginning of the dive without realizing you are not 100% relaxed. In addition, the wetsuit & the gear just after entering the water has tiny air bubbles locked (if it was dry before) which are not instantly released. When I first did a weight check just AFTER a dive, on which at the very beginning I considered it was a bit a hard for me to descend, I was sinking holding a normal breath, meaning I could eliminate 1Kg. On my first dive (discover scuba diving) I was able to descend only by having a 10kg of weight (salt water 3mm full suit - I weight 94kg) and now I need 5kg (maybe marginally 4kg)

[@andreasmitropoulos]

(also to add that I am using 12l steel tanks)

[@everythingscuba]

+Andreas Mitropoulos great points. Thanks for watching and adding to our discussion!

[@yechielrechtschaffen5257]

Over wight? What about 6. Back pain and muscle over working....

[@benheckendorn2696]

When I did my perfect buoyancy course, we found 6kg was perfect, yeah it was a tiny bit too much, but I think it was okay, because it was easier for me and after a while your tank goes empty you also get lighter, So me I would recomend to add bit more, in my case it was maybe 250g. But I wonder what you think? Is a little bit more a smart idea?

[@Yggdrasil42]

Repeat the weight check with an tank at reserve pressure at about 5m depth with empty BCD. You should be able to stay at that depth with shallow to normal breath volume. If you inhale deeper you'll start to rise a little. That's the goal. Having a little too much isn't a big deal. 250g is nothing. Up to 1kg extra is fine imho. But the less extra weight you need to bring the more comfortable you'll be so don't overdo it. Whenever you change your gear you'll need to repeat the test since your weight (down force) and water displacement (up force) changed. Log how much you used and with which gear.

[@technopsychobedlam]

A bit more is better. Agreed

[@Chogogo717]

The general rules for me are about 2x the amount of weight that I need. Last week in fresh water I had a 3/2 full with a 3/2 shorty and an AL80. It’s safe to assume the 5mm 10% body weight rule, right? That would be 17 pounds for me. That would kill me. 8 lbs was plenty, and 7 would probably be perfect.

[@everythingscuba]

That’s why those basic weighting guidelines are just an estimated starting point. Everyone’s body is different and gear configurations differ. Thanks for watching Caleb!

[@Chogogo717]

@@everythingscuba I’ve got lead paint chips accumulated in my head.

[@derekwalter7100]

Do you wave a very slim build?

[@Chogogo717]

@@derekwalter7100 yeah, I’m long and skinny.

[@johnwilliamsscuba6487]

How much buoyancy do you need in a Bcd? Much less than there is in most I'd say.

[@Kumpati833]

Normally yes but what if your buddys bcd fails and he is overweight and you are at 40 Meters and his drysuit floodet?

[@ttb1513]

@@Kumpati833In case of emergency conditions, ditch some weights?

[@Kumpati833]

I would rather not ditch weights because when i ditch all of it i will have problems staying down at safty and deco stops so most likely you have made it worse than being weighthed correctly and having enough buoyancy. Missing deco stops equals deco chamber ride in my world. Ditching some of it is hard, well it depends on how you carry your weights. If ditching is your only option to get up ditch them and if you survive unharmed and can still dive find out why you had to ditch and don´t make the mistakes again. @@ttb1513

[@svr5423]

@@ttb1513 not all BCDs have easily ditchable weights (which could also be a hazard btw).

[@mikesbigadventures194]

My weighting was and still is hit or miss. Because I mostly shore dive, it’s usually try a weight on one dive then adjust for the second dive. Rinse repeat. I’m conscious of it on every dive and if I feel that I’m over weighted (dropping too fast or having some issues getting neutral once I’m down etc) I’ll try 2 lbs less on the next dive. For instance right now with my DUI Dry suit and my backplate and wing, I’m diving about 26lbs - 14 lbs of actual soft weights in my trim pockets plus the BPW, which is steel (6lbs) with 5 lbs p-weight and another 1 just for gear. I also have steel 100 tanks. I’m pretty sure after my last few dives I could drop another 2 The real trick is distributing it so I’m balanced and trim….but that’s the next episode. 😃

[@everythingscuba]

+Mike's Big Adventures thanks for you input Mike! Alway amazing how much weight we need to carry in that dry suit….especially with warm, fluffy pajamas underneath!

[@cecilm3720]

Trial and error. In all my courses (I’m Divemaster) I wish someone would have explained it this well and had a tank at reserve air level to determine the exact weight.

[@americanazheck]

First move is to ditch aluminum for steel tanks.

[@greggordon680]

Sorry you dont need to study archemides, reduce weights Until you dont have enough then add back a little. There will be a little variation for wetsuits and you'll want a little more for shallow dives

[@johnnyf4r]

once again I visited this video, excellent tuition and very well explained..

[@liquidsofa]

There are two types of people in the world. Those who believe there are two types of people in the world and those who don't.

[@derekwalter7100]

Been a few months. Hope everyone is doing ok.

[@cristianconrads9109]

Question, your formula don't explain why buoyancy change depending how deep you go.

[@everythingscuba]

The change in buoyancy due to increasing depth occurs for several reasons. The first is the compression of gear by water pressure therefor your gear is displacing less water and thus decreasing the upward buoyant force on you as described by Archimedes’ Principal. In addition for every 33ft/10m you descend you take on an extra atmosphere of pressure which increases the downward force being applied to you.

[@peterk814]

For the recreational diver an extra 2-4 lbs isn’t going take but a min or two off your dive.

[@brodefineportraiture446]

Throw your gear into a swimming pool (suit, bc, regs, fins, etc) and pile on weights until they sink barely. Do the same with yourself with half a lung full of air. I have 2lb tank weights on each tank so i add 2 lbs for salt water to the gears weights and my ass weights. I can test my weight by trying to kick ascend at depth without dropping weight

[@brandonchan8255]

I've seen dive masters not using any weight at all, which I find it quite incredulous.

[@byteme9718]

Massively overweight, empty your BCD, breath and jump in. Just have your spear gun at the ready. Toward the end of your dive, keep a close eye on your air, that last 5 bar goes very quickly.

[@technopsychobedlam]

This content is essentially correct but it ignores some contextual factors. Weight needs to meet the purpose of the dive. In every context I have dealt with when diving it is better to be slightly negatively bouyant with a normal amount of air in my lungs and tanks 2/3rds empty than any other variation. Following the recommendation in this video leaves me slightly too light in some situations (such as swell during safety or deco stops near the surface or trying to do photography in surge near the bottom). Also, the claim that carrying slightly more air in the BCD is bad because it uses more air is a silly position to take when we look at the volume of air actually in question. And to claim that a slight amount of air in the BCD changes the diver's streamlining in a meaningful way is hard to substantiate (unless we are talking about extreme amounts - which we are not). What does ruin gas use and streamlining is an underweighted diver or being too close to the neutrally bouyant line in a context where you need to be more stable.

[@everythingscuba]

Zookologist, thank you for your addition to this conversation. We always welcome the input of our viewers and those of more seasoned divers. Thanks for watching, we appreciate yo taking time to view our videos! Lyell

[@MarcOCBaritone]

I think the main point regarding the BCD is the fact that filling and emptying it repeatedly to compensate for bad weighting or otherwise bad buoyancy control will, indeed, use up a lot of air in the long run. I certainly have been on dives where some people were low on air 10 minutes before everyone else because they were inflating and deflating the BCD too frequently.

[@ttb1513]

@@everythingscubaDoes taking into account the 5 pounds of air that are lost by the end if a dive (11:05) mean that we should add 5 pounds of weight if we do the test with a full tank (and add nothing if the tank has 500psi)?

[@ttb1513]

I think you guys are saying the same thing: OP says: with tank 2/3 empty (4.4 of 6.5 pounds removed) it is best to add a little more weight to be slightly negatively buoyant. Author says: with tank 5/6 empty, or 500 of 3000 psi (5.5 pounds removed) you should sink below eye level. Since both are with a normal, held breath, it sounds like the procedures and resulting weight are about the same, right? Author says 5.5 pounds of air that ‘will be used’ from a full tank "should be taken into account" 11:05 but stops short of explicitly saying that this means about 5.5 pounds should be added if the test was done with a full tank (while OP says a bit more than 4.4 pounds from a full tank should be added). About the same, it seems?

[@technopsychobedlam]

@@ttb1513Not at all. I'm not specifying a weight, I'm suggesting that weight serves a purpose. The idea that the least weight possible is better because of possible streamlining benefits (or whatever) ignores the idea that that might not be the most important issue on a dive - stability being more of a concern for a phographer was an example I gave. There isn't a start weight that is correct across every context (in my experience) and the hyperfocus on "correct" weight at the surface misses other important issues.

[@gray_wolverine63]

Agree. 🇺🇲👌🏼

[@YouTube_user3333]

My years of Freediving taught me, coming into scuba diving that most divers have no idea. Neutrally buoyant at 3 meters is the goal. I descend head first every time 😂 That has nothing to do with my weighting. Aluminium cylinders are good for stage bottles, not main tanks. New divers are much less likely to ascend unexpectedly due to poor weighting. Lastly, just use metric for everything. It’s much easier for everyone to understand.

[@everythingscuba]

+KZbin user oh I see. All these years of teaching and diving I see I have no clue what I’m doing. So I guess I need to do the following: Change all aluminum tanks in all the shops I work into steel (since Aluminum is worthless for a main tank), teach all my students to descend head first and do their weight check at 3m, and scold those that lose control of their ascent and end up at the surface because it’s obviously not their weighting that is to blame, and lastly abolish the imperial system from the entire US. I’ll get to work on that right away. Thanks for your comment.

[@YouTube_user3333]

@@everythingscuba no need to get upset about my comments. Relative to capacity and characteristics, steel is a better choice. I’m not the first person to say it. As for neutral buoyancy, this is what many veteran divers do. BCD failure and your overweighted, your only choice is to drop weight and do an uncontrolled ascent. Yes, you dive and teach, but many instructors have an ego problem. Is that you? Keen to discuss these topics further if you don’t get upset.

[@YouTube_user3333]

@@everythingscuba I also never said abolish the imperial system from the entire US. I mean, use metric the whole way through the video, as most people use this system 🤦‍♂️

[@YouTube_user3333]

@@everythingscuba Do you scold your students? You need to find a different job if that’s how you teach scuba diving.

[@everythingscuba]

@@KZbin_user3333 I do not scold students. Thanks for checking tho. Never too proud to learn from other divers. It’s what we enjoy about our channel is seeing input from others and how they do things differently. It does get a little old sometimes when people speak in “absolutes” though. There are sometimes many ways to accomplish the same end result. These videos are aimed at new divers and I realize as divers progress they adapt and change gear. But initially these are pointers we want them to have them learn. We do try to provide metric and imperial throughout our videos. (Our initial videos did a poor job of this granted.).

[@TheGweedMan]

Touching uncoated lead weights is detrimental to your health. I only dive with coated lead weights. Recommend you and your students do the same. PADI CD.

[@normajohnson6352]

Touching isn't harmful, but ingesting through smoking or eating or touching your face is. Painters exposed to lead paint removal or refinishing require blood checks. The local dive center noticed the pool getting dingy, had to drain the pool, clean, and resurface, now only allows coated weights, so yeah, I guess uncoated weights could be hazardous. If you go on a dive trip, though, uncoated is all you get.

[@matthewthurn]

Safety stop. The least you can get away with on your safety stop. That’s it.

[@MsMumuku]

6.5 lbs is 2.95kg, not 2.25

[@texSetter412]

i'm Japanese diver 174cm 70kg 5mmwet 0kg～2kg 1kg best？！

[@alaincaspar2148]

6,5 pounds is almost 3 kg (not correct in your video), 1,1 is almost 0,5 kg (correct in your video)

[@everythingscuba]

Alain thank you for the correction my apologies.