Weight for salt water locations

[Diver278]

Do you use more or less weight in salt water in different parts of the world from SoCal.

[MeTo]

i judge my weight by floating on surface, exhale all air, float for 30-60seconds, if i sink I'm over weighted. Ted Harty taught me this in the PFI class he taught me. Great system, always float on the surface after exhale, when you swbo thats how you'll be.

[Diver278]

MeTo thanks good info. I was wanting to know as far as wetsuit thickness to get before a trip. I know the sality is different but by how much as far as weight is concerned.

[Marco]

Won't make much difference. I can't tell in Cali, but I've traveled a lot and used the same weight with no problem.

[Diver278]

Originally Posted by Marco

Won't make much difference. I can't tell in Cali, but I've traveled a lot and used the same weight with no problem.

Thanks Marco. Have you been to the Philippines diving? I’m getting a 1.5mm suit this week so I will do a weight check before I leave. Hope I don’t freeze to death lol.

[Marco]

Originally Posted by Diver278

Thanks Marco. Have you been to the Philippines diving? I’m getting a 1.5mm suit this week so I will do a weight check before I leave. Hope I don’t freeze to death lol.

I've never been in the Phillipines. But I know there's people here that had. You should open a new post asking about the water temperature over there.

I personally don't like 1.5 mm wetsuits. If water is cold, you'll freeze, if it is hot, you'll sweat your a$$ off. I preffer to bring a 3 mm two pieces open cell and a two pieces hooded rashguard. The rashguard takes almost to space or weight in your luggage and you'll be way more comfortable in warm water. And you can always combine lycra pants with neoprene top when needed.

[Diver278]

Originally Posted by Marco

I've never been in the Phillipines. But I know there's people here that had. You should open a new post asking about the water temperature over there.

I personally don't like 1.5 mm wetsuits. If water is cold, you'll freeze, if it is hot, you'll sweat your a$$ off. I preffer to bring a 3 mm two pieces open cell and a two pieces hooded rashguard. The rashguard takes almost to space or weight in your luggage and you'll be way more comfortable in warm water. And you can always combine lycra pants with neoprene top when needed.

I’ve been going every year and I have never seen water temps below 80 degrees were we are even in the winter months. I have a 1.5mm suit there I use for scuba but I want a Camo one with loading pad for freediving. I haven’t been freediving all the times I go everyone scuba dives there and I haven’t meet anyone in our area that does.

[diveincanada]

Originally Posted by Marco

I've never been in the Phillipines. But I know there's people here that had. You should open a new post asking about the water temperature over there.

I personally don't like 1.5 mm wetsuits. If water is cold, you'll freeze, if it is hot, you'll sweat your a$$ off. I preffer to bring a 3 mm two pieces open cell and a two pieces hooded rashguard. The rashguard takes almost to space or weight in your luggage and you'll be way more comfortable in warm water. And you can always combine lycra pants with neoprene top when needed.

I guess it's different for everyone. Even when the water is hot, I start to get cold after 1h in a rash guard. Minimum I'll wear is 1.5. Sometime I mix the 1.5 pants with a 3mm open cell top. I always travel with both 1.5 and 3mm suits. =)

[Diver278]

Originally Posted by diveincanada

I guess it's different for everyone. Even when the water is hot, I start to get cold after 1h in a rash guard. Minimum I'll wear is 1.5. Sometime I mix the 1.5 pants with a 3mm open cell top. I always travel with both 1.5 and 3mm suits. =)

Yes I dive here in SoCal in a 5mm cause a 7mm is to hot for me even during the winter months. Even when I lived in NorCal a 7mm was to hot I was constantly letting water in to cool off. The only reason I use a 1.5mm in the Philippines is because of reef cuts and jellyfish.

[diveincanada]

Originally Posted by Marco

Won't make much difference. I can't tell in Cali, but I've traveled a lot and used the same weight with no problem.

Unless you're diving in the dead sea, you might need LOTS of weight.. LOL

Seriously, depends more on the depth ur diving at.. I dive with 4 lbs with my Salvimar 1.5mm...

[Diver278]

Originally Posted by diveincanada

Unless you're diving in the dead sea, you might need LOTS of weight.. LOL

Seriously, depends more on the depth ur diving at.. I dive with 4 lbs with my Salvimar 1.5mm...

Thanks I’m just curious I was told last year that different parts of the world the sality of salt water is different and you might need more or less weight. Im not sure which one I’ll find out after I try my 1.5mm here and see if I still use the same weight there.

[Marco]

You gotta grow some belly...

[PigStikr]

Fresh water density is about 62.4 pcf and salt water is 64pcf So if you are diving 16 pounds of weight in salt water you will have to remove .4 pounds of weight in fresh water, or about 6 ounces. Dropping down in depth will make much more difference in buoyancy. With a thin wetsuit you will use much less weight so the difference will be meaningless. If you can't kick up against a few ounces of weight you shouldn't be diving. Freedivers wind up very negative due to compressed wetsuits and lungs at depth. Getting in good physical shape is gonna be your best bet.

[Diver278]

Originally Posted by PigStikr

Fresh water density is about 62.4 pcf and salt water is 64pcf So if you are diving 16 pounds of weight in salt water you will have to remove .4 pounds of weight in fresh water, or about 6 ounces. Dropping down in depth will make much more difference in buoyancy. With a thin wetsuit you will use much less weight so the difference will be meaningless. If you can't kick up against a few ounces of weight you shouldn't be diving. Freedivers wind up very negative due to compressed wetsuits and lungs at depth. Getting in good physical shape is gonna be your best bet.

Thanks for that info good to know but I was interested in salt water. The reason I was asking was I heard somewhere can’t remember where right now that the salt water in different places in the world you need more or less weight and wanted to know how true it was.

[SEATUX]

You really want to split hairs?
Go here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...er_by_salinity