Problem with Weights

[kahoona]

Hi
I am a regular snorkler with 40yrs experience and some SCUBA.I live in the FL Keys and I do a lot of photography on the Florida Keys Reefs. I often swim down to 30ft or so for photos.On the advice of a local spearfisher and Divemaster I have added a weight belt and 6 lbs lead. I use fairly long Omer fins. This stuff helps me to go down and then hold a seady position while taking pics or just checking under an overhang to see what lurks there. The problem I have now is that when I float above the reefs my legs, feet and fins start to sink because the flotation is in the lungs and the weights are on the waist. I have to constantly be on guard or in motion lest I damage the reefor just wind up floating upright (that is kind of funny really.) Also when I am floating just off of the bottom waiting for a shot my fins tend to sink and I cannot hold a position easily. In Scuba the tank weight balances things and you can add weight in pockets but I don't have that option. Has anyone else run into this problem? Any suggestions on what to do aside from a set of Mr. T gold chains around my neck?

[Michael Purcell]

6 lbs seems like an awful lot of weight for a nude dude...
Are you wearing a wetsuit?

Being from Florida(you could look close to home) the DIR solution might work for you. Steel backplate and webbing would be just about enough weight.

A little strange I'll admit but it would give you about the right amount of weight, it would be over your lungs and also give you some rings to hang things off.

[sharkhunter]

Hi
I am a regular snorkler with 40yrs experience and some SCUBA.I live in the FL Keys and I do a lot of photography on the Florida Keys Reefs. I often swim down to 30ft or so for photos.On the advice of a local spearfisher and Divemaster I have added a weight belt and 6 lbs lead. I use fairly long Omer fins. This stuff helps me to go down and then hold a seady position while taking pics or just checking under an overhang to see what lurks there. The problem I have now is that when I float above the reefs my legs, feet and fins start to sink because the flotation is in the lungs and the weights are on the waist. I have to constantly be on guard or in motion lest I damage the reefor just wind up floating upright (that is kind of funny really.) Also when I am floating just off of the bottom waiting for a shot my fins tend to sink and I cannot hold a position easily. In Scuba the tank weight balances things and you can add weight in pockets but I don't have that option. Has anyone else run into this problem? Any suggestions on what to do aside from a set of Mr. T gold chains around my neck?

mmmmm...... FL Keys, sorry dreaming.

To answer your question:

It sounds like your weight belt is to low and your slightly over weighted.

The weight belt should be above the belly button (round the stomach rather than hips) and don't weight your self for neutral buoyancy at the surface like you do for scuba, but more for neutral at 4 meters (approx 13ft), this way you'll have less trouble at the surface and use less energy snorkeling. You should be able just to lie there on the surface motionless, when you can your weighed correctly.

It is safer to be neutral at 4m as you may find yourself sinking like a stone if your to heavy and having to use way more energy than your body has stored to surface, and if you start pushing your energy limits your more likely you'll have a SWB (shallow water black out).

Also the Omar fins are very heavy if I remember correctly, and this could be another reason your feet are sinking so I'd suggest you use get a pair of JB Esclapez (blade length 78cm) instead as they are lighter and much better IMHO.

Hope this helps. :)

PS: Steel backplate and webbing is not such a good idea for freediving in my opinion. It adds other complications you don't need and the whole idea of freediving is the freedom to move like a fish. Try above first and see how you get on.

[Michael Purcell]

PS: Steel backplate and webbing is not such a good idea for freediving in my opinion. It adds other complications you don't need and the whole idea of freediving is the freedom to move like a fish.

The most important being the inability to drop weight if you get in trouble.

[sharkhunter]

The most important being the inability to drop weight if you get in trouble.

With freediving the most important issue is the conservation of energy, so correct buoyance in the first place is the key.

A normal weight belt is easy to drop if the need arises, so why add complications with scuba kit like steel backplates and webbing, all of which will just mean your less streamline, use more energy, harder to ditch and dangerous.

Scuba diving techniques / kit do NOT go well with freediving/snorkeling, so please do not suggest such things (like steel backplates and webbing), as they may end up putting a snorkelers or freedivers life in danger if they try them.

Maybe I should have been this blunt in the first place, rather than diplomatic. :D

[John Williams]

With freediving the most important issue is the conservation of energy, so correct buoyance in the first place is the key.

A normal weight belt is easy to drop if the need arises, so why add complications with scuba kit like steel backplates and webbing, all of which will just mean your less streamline, use more energy, harder to ditch and dangerous.

Scuba diving techniques / kit do NOT go well with freediving/snorkeling, so please do not suggest such things (like steel backplates and webbing), as they may end up putting a snorkelers or freedivers life in danger if they try them.

Maybe I should have been this blunt in the first place, rather than diplomatic. :D

Nevertheless - incorrect weighting/weight positioning is causing the OP problems!

Whilst I would not wish to complicate things - or to reduce streamlining...incorrect position requires energy to correct - and therefore should be avoided.

The OP was looking for a way to move the weights he has recently taken to using into a position closer to his lungs - some form of harness (or waistcoat with pockets) is the only way to acheive this.

To be frank ...I'm surprised that Surface Life-Jackets (SLJ's) for snorkellers do not routinely provide this facility....including a quick release mechanism to make the user even more secure at the surface in an emergency!

Perhaps they do?...but 6lbs for dives to 10m+ does sound like a lot?

Kahoona...what were you using before you got the recent advice?

John

[Jon H]

Do people actually use THAT MUCH WEIGHT I don’t Evan use that when diving unless using a suit. i would defiantly lose some. and make sure there is a very fast release you don’t want to go down and find up you cant go back up i would take 2-4.