NOTICE: New Home: Effective May 1st, 2022.....OTWD will operate from the dock at the "old Atlantis Bldg", 37 Seafarers Way (formerly Harbour Drive). Also, got questions? Please read the FAQ page closely (this will answer many of your questions).

Weight! How much is enough?

It is so often that divers/guests show up at the boat to dive and have no clue as to how much weight they need!  You get a solid, blank look, saying, “well,  I have no idea.  You are ‘pose to know”.

In fact, knowing how much weight you wear is very, very important.  It means several things:

  • you probably keep a log book/record of what you do diving wise
  • you are comfortable in the water
  • you have an understanding of buoyancy
  • and you most likely are an avid diver

Unknown

Is there any “right formula” for figuring how much weight you need to wear?  Some say “yes”, others say “no”.   I remember reading in one agency manual that you take “x%” of your body weight and add seven (7) pounds. There is also the “buoyancy check” where, on the surface, with no air in your BCD, you should exhale and float at eye level.

At Off The Wall Divers, we use (as a guideline) “5% of your body weight” and then take into consideration all of the following:

  • diving level (newly certified, experience, etc.)
  • wetsuit or not?  Size of wetsuit?
  • percent of body fat

The Off The Wall Divers staff will then work with you to get just the right amount of weight, so that you can have an enjoyable dive. (If you are only diving one /1/ day with us, we usually will not mess with your weight.)

Some of the things we try and do is remove one (1) pound at a time from your weight set-up.  If we have you diving with us for several days, we can usually accomplish this.  If you are a cruise ship diver, and we only get to dive with you for the day, we will not mess with your weights (however, we will make strong recommendations if needed).

Breathing:  relaxed breathing; long, deep breaths; comfort on the surface. . . . all of these things will help you make a comfortable decent.  Too much activity on the surface is not good.  Relax. You often hear at Off The Wall Divers, “minimize movement, minimize breathing”.

 

BCD

A weight-integrated BCD is a standard of today’s diving industry

 

Most importantly, ask for help.  Take the advice/recommendations of your local dive staff and learn, learn, learn, why these recommendations are being made.  Safe diving to all and we hope to see you in the near future at Off The Wall Divers.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My wife and I recently visited OTW Divers while on a cruise. We were able to get two dives logged while in Grand Cayman. They were very friendly and helpful in every way. Both beginner and experienced divers would enjoy this crew. A big thanks to Tom, Kelly, Megan, and Hayley. You guys are truly awesome!!

» Read more reviews at TripAdvisor.com