# Weight Calculator



## eodryan (Mar 4, 2009)

Helpful guide for newbies like myself when you have to change your gear around:

http://www.cochranescuba.com/weight_calculator.htm


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

That's a pretty cool!
If I we're going to give a new diver a piece of advise it would be to make sure you are properly weighted and control your buoyancy.


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Too funny Jeremy. Right after that whole conversation this morning. Buoyancy buoyancy buoyancy. Much more important than finding out the kill zone on a species of fish.


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## MillerTime (Jul 6, 2011)

Nice find! 

Clay i heard you and Jeremy were dating now?


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

Interesting calculator...could come in handy if you switch up your gear from time to time....and like me, forget to write down your weighting from the last time. That mostly happens with a switch from wet to dry, and single tanks to multiple / mixed steel and aluminum. I can usually guess within a couple of pounds, but the best thing is to do an in-water test, and then write it down somewhere.
The calculator seems to be a bit on the heavy side though.....It told me I needed 8 more pounds than I dive with......that would make me grossly over-weighted......and could lead to real problems - as I use a low profile wing with only 18lbs of lift.:blink:
With an empty tank and no air in the BC you should be neutrally bouyant at 10 feet. You might add a pound or two for safety. Don't forget to consider how dropped gear would affect your weighting.....you don't want to be light if you drop your stringer, knife,gun, ect.
Sometimes when spearfishing , the fish stringer will have positive boyancy as well, if the swimbladders are not punctured.


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

It put me about 14.35lbs and I dive with 16lbs when using a aluminum, it said 9.85lbs for steel and I use 10lbs. So for myself I'd say it's pretty accurate.


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

coolbluestreak said:


> It put me about 14.35lbs and I dive with 16lbs when using a aluminum, it said 9.85lbs for steel and I use 10lbs. So for myself I'd say it's pretty accurate.


I'm 5' 11" and 170 lbs ....single piece 5 mm + hood ....steel 95s no weight.
I add 8 lbs for an aluminum 80....probably have 2 lbs more than I need.
An al80 is 5 lbs positive when completely empty....the rest is in the size and thickness of the suit you wear. Body mass will affect it some.
You are wearing a LOT of weight....are you sure you NEED it all? You may...but you might just check it at the end of your next dive.....make sure ALL the air is out of your bc.....make sure it isn't trapping any ...you may need to roll so that the inflator is the highest point......you should be neutral. If you sink, you can remove some lead and try it again.
Extra weight will stress your body, cause improper trim, use extra air, and cause drag because of the inflated bc......so be sure you need the lead.:thumbsup:


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

The calculator is pretty close for my dry suit weighting.....I guess it is a good place to start, but not going to give you your ideal weighting.


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## MillerTime (Jul 6, 2011)

I went back and actually used it today. I just opened the link and didn't bother checking what it spit out yesterday but at least for me it isn't accurate.
I am 5'8" 205 lbs and dive with a 3 mil and steel 119s and only use about 4 lbs and if I have an al80 I add 6 lbs. Both times I feel I am a probably a little overweight but usually try to compensate for that by shooting some fish since most of the time their swim bladders are floating me up a bit. Wherever I go I frequently bring up tons of weights I find on the bottom and never have a problem getting back up to the top.


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## aquatic argobull (Mar 2, 2009)

Got my different weightings spot on. Very cool


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

MillerTime said:


> Clay i heard you and Jeremy were dating now?


Ok just to clear things up on this comment, our dive plans changed yesterday due to the lightning and storms so we just talked on the phone for a few hours about diving and stuff. 
My wife said, "wow, you guys should start dating!".

Scott I'm 5'10" and have about 30lbs lbs on you, so maybe my added mass contributes to more weight? I feel like I could use a little less weight at the beginning of my dive when using a al80 but by the time the dive is over I feel like I have to fight to stay down at the 15ft safety stop. But now I'm thinking about subtracting a couple lbs of weight and just seeing what happens...Hmm?


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Ha HA Miller:bangin:

After not being all worked up ready to go slay em then the lightening storm, and a miserable rainy day, Nothin better to do than talk about divng, then spend rest of the day working on my next spear movie. I guess we did spend a loooong time talkin though. You got me. Actually us.

Scott, you said the calculator put you 8#s heavy. I imagne it's based on BC's, not backplates. How much does your backplate weigh, 5# or so? Might be what threw your number off. Was within a pound of what I dive.


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

Clay-Doh said:


> Ha HA Miller:bangin:
> 
> After not being all worked up ready to go slay em then the lightening storm, and a miserable rainy day, Nothin better to do than talk about divng, then spend rest of the day working on my next spear movie. I guess we did spend a loooong time talkin though. You got me. Actually us.
> 
> Scott, you said the calculator put you 8#s heavy. I imagne it's based on BC's, not backplates. How much does your backplate weigh, 5# or so? Might be what threw your number off. Was within a pound of what I dive.


 Aluminum backplate....maybe a pound. 
"steel tank" option leaves a lot of room for error I think.


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

coolbluestreak said:


> Ok just to clear things up on this comment, our dive plans changed yesterday due to the lightning and storms so we just talked on the phone for a few hours about diving and stuff.
> My wife said, "wow, you guys should start dating!".
> 
> Scott I'm 5'10" and have about 30lbs lbs on you, so maybe my added mass contributes to more weight? I feel like I could use a little less weight at the beginning of my dive when using a al80 but by the time the dive is over I feel like I have to fight to stay down at the 15ft safety stop. But now I'm thinking about subtracting a couple lbs of weight and just seeing what happens...Hmm?


Its sure worth experimenting with...as long as you can do it safely.....maybe have some weight that is easy to access...you could hand some off to a buddy or hang it on the anchor line. Best place would be in about 10' of water, maybe in protected water....that way you could just set the weight on the bottom and see what happens...then add or subtract.
A pool would be ideal....but then the salt/fresh thing would still screw it up.


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## MillerTime (Jul 6, 2011)

Firefishvideo said:


> Its sure worth experimenting with...as long as you can do it safely.....maybe have some weight that is easy to access...you could hand some off to a buddy or hang it on the anchor line. Best place would be in about 10' of water, maybe in protected water....that way you could just set the weight on the bottom and see what happens...then add or subtract.
> A pool would be ideal....but then the salt/fresh thing would still screw it up.


What if you found a salt water pool?


Clay-Doh said:


> Ha HA Miller:bangin:
> 
> After not being all worked up ready to go slay em then the lightening storm, and a miserable rainy day, Nothin better to do than talk about divng, then spend rest of the day working on my next spear movie. I guess we did spend a loooong time talkin though. You got me. Actually us.
> 
> Scott, you said the calculator put you 8#s heavy. I imagne it's based on BC's, not backplates. How much does your backplate weigh, 5# or so? Might be what threw your number off. Was within a pound of what I dive.


I am not the one who originally mentioned that you two were dating. I only passed along what I heard :whistling:


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

I'm not sure how much salt a saltwater pool actually has.....I think it is just a bare minimum.....enough to trigger the electrochemical reaction nessicary to sterilize the water....but not enough to be a direct substitute for sea water. 
You could use a pool and then try to figure the weight change for salt ....that should be close enough. .....probably going to be about 4lbs.


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## MillerTime (Jul 6, 2011)

I kind of figured that was the case but just thought i would throw the idea out there. The best way would be to just go to pickens or something and experiment with all your different combinations of gear and keep track of it all so you aren't guessing.


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