Dive weights
From Trail-Finder -- Dedicated to getting you outside
Contents |
Overview
Most non-divers are worried that, with all that gear, they'll sink like a rock straight to the bottom. A bigger problem isn't that divers sink, it's that they don't sink. Scuba tanks tend to neutrally buoyant. Wetsuits and drysuits float. To stand a chance at sinking, divers need to add dive weights.
Required Weight
It's important to carry the right amount of weights when diving. Ideally, with an "empty" tank, at the end of your dive, and a completely deflated BCD, you should be just slightly negatively buoyant. This will take some a little time to get right, especially if you change gear regularly. If you dive with too little weight, however, you risk uncontrolled ascent.
Types of Dive Weights
Weights come in two forms:
- Hard weights: Solid, cast, lead blocks which threat onto weight belts.
- Soft weights: Lead shot, sewn into mesh bags, like beanbags. These are then placed into pockets on a weight belt or in a BCD.
Use
Dive weights are carried in one of two ways:
- Weight belts: These have been around since the early days of scuba. Weight belts are threaded through hard weights, or have pockets which hold soft weights.
- Newer BCDs have integrated pockets which hold weights, usually soft weights. These BCD's have a quick-release mechanism to allow you to dump weights, if needed, in an emergency.
