Weight to body mass ratio

Does anyone know the weight to body mass ratio for a dive belt ? I'm 115 pounds i have a mm JBL dive suit and im 5'6 if anyone knows it sure would help a lot thanks.

Usually 2 pounds of weight for every 10 pounds of person is a good starting point.
For u I'd start with 10 pounds just to be safe.

wow, that would be 20lbs+ for him.....too much. I always went the 10% of your body weight which makes it about 11.5 to 12lbs. I think 20lbs would be like Sea Hunt, where the diver is walking on the bottom.

Usually 2 pounds of weight for every 10 pounds of person is a good starting point.
For u I'd start with 10 pounds just to be safe.

No way. I'd be wearing 38 lbs and I only weigh 190.
Right now I think I'm down to 22 lbs with a 7mm Picasso and I think I'm still over weighted.

10% of your body weight which will put you at 11.5 lbs. lead to start.

10% of your body weight which will put you at 11.5 lbs. lead to start.

Hey Kris start out with 10% of your body weight. If you get 2lb weights, this will make it easier to adjust.
2- 5lb weights will be uncomforable.

I weigh 150lbs and use 16lbs of weight.

Hope this helps.

I always thought the formula was 10% plus around 5lbs to start, but maybe that's for SCUBA. I'm 200 and am neutral around 30ft with 24 lbs. I took off one pound a couple weeks ago because I've been diving around 45-50, and will take it it down to 23 today. Anything less and I'm a cork in shallow water.

I'm using a mix of 3 and 4 pound weights with a few spares, and I can make any weight from 6-26lbs, but it's a hassle. For your size 2lb weights might be too large of an increment, especially starting out. If you are neutral at 20 you'll be sinking fast at 30. Taking off two pounds might make it a struggle to get past 10 and stay down at 20.

It's hard to imagine anyone in a 7mm wetsuit, hood, gloves, and booties ending up using less than 10 or 11, but to start less is definitely safer. Make sure you have a few 1lb weights because at your size trim is going to be really finicky.

Once you're out there the first test is to make sure you float with empty lungs. With your head up and feet down breathe out and don't move. If you sink, take off a pound. If you're floating with the water level well below your chin, add a pound. Exactly where the water level should be between your chin and the top of your head is a matter of debate and personal preference. You just don't want to sink if you pass out and let the air out of your lungs.

10% of your body weight which will put you at 11.5 lbs. lead to start.

Hey Kris start out with 10% of your body weight. If you get 2lb weights, this will make it easier to adjust.
2- 5lb weights will be uncomforable.

I weigh 150lbs and use 16lbs of weight.

Hope this helps.

Good advice there Kris.

Also, try and use a rubber belt if you can....really made a big difference for me in how the weight stayed put and didn't slide around. You can get them over at Neptonics in SC...and they have these cool "quick weights" that you can put on and off your belt super easy so if you are too heavy or too light you can adjust on the yak nice and easy.

http://www.neptonicsystems.com/marseille-weight-belts.php

http://www.neptonicsystems.com/quick-weight.php

I'll let you and your dad know next time I am going out if you guys wanna come along....

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I always thought the formula was 10% plus around 5lbs to start, but maybe that's for SCUBA. I'm 200 and am neutral around 30ft with 24 lbs. I took off one pound a couple weeks ago because I've been diving around 45-50, and will take it it down to 23 today. Anything less and I'm a cork in shallow water.

I'm using a mix of 3 and 4 pound weights with a few spares, and I can make any weight from 6-26lbs, but it's a hassle. For your size 2lb weights might be too large of an increment, especially starting out. If you are neutral at 20 you'll be sinking fast at 30. Taking off two pounds might make it a struggle to get past 10 and stay down at 20.

It's hard to imagine anyone in a 7mm wetsuit, hood, gloves, and booties ending up using less than 10 or 11, but to start less is definitely safer. Make sure you have a few 1lb weights because at your size trim is going to be really finicky.

Once you're out there the first test is to make sure you float with empty lungs. With your head up and feet down breathe out and don't move. If you sink, take off a pound. If you're floating with the water level well below your chin, add a pound. Exactly where the water level should be between your chin and the top of your head is a matter of debate and personal preference. You just don't want to sink if you pass out and let the air out of your lungs.

Text book info........thanks

Try getting in pool with your gear on no weight. Float in sitting position. Add weight in small incruments untill you head goes under water slightly. You are now neutral in fresh water. Use that weight in salt water and you will be slightly positive but SAFE.
Pool is calm and not effected by surge , waves etc. SAFE place to find neutral bouanct. As you get better slowly add weight a pound at a time. While in pool after finding neutral practice in deep end. 

This is a very common question, "what is the formula for weighting yourself?"  The "formula" is for SCUBA diving.  (10% + 5lbs)  But the thing is that in SCUBA you have a BC that can compensate for slight variances in your buoyancy during your dive.  In Freediving, there is no "formula."   These suggestions will get you close but in reality, no matter what amount of lead you're wearing, at one point or another in your dive you'll be weighted wrong because there are too many variables to make one amount of lead the "correct" amount.  How deep are you diving? How efficient is your technique? what's the surge like? What suit are you wearing?  What fins are you wearing? Do you intend to dive straight down and straight up with no bottom time?  Do you intend to dive to the bottom and hide or do you plan on swimming around?  If at any point during the day any one of these factors changes so does the amount of lead you would need to be "properly weighted", so there really is no way to say, not knowing how you dive, what you should wear.

If you're diving shallow, 15 feet or less you'll probably want to be weighted heavy.

If you're diving deep, 30 feet or more you'll probably want to wear less.

It's all a matter of comfort and fit.  Trial and error.  If you try one weight and it's too heavy, take some off.  Also, you shouldn't be afraid to put some additional lead on if you feel too light.  You may dive shallower than the guys giving you advice on weighting, or maybe you're wearing a more buoyant suit.

Unless you're wearing an obscene amount of lead you should be able to get back to the surface and if you can't the first rule of freediving is, if you get in any trouble ditch the belt.  For safety, start somewhere close to the 10% + 5lbs but don't be worried if you end up far from it. 

Typically I wear 7% of my body weight and I can dive anywhere in the water column from 10 feet to 100 with that belt.  If I know that I'm going to be diving deep all day I wear less than 5%.

The question is, "where are you comfortable being weighted improperly?"  And the answer comes from trial and error.

This is a very common question, "what is the formula for weighting yourself?"  The "formula" is for SCUBA diving.  (10% + 5lbs)  But the thing is that in SCUBA you have a BC that can compensate for slight variances in your buoyancy during your dive.  In Freediving, there is no "formula."   These suggestions will get you close but in reality, no matter what amount of lead you're wearing, at one point or another in your dive you'll be weighted wrong because there are too many variables to make one amount of lead the "correct" amount.  How deep are you diving? How efficient is your technique? what's the surge like? What suit are you wearing?  What fins are you wearing? Do you intend to dive straight down and straight up with no bottom time?  Do you intend to dive to the bottom and hide or do you plan on swimming around?  If at any point during the day any one of these factors changes so does the amount of lead you would need to be "properly weighted", so there really is no way to say, not knowing how you dive, what you should wear.

If you're diving shallow, 15 feet or less you'll probably want to be weighted heavy.

If you're diving deep, 30 feet or more you'll probably want to wear less.

It's all a matter of comfort and fit.  Trial and error.  If you try one weight and it's too heavy, take some off.  Also, you shouldn't be afraid to put some additional lead on if you feel too light.  You may dive shallower than the guys giving you advice on weighting, or maybe you're wearing a more buoyant suit.

Unless you're wearing an obscene amount of lead you should be able to get back to the surface and if you can't the first rule of freediving is, if you get in any trouble ditch the belt.  For safety, start somewhere close to the 10% + 5lbs but don't be worried if you end up far from it. 

Typically I wear 7% of my body weight and I can dive anywhere in the water column from 10 feet to 100 with that belt.  If I know that I'm going to be diving deep all day I wear less than 5%.

The question is, "where are you comfortable being weighted improperly?"  And the answer comes from trial and error.

What a great answer!

I would suggest taking a kayak out and bring extra weights on the kayak. Dive to your desired depth.

When u get to the desired depth your ultimate goal is to be neutral under water.

Add or lose weight on kayak, dive and repeat until you're properly weighted. Have fun!

Hi,

At the class provided byhttp://www.pacificcoastfreediving.com/freedive/, for safety reason, the weight you need is what let your nose/mouth be out of the water when you fully exhale.  I am 155lb with a 7mm suit and ended up with a 12-lb belt.  In the beginning, it felt weird.  One may think it would be hard to stay under with so little weight.  At the end of the day, the class really improved my techniques that bottom time and depth took a big step forward.

Dave

I agree with the 10% plus five rule.