How much Weight do I need?

Hey, I am 15 years old and just started spearfishing with my brothers this summer. We realized we have a lot of trouble getting to the bottom. And we soon later realized we need weights. So I was wondering how much weight do I need on a belt?

I would advise you to either take a class or go with an experienced diver.
If you choose the latter he should be able to tell you how much weight you need.
There are way too may variables that can go wrong when you are diving.

Be safe out there

I would advise you to either take a class or go with an experienced diver.
If you chose the latter he should be able to tell you how much weight you need.
There are way too may variables that can go wrong when you are diving.

Be safe out there

okay that is probably a good idea, do you reccomend anyone in the santa cruz area?

I would advise you to either take a class or go with an experienced diver.
If you choose the latter he should be able to tell you how much weight you need.
There are way too may variables that can go wrong when you are diving.

Be safe out there

okay that is probably a good idea, do you reccomend anyone in the santa cruz area?

For a class I would recommend Kris Cortez. He's on this board as LiveAlohaKris. http://www.freedivinginstructors.com/fii/courses_by/kris.cortez
Tell him Antonio sent you 

I would advise you to either take a class or go with an experienced diver.
If you choose the latter he should be able to tell you how much weight you need.
There are way too may variables that can go wrong when you are diving.

Be safe out there

+1  This is good advice.

I like your enthusiasm, Get The Net. 

If you are using a 7mm wetsuit, at beginner depths, the formula is 10% of body weight + 5lbs.

As a new diver I would suggest that you just weight yourself at 10%. Nothing can be more frustrating than being an abalone diver and being underweighted because you will be positively buoyant and you will have to work to stay down. For this reason many divers over-weight to help them get to the bottom more easily and stay on the bottom without effort, and this seems to be logical, but it's wrong. Let's get back to this in a minute.

Being slightly under-weighted is a safety factor in several ways. For the new diver it helps you to learn body position without struggling or feeling like you are going to sink out. It will also allow you to float to the surface if you happen to blackout.

Once you gain some confidence you can add the 5lbs that we skipped in the beginning. This should keep you neutral buoyant at your hunting depth in the shallows.

The way you are taught to set you weight is to keep your body vertical in the water without treading. With your lungs full your mout would be out of the water. When you exhale you will sink but your eyes will remain above water level.

Now back to being slightly buoyant. When your depth increases, lung volume and your wetsuit will be compressed and you will lose buoyancy. You should try to be neutral at your deepest  hunting depth. It is better to let your buoyancy help carry you to the surface rather than exert yourself when you are low on air. Also, with all of the urchins you don't want to crash into the bottom, it's better to lightly touch down.

As you become a better diver you will need less weight, and when you dive deeper you will need even less. It's a good idea to invest in a rubber weight belt and use small weights, like 2.5lb weights rather than large weights which make small adjustments difficult.

In the Santa Cruz area I would hit up Big Jim. Although a class is a great idea, and Kris is a great diver, I think that you should get the basics first. Kris can get you to the next level, but you need to get out of the kiddie pool first. Take a season to dive with a guy like Big Jim before you take a class.

If you are using a 7mm wetsuit, at beginner depths, the formula is 10% of body weight + 5lbs.

As a new diver I would suggest that you just weight yourself at 10%. Nothing can be more frustrating than being an abalone diver and being underweighted because you will be positively buoyant and you will have to work to stay down. For this reason many divers over-weight to help them get to the bottom more easily and stay on the bottom without effort, and this seems to be logical, but it's wrong. Let's get back to this in a minute.

Being slightly under-weighted is a safety factor in several ways. For the new diver it helps you to learn body position without struggling or feeling like you are going to sink out. It will also allow you to float to the surface if you happen to blackout.

Once you gain some confidence you can add the 5lbs that we skipped in the beginning. This should keep you neutral buoyant at your hunting depth in the shallows.

The way you are taught to set you weight is to keep your body vertical in the water without treading. With your lungs full your mout would be out of the water. When you exhale you will sink but your eyes will remain above water level.

Now back to being slightly buoyant. When your depth increases, lung volume and your wetsuit will be compressed and you will lose buoyancy. You should try to be neutral at your deepest  hunting depth. It is better to let your buoyancy help carry you to the surface rather than exert yourself when you are low on air. Also, with all of the urchins you don't want to crash into the bottom, it's better to lightly touch down.

As you become a better diver you will need less weight, and when you dive deeper you will need even less. It's a good idea to invest in a rubber weight belt and use small weights, like 2.5lb weights rather than large weights which make small adjustments difficult.

+1
We'll said.

Now back to being slightly buoyant. When your depth increases, lung volume and your wetsuit will be compressed and you will lose buoyancy. You should try to be neutral at your deepest  hunting depth. It is better to let your buoyancy help carry you to the surface rather than exert yourself when you are low on air. Also, with all of the urchins you don't want to crash into the bottom, it's better to lightly touch down.

As you become a better diver you will need less weight, and when you dive deeper you will need even less. It's a good idea to invest in a rubber weight belt and use small weights, like 2.5lb weights rather than large weights which make small adjustments difficult.

Plus, you can always decrease buoyancy by taking a smaller breath (and only when taking a quick drop in really shallow water).  There's no easy way to increase buoyancy on the fly.

Thank you guys for all the feedback! I think I will get a guide or class first before I use any weight.

In the Santa Cruz area I would hit up Big Jim. Although a class is a great idea, and Kris is a great diver, I think that you should get the basics first. Kris can get you to the next level, but you need to get out of the kiddie pool first. Take a season to dive with a guy like Big Jim before you take a class.

Hey thanks for this I was curious how I could get in touch with a guy like BigJim?

Excellent advice all the way around. One other thing to keep in mind. Don't buy expensive weights. You should be prepared to ditch them if you get in trouble.  Always put your weight belt one the same way so when you do need to ditch it you know which way the buckle goes. Practice ditching and recovering  your weights in a pool. 

Best advice take a class. 

Excellent advice all the way around. One other thing to keep in mind. Don't buy expensive weights. You should be prepared to ditch them if you get in trouble.  Always put your weight belt one the same way so when you do need to ditch it you know which way the buckle goes. Practice ditching and recovering  your weights in a pool. 

Best advice take a class.

by class do you mean a class in a pool or a class where they take you out fishing?

Plus, you can always decrease buoyancy by taking a smaller breath (and only when taking a quick drop in really shallow water).  There's no easy way to increase buoyancy on the fly.

While it is possible to decrease your buoyancy by taking a smaller breath this is quite possibly the worst advice I have ever seen anyone give a diver, novice or otherwise. It's right up there with exhaling underwater to stop the urge to breathe and packing rocks inside your wetsuit if you forget your weight belt.

Jjjjeremy, please try not to kill the rookies.

This is what can happen when 2 newbs go diving.

Be safe at the very least go with an experienced diver.