Christian Gerzner wrote:

> > Yeah, I know, but it was the only way I could get it to stay together in
the
> > barrel.  Arms and legs kept escaping and, because the container wasn't
> > very deep, would float on the surface, making any weight predictions
> > less than valid, so in trying not to fail one way, I failed in another.

> I _think_ you're pretty adjacent to the water? Otherwise a swimming
> pool even though it might be fresh water?

I don't have a pool, but I live on a lake.  It is fresh water, but so was
what I put in the barrel.  Getting to the ocean would be a bit more
difficult, requiring me to get one of my boats out for the trip to water
deep enough for the test.  If I'm going to all that trouble, I'll do the
dive, then make the adjustment.

> Take the suit (assembled), a weight belt (w/b) and coat hanger
> (sturdy) to the water. Secure the w/b to the hook of the coat hanger
> (string?) such that the weight belt cannot come loose (and with the
> suit hanging). Drop the suit into the water (with string firmly
> attached to hand). Adjust weight as you see fit.
> Shouldn't take more than, what, half an hour tops?

It would take longer than that to get to salt water deep enough to work, but
I like your idea anyway.  It's workable, even if it is overly complicated.

> Now, how do I do this with a dry suit? :-7

OK, if we're going for workable Goldberg kinds of solutions, here's mine.
Make a plaster mold of your body, youre entire body.  Cast a rubber model of
yourself and add lead to it until it is neutrally buoyant.  Put it in the
dry suit and repeat the process you suggested above.

Lee