On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 10:09:45 +0000, Andy M Johnson <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>>ac also explains that you need more weight that you
>>normally would figure, as the water at that latitude
>>is very warm, very salty, and thus very buoyant.
>Hmmmm.....I regulary dive in the Red Sea which is VERY salty and various
>other locations & have never noticed any difference in weight required.

That's because you CWWs (Cold Water Wimps) are typically OVER-weighted.


>Without doing the research & maths my gut feel is that the bouyancy
>characteristics would not change by more than an ounce or two.

Go do the math.   :-)

I didn't do the math either, but I had written about this in the
about my personal OBSERVATION --

==================  Excerpted ===========================
From: Reef Fish (Large Nassau Grouper) ([log in to unmask])
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.scuba-l
Date: 1994-12-16 13:18:09 PST

You can consult your map or
encyclopedia to ascertain that the bodies of water known as the Bahamas
(more accurately the portion of the Atlantic on which the Bahamas Islands
are located) and the Caribbean Sea are two distinct bodies of waters.  The
distinction is more than mere nit :).  Here are a couple of trivia most
scuba divers DON'T know:

2.  If you are fine-tuned in buoyancy, you can tell the difference between
    diving in the Bahamas and the Caribbean (less salinity hence less lead
    needed diving in the Bahamas).

==================  End Excerpt ===========================


My own buoyancy at the time was so fine-tuned that I actually had
pieces of lead that were 4 ozs each.  :-)   They were cut from a
1 lb lead strip of about 1 foot long.  These 4 oz strips fit
nicely into the "little pockets" that I had to custom-modify on
my Scubapro belt pockets which were big enough to hold 6 lb
weights for CWWs and WWWs, but much too big for my typical 3 lb
to 4 lbs in each of the two biggest pockets.

Here's my recent post about those 1/4 lb weights:
===========================
Subject: Re: 1# weights for weight belt?
Newsgroups: rec.scuba, rec.scuba.equipment
Date: 2002-04-28 07:15:12 PST

"chilly" <[log in to unmask]> wrote in message news:<8JNy8.47431
[log in to unmask]>...

> Indeed!  However, I can't help but wonder what he's going to do when he
> finds that he needs 1/2 pound weights to perfect his trim.  ;^)

He can contact me to buy my 1/4 lb weights that I regularly used, for
weightbelt as well as for balancing safety-sausages.    :!)

I can easily saw those into 1/8 lb weights too, if he wants.  :))
===========================

Andy, book your ticket to Bali (Apr 22-27), and I'll give you a
couple of those 4 oz pieces to try, to work on your buoyancy.  :-)
I don't use that belt anymore.

BC with Integrated Weight Pockets (which I had to modify also) --
when I first tried the BCD, I reported having lost BOTH my 3 lb
pieces of weights (because the pocket holes at the bottom were
too big) on a Maracaibo dive (of all places), and Crusty was
there to observe that I plunged ("like a cockscrew") when I
tried to retrive (unsuccessfully) the FIRST piece lost on
initial descent.


>Also why does warm water (I assume by warm you mean above 4 degC)
>require more weight ?

Good question.   I have no answer or theory on that one.  :-)

>Just a couple of thoughts, great report though.
>
>Andy Johnson

I second that (may be it's 4th or 5th now).

-- Bob.