SCUBA weights

[Genady]

As a SCUBA diver, the one of the most irritating aspects of the activity for me is a need to carry weights when out of water. I've noticed that there are quite a few SCUBA divers here, they might agree. Is it possible to solve this problem, or it would be against the laws of physics?

[Bufofrog]

You could have somebody else carry the weights for you.  If you want something that has weight in water but not out, I think your out of luck....

[Phi for All]

1 minute ago, Bufofrog said:

You could have somebody else carry the weights for you.

Or some thing. Drones could carry some small weights, but I don't think most can lift an air tank.

How 007 would it be to swim up to the boat and have a fleet of drones take your SCUBA gear from you, like aerial butlers?

[Externet]

Diver too.

The only way I know of is to not use a wet/dry suit.  Weights requiered would be then minimal or null.  Which can bring complains of cold instead of weight.

And a diver in a proper physical fitness to do the sport/work that is bothered by wearing a weight belt is unheard of 🤫.  Attaching weight to the tank instead of waist is not a contemplated alternative.  If your aim is comfort and not exactly the weight itself, my 3 hollow belts are filled with lead shot instead of the 'bricks', making then more manageable.

 

Modern ones use removable lead shot pockets, have those too, sewn by me.

If any of those are not of your approval, let the weights drop to the bottom of the sea when you climb back to the boat.  Buy more for the next dive$.

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by Externet

[Genady]

Where I live and dive now I don't need a suit and thus don't have this problem. This is the best solution. Also allows to use smaller tanks for the same time under water. But it was an issue back in NE of USA.

[studiot]

1 hour ago, Externet said:

Diver too.

The only way I know of is to not use a wet/dry suit.  Weights requiered would be then minimal or null.  Which can bring complains of cold instead of weight.

And a diver in a proper physical fitness to do the sport/work that is bothered by wearing a weight belt is unheard of 🤫.  Attaching weight to the tank instead of waist is not a contemplated alternative.  If your aim is comfort and not exactly the weight itself, my 3 hollow belts are filled with lead shot instead of the 'bricks', making then more manageable.

 

 

Modern ones use removable lead shot pockets, have those too, sewn by me.

If any of those are not of your approval, let the weights drop to the bottom of the sea when you climb back to the boat.  Buy more for the next dive$.

 

 

Lots of great comments here.  +1

I will add to just two of them.

1) Dry suits can come with weighted boots, especially those meant for fixed air lines.

2) I had to drop my weight belt once in an emergency. It was an expensive exercise. However if you are multiple diving diving a fixed site (perhaps with a line) you can leave your weightbelt on a line or for others to haul in or even have a system of hauling up bottom sourced weights with each dive, and dropping them back again at the surface.

[Genady]

Back to physics now. Or, maybe, chemistry (?). 

Is it impossible to have a light something such that one turns it ON in the water and it converts, say, 5 l of water into 5 kg of a dense solid material?

Is there a law prohibiting such thing?

[swansont]

7 minutes ago, Genady said:

Back to physics now. Or, maybe, chemistry (?). 

Is it impossible to have a light something such that one turns it ON in the water and it converts, say, 5 l of water into 5 kg of a dense solid material?

Is there a law prohibiting such thing?

Mass-wise this is a non-starter. It's basically conserved at this scale.

The density issue is another thing. You want the opposite of a submarine filling the ballast tanks from the compressed air tank. The problem is that you are starting with a positive buoyancy, so you will always need that extra mass, regardless of the density, unless you can figure out a way for the human body itself to become more dense.

[Genady]

Sorry @swansont , I don't understand. What I have in mind is, take 5 kg of water around me, convert it to 5 kg of something dense, and use this something dense as my diving weight.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Genady

[swansont]

45 minutes ago, Genady said:

Sorry @swansont , I don't understand. What I have in mind is, take 5 kg of water around me, convert it to 5 kg of something dense, and use this something dense as my diving weight.

That would work, if you could do it. But there's no way of "collapsing" the water, since it's already a liquid.

My point was that if you were lugging around extra mass, then you will always be lugging around extra mass, regardless of its density. 

[Genady]

57 minutes ago, swansont said:

That would work, if you could do it. But there's no way of "collapsing" the water, since it's already a liquid.

Chemistry?