Can't get horizontal in the water??

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Good suggestions thus far. A couple of other thoughts building upon what has already been said would be to move trim pocket weights to main weight pockets, position BCD higher on the tank (this shifts weight towards your feet), think about Scuba Pro jet fins if your current fins are positively bouyant (SP Jets are negatively bouyant). The issue isn't just about weight either. At 6'6" it does not surprise me that your BCD is not a good fit and that the weight pocket ride higher on your torso than they need to be. A backplate and wing set-up will allow for better adjustment of the weighting.
 
Another option that might work to change your COG: DH1 - IST Sports. Basically, trim pockets for your thighs. Haven't played with them myself, but read a really good review on them.
 
J-Frame, are you diving at home, and what exposure protection are you wearing? 24 pounds seems like a very small amount of weight for someone your size diving in Alaska :)

The first thing I saw in your post was that you can't get your head back to see in front of you. Is this because you, personally, can't extend your neck, or is it because your gear is preventing it? If the latter, the first, simple adjustment may be to drop the tank a little bit in the cambands, and get the first stage away from the back of your head. In the alternative, it may be possible to change the orientation of the first stage just a little bit (turn the tank in the bands) to give you a little more room for your head. Getting your head up will really help with the tendency to tilt head-down.

The second thing is posture -- how do you hold yourself in the water? If you bend your knees and have your feet near your hips, you will tend to tilt head-down. However, if your legs and boots are very floaty (as can happen with thick wetsuits) putting your legs out straight may make you more feet-light. This is something to play with.

In addition, if you are in a dry suit, you may be getting too much air in your feet, which will definitely tilt you head-down.

Static balance IS important -- you can't fight physics. Right now, if you have trim weights up below your shoulders, they are worsening your tendency to tilt. You say you can't use a belt, which is not uncommon in men; a lot of people in that situation use weight harnesses like the DUI Weight & Trim, so that they can drop weight further than the waistband -- which on you, is probably too high on your body, unless you have a very large BC.

Hope these ideas are helpful.
 
I am with TSandM. Just don't change your gear as of yet especially if you own it already. Try to find out the cause to you problem by making small adjustment and changing posture. BP/W, as much as I like them as BC, they aren't the solution to trim/weight issue. And please, don't change to double AL80. It only complicates things.
 
I'd get rid of the aluminum tanks altogether if possible and dive steels. Dbl Al 80 will only exacerbate the problem once they start to get empty. Look for some used LP steel; 95's or 108's. They are taller and will therefore let you mount them with more of the tank down low. I have 5 al 80's only because they were cheap and I use them to rent to students. I have one set up as a stage. Otherwise 80's suck as main tanks. Steels have better buoyancy characteristics, last longer, trim out easier, and are simply a better choice.

HP steels also work well but a number of shops do not know how to fill them and you end up getting shorted. They also tend to be more expensive than LP tanks. If you simply cannot get steel tanks and have to use aluminum there is a company that makes a weight that drops into the boot to give you a couple pounds extra down low. One could also use a tank band with a weight pocket placed down near the boot and put 2 or 3 lbs in it.
 
This new diver has a lot of issues, as reported by him on this and other threads. I think we need to be cautious about trying to correct those problems without enough data to really focus in. On site evaluation by a competent professional will be alot better. All of the responders who have hundreds if not thousands of dives, and are familiar with a variety or equipment choices, have good suggestions, but they may not all, or any, be applicable here. So I suggest the original poster list the suggestions and go over them with a local professional before attempting to implement any of them. Just a little thought here.
DivemasterDennis
 
I,m in Maui NOW- I use a Neo Sport front zipper vest-high top booties and Mares X treme fins. My BC is a Sea Quest Pro QDi3 and yes I own my gear and leave it here. I,m a vacation diver- 3 weeks a year. Good advice.I will get a dive master in a pool to help me solve the riddle. It will be money well spent.I wore a weight harness once and it did make me head up more as I remember. Also good advice on put my tank way down as practical in my bc. Also a tank weight band.Also a crotch strap as my bc sets up pretty high on me.I need a pro to look at me in the water. All good advice here and a great forum. Thanks
 
First things I would do is
Adjusting how high the tank sits on your back and/or put 2 lb or so of weight near the bottomn of your tank.

What I DEFINETLY would do is do ONE THING AT THE TIME.
 
There's been a fair amount of questionable advice given to the OP in this thread: switch to BP/W, switch away from AL tanks, etc.
I'm not sure why double tank configurations are even being discussed. They're irrelevant to the OP's situation.

Given the right tools (weight harness or weightbelt with suspenders, heavier fins, small weights with clips, ankle weights, tank camband weight pockets, etc.) and an awareness of how his weight distribution needs to be shifted, the OP should be able to trim out properly in his jacket BCD with an AL80.

With lots of different things to try, the OP would be best served working in person with an experienced diver to dial in his trim. That person could be a thoughtful dive buddy, a DM, or an instructor. I bet it would take just a few minutes to figure out how much weight needs to go where. Then the diver could figure out how to conveniently carry weight in those locations.

Something that the OP will learn with experience is that body/limb positioning can significantly affect overall trim. Ideally, the diver should get his weight distribution as close to optimal (horizontal static position) as possible and then use body positioning to fine-tune trim.

Good luck, J-FRAME!
 
As a newer diver that struggled to get my equipment right on my own, the best money I spent was to hire a private instructor. Got my gear squared away, trim, weight, etc.

It really beats the frustrating struggle of trying to do it yourself.

FYI: I started with an integrated BCD, but later switched to a BP/W and DUI Weight and trim. Its a really nice combo. Coupled with also going to steel tanks. Its all good advice posted above, but the best is to hire a private instructor to help you out.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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