ankle weight question

[Walter]

I'm having a hard time grasping this one. Would you care to expound on this one a bit?

I'll be happy to. When a diver is overweighted or has an underinflated BC, they will sink. To keep from sinking, they constantly swim up. They move forward, but with their bodies at an angle (head up/feet down). Divers who are underweighted or have too much air in their BC float up. To keep from floating up, they constantly swim down. They move forward, but with their bodies at an angle (head down/feet up).

Prove That.

I'll be happy to. Come to Florida, we'll get in the water, all will become clear.

 

[CIBDiving]

I'll be happy to. Come to Florida, we'll get in the water, all will become clear.

The part about swimming up and down is true yoiur reasoningas to how that relates to ankle weights is bogus.

Come on up to alaska, so we can put a little weight on instead of that warm water stuff.

 

[CIBDiving]

On the surface I can buy that, but I would put ankle weights at the very tail end of the "things to do to fix trim" list. And truthfully, I cannot see a situation that ankle weights were the only solution. But I think people use ankle weights...not as a crutch, but more of a quick fix for new drysuit diver and that fix sticks with the diver even though it isn't required.

and yes I "got" the eye color comment the first time I read it.

Good - glad you got the eye color thing.

We adjust trim by adding, removing and repositioning weight, right. so what's an ankle weight but a different ( but the same ) form of that. You've simply moved some lead from your belt to a different place. Why is that so 'bad'? because some dipstick ( or maybe i should say dirstick) said it was and a bunch of fools have jumped on that bandwagon.

 

[Walter]

We adjust trim by adding, removing and repositioning weight, right.

Some do, but it's not necessary. You are, however, correct that ankle weights are merely more of the same with the added exertion every time you move your legs. Ankle weights are not the spawn of Satan, merely an attempt to compensate for poor technique with equipment, similar to the use of Force Fins to compensate for bicycling. I prefer to work on technique.

 

[TSandM]

The end goal, for the dry suit diver, is to be able to make use of the air bubble in the suit (which will always be there) to balance everything out to the position the diver wants to assume. That can involve putting a little air in the boots if you're feet-heavy, or sending some air out into your arms if you're tending to tip head down. I'm not there yet. But I'm better than I used to be at managing the air.

But it takes TIME and dives to learn to do that. In the beginning, the suit can seem unmanageable and untameable. Ankle weights, or gaiters, can ease through that period.

The OP, I believe, is not even diving dry. And she's a complete novice. She's reading ScubaBoard, so she's not going to remain in ignorance of the idea that learning to balance yourself in the water without auxiliary weights is a good goal. And if ankle weights help in the meantime, and she has more fun and is safer diving with them for a while, more power to her! Better a relaxed, smooth dive with ankle weights, than a constant frantic scrambling to keep your feet down. Right?

 

[JeffG]

You've simply moved some lead from your belt to a different place. Why is that so 'bad'?

Because you moved that weight to a part of the body that is used for propulsion. Not the ideal spot.

But in truth, I still haven't seen any diver that required ankle weights to trim themselves out.

because some dipstick ( or maybe i should say dirstick) said it was and a bunch of fools have jumped on that bandwagon.

I know that you have this DIR issue, but you shouldn't let it cloud your judgement.

 

[CIBDiving]

You are, however, correct that ankle weights are merely more of the same with the added exertion every time you move your legs.

You have yet to prove that statment and you just keep saying the same wrong BS.

 

[JeffG]

You have yet to prove that statment and you just keep saying the same wrong BS.

Have you ever seen those ankle weights for joggers? I would bet they aren't using them to trim out.

 

[CIBDiving]

Have you ever seen those ankle weights for joggers? I would bet they aren't using them to trim out.

Apples and Oranges. momentum yes gravity no ( except when useing certain kicks)
I didn't know your 'proper technique' was to kick at 60 times a minute.

 

[grazie42]

I don´t understand how anyone can honestly believe that more weight doesen´t equal more exertion. It is so basic that I don´t see a point in even talking about the rest of it if you don´t even have that understanding.

What could be up for discussion is whether the extra exertion has any real-world impact on a dive. Or if that impact is preferable to reduced bouyancy control.

Of course I´m a PP (personal preference) kinda guy so have at it. I don´t really care what you do to avoid silting as long as it doesen´t affect my dive. The only thing that annoys me is when a diver forgets their ankle-weights and spends an entire dive thrashing around.