Ankle weights

[Kim]

Well, I only have two dives experience with a drysuit so my opinion doesn't count for much. The first dive I was told to wear them but I really hated it. The second dive, in spite of warnings, I chose not to use them and just tried to be careful where the air was going inside the suit. I felt a LOT better.
Still...two dives is nothing so who knows - maybe if I tried it again I'd end up doing a feet first ascent or something! I really don't like them though.

 

[Mr.X]

I could have sworn that in one of the recent Deep Sea Detectives episodes they showed a quick shot of either Ritchie or John putting on ankle weights while gearing up. They must not know what they're doing.

John and Ritchie are super nice guys. Excellent folks, tough as nails and generous in spirit + they are NE wreck divers to the core. That being said NE wreckers are a unique group of divers.

Staying on topic - I personally don't like having extra mass on the ankles when simple adjustments can usually alleviate the need for weight as a result of air shift in the legs, or floaty fins.

Some suits like the older Unisuit, or Jetsuit were interesting drysuits (NE favorite). Getting those suits neutrally buoyant was a chore of unparalleled proportions vs. some of the newer shell suits using crushed neo. or tri. lam materials. These required less in the way of weight...however, having dived a neo. suit I can say that they can take a beating + even with flooding you still get some insulation.

 

[String]

I recently saw 2 pic's in a magazine where the diver was wearing a drysuit and was wearing ankle weights. Is this a common practice with a drysuit? If so, how much weight, i.e.70%B/C 30% ankle????? :06:

Its not uncommon. Maybe 50% of people need them.

Theyre no different to V or P weights - they alter trim so in some combiations of suit type and size the serve to keep the diver horizontal (in the same way others accomplish the same thing by altering lead position on a backplate etc).

Some people need them, some dont. The amount varies from person to person as well.

 

[amascuba]

The detractors use words like "hydrostatic instability", "increased exertion", and "increased SAC rate". While this is true in a test tube, it's completely irrelevant to real world diving. If you were to do dive #1 with 20 lbs in a weight belt, then dive #2 with 15 lbs on a weight belt and 5lbs in ankle weights, you would not find a measurable difference.

Sure you would. If you were wearing 5 pounds on your ankles then your feet are more negatively buoyant and you use more energy moving your legs to fin, because you have to compensate for the extra weight on your ankles. Doing this causes you to breath more, which causes you to suck down a tank quicker.

 

[OE2X]

I have two drysuits. One is a CF200 - no ankle weights. One is a USIA - ankle weights.

Here is what I've found. The USIA boots too big for me and even with fin keepers and extra socks, it is nice to have a pound on each foot to prevent floaty toes. I can and do dive the suit without the weights on the rare times I have to use it.

The CF200 on the other hand had rockboots. I never get floaty feet.

I use a frog or modified frog for nearly 100% of my dives.

I personally don't like using the weights. At the end of a dive where I have used them my legs are much more fatigued than the same dive without. For me it's not a difference of technique between the suits. One suit traps air in the feet the other doesn't. My next suit will either have rockboots or very conforming boots on it.

 

[Darnold9999]

Used ankle weights on my first two dry suit dives. Probably a good idea as a feet first ascent is to be avoided and it takes time to get the "feel" of when that is about to happen. Took them off since and havn't missed them. Whites Catalyst with rockboots.

 

[String]

Sure you would. If you were wearing 5 pounds on your ankles then your feet are more negatively buoyant and you use more energy moving your legs to fin, because you have to compensate for the extra weight on your ankles. Doing this causes you to breath more, which causes you to suck down a tank quicker.

... and the quantitative proof this has a real world difference is where exactly? Ive also never seen ankle weights anywhere near as large as 5lb.

 

[spectrum]

I only have 6 dives on my drysuit so far so I know I still have room for tuning. I have a 7mm Atlan. Under it I'm wearing a Bare T100 garment. I am wearing a heavy pair of socks and I am using boot triangles. All together I'm getting a nice firm fit with the boot and little/no heel rocking. I'm also very happy with my trim. I am wearing angle weights.

The suit is not a tight fit but I wouldn't call it baggy either. I initially though I might want to get it tailored down a little but when I'm getting fins on an off range of motion is enough of a trick already.

So with the neoprene suit, garment and socks I do have some buoyancy on my legs. I intend to try diving without the ankle weights (putting the weight elsewhere) but here is my related question.

Ankle weights do represent mass but kicking downward represents fighting buoyancy on my power stroke. So what is worse? Some mass in motion of fighting buoyancy on the power stroke? Let's not get into a frog kick discussion for now.

Pete

 

[Night Diver]

I wear ankle weights because it lets me move 4 lbs off my belt and the extra weight on my legs doesn't bother me at all. I already dive with a SS backplate and a big-*** steel tank so adding a v-channel weight and making an even heavier rig is not attractive to me. I have maybe 150 drysuit dives out of about 400 total dives, so if somebody wants to look at me and leap to the conclusion that I am a rookie using a crutch, OK.

I could get hand-out cards printed up that say "no really, I have tried lots of combinations and this is what works best for me based on MY OWN real-life field-tested experience" but I'd rather be ridiculed.

 

[texdiveguy]

The notion that ankle wts. are always unnessary in seasoned dry and wet suited divers is just hog-wash! This whole thing about divers not having to wear wts. at the ankles ever,, or just at the beginning of there training is crazy. I don't wear them when diving wetsuits,,,,but do wear them in my drysuit diving,,,it does aid in trim at least for me....I have excellant air consumption and think I am an experienced diver. Do I really care what some other diver or divers think--no. I wear 1lb. units on each ankle and it works,,,I don't get more tired or have any problem finning. So the bottom line is if they work for you, than go for it!