Best BCD for heavy legs

[going2aussie]

I'm an intermediate diver and I've always had an issue with getting horizontal. I did a PPB recently and reduced the amount of weight I use, but getting horizontal is still an issue. I've done lots of squats and deadlifts and have big muscular legs. Not much that can be done.

I had some people suggest that a back plate style BCD would be better as I can move some of the weight up. Anyone have any suggestions or run into a similar issue?

Thanks.

 

[decompression]

Yes, it's part weight placement part body position. Once you've mastered the body position then you can fine tune your weights.
Back plates make this easier by spreading out 6 lbs around your back and a well designed wing gives lift where it should.
For leg heavy;
Neutral fins
Tank, high up shoulders
High mounted weights on tank bands/shoulders
Arms well forward
Knees bent, back arched and butt clenched.
Head down


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[victorzamora]

A BPW would help move weight up your body by reducing the lead on your hips and moving it up to your center of mass. Depending on what conditions you're diving in (how much lead you need), you can get most or all of your lead quite high.

One thing people rarely think about is physics. Think of your body as a see-saw. Your center of buoyancy (the fulcrum of the see-saw) is located at about your belly. Sinky things below this cause your butt to go down. Sinky things above this cause your butt to go up. Floaty things do the opposite, right? Moving your weights from just below to just above your center of buoyancy will make a big difference. This is often your main source of negative buoyancy. Another BIG factor, however, is distance from the fulcrum....which is called the moment arm. This amplifies the effect of the buoyancy (negative or positive) by a factor of the distance....like a lever. All of this is one super long, awful, rambly, wordy way of saying: If you're diving sinky fins like Jet Fins or Hollis F1s you could move to something like Dive Rite EXPs or Mares Avanti Quattros or OMS Slipstreams.

---------- Post added June 15th, 2015 at 02:16 PM ----------

Yes, it's part weight placement part body position. Once you've mastered the body position then you can fine tune your weights.
Back plates make this easier by spreading out 6 lbs around your back and a well designed wing gives lift where it should.
For leg heavy;
Neutral fins
Tank, high up shoulders
High mounted weights on tank bands/shoulders
Arms well forward
Knees bent, back arched and butt clenched.
Head down

That's another big one. Hearing that for the first time changed my friggin life!!
And no, I do not want any sex-jokes.

 

[claymore]

When I am diving my Farmer John I have to put 4#, two 2s, on my shoulder straps high on my chest to get horizontal in the water. If I put the weights on the tank cam bands I tended to get back heavy when using steel tanks and want to turn turtle. I also have heavy legs which helps in my dry- suite.
As Victorzomora said it is physics. If your legs are heavy you have to make them lighter or move weight farther up your body. Many BC's now make it difficult to move weight high up on your body because the trim weight pouches are located low on the BC and in the back.

 

[going2aussie]

Is there a leading vendor of BPW? I'm likely also going to buy these. Since they're not made specifically for diving, they're only $7. I'm sure they're only slightly buoyant, but being on my ankles, they'd probably help and would be easily removed if they're an issue.

Thank you all for your responses.

 

[decompression]

Not sure what you're talking about but if it's some kind of positive buoyancy thing for feet, I'd rethink it. If you "need" to make your feet positive AND you've tried the other hundred ways without spending money, a pair of thick booties/neutral fins will help.

Depending on where you're from, some top quality makers of BP/W's are;
Halcyon
Dive rite
XDeep
HOG
Hollis
UTD
Scuba Pro
Apeks


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[tbone1004]

Aussie,
like Deco pointed out in his first post, the BCD is only a very small point of this whole discussion, regulator, tank placement, fins, they're all far more important than a specific wing design. That said, moving to a BP/W will certainly help quite a bit. I prefer Deep Sea Supply, I feel that they have the highest quality product out there, they're made in the US, great customer service, and very reasonable prices. Otherwise they're all about in the same ballpark with Halcyon having a slight edge due to their inner bladder design, but otherwise they are not really any better, certainly not to justify the price.

Realistically I think there are only 2 backplates worth looking at right now unless you are bound to a brand.
https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?page=rigs
Will be right at $500, very high quality, made in US, have the rubber grommets which is a great feature, and is STA-Less design which is nice. Lots of wing options to really get it dialed in for you, plan on at least a half hour call with them when you call prior to ordering.

Eclipse 30 BC System - Dive Right in Scuba
This is the rig that I learned in and feel that it has one of the best wing designs of the bunch *unfortunately for you it is biased towards the head/shoulders for lift, but I really love the design, but it is $750, certainly not worth 1.5x the DSS rig listed above.

DRIS Dive Gear 28lb BP/W System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba
Basically a knockoff of the wing design, but is half the cost and has a lifetime warranty on the wing, so it's a much better value than than the blue H.

 

[eelnoraa]

I have the same issue in wetsuit up to 7mm. Even with SS plate and neutral fins, I am still leg heavy, my solution is to put weight pocket on upper cam bands, I put as much as 4lb each in cold water. Also posture helps a lot. Bend you kneed 90 degree and extend you arm as far as you are comfortable.