Boyancy with new wetsuit

[vet1999]

Last night I swam with my new 7mm wetsuit (in the pool). WAY too buoyant even with 10 extra pounds of weight (did allow me to sink to do skills). Spent the entire class trying to not have my ankles float to the top while I hovered. Not a fun class and I am at a loss at this point as to what to try next to help. I have always been buoyant, and in the 3mm suit always felt like it dragged me down more than helped me float. This suit was a real eye opener. Only 1 more pool session and am afraid that it won't be enough time. Any advice? I appreciate the help!
Katrina

 

[snowdog]

There are ankle weights that clip around your ankles. My wife used some for her first few dives.

Once she got more relaxed, she didn't need them anymore.

 

[TSandM]

I'm not really surprised that 10 lbs wasn't enough -- I wear 8 in the pool with a 5 mil suit, and it's just barely enough.

In my experience, students in heavy neoprene quite often get floaty feet. You can correct a whole lot of it with posture, but not all; especially if you are wearing light, plastic fins, you may need to use ankle weights.

 

[vet1999]

I'm not really surprised that 10 lbs wasn't enough -- I wear 8 in the pool with a 5 mil suit, and it's just barely enough.

In my experience, students in heavy neoprene quite often get floaty feet. You can correct a whole lot of it with posture, but not all; especially if you are wearing light, plastic fins, you may need to use ankle weights.

There are ankle weights that clip around your ankles. My wife used some for her first few dives.

Once she got more relaxed, she didn't need them anymore.

Some of it could definitely have been from my nerves, and some for not being more patient and getting the weights correct before I moved on. The night didn't start off too well, then the problems when I got into the pool then a new instructor to our group that was impatient
while I worked on the amount of weight I needed, so I felt it was good enough, and then everyone always seems on top of me in the pool. I go to another position, and everyone then seems on top of me again. If I could have relaxed that may have helped. I will look for the weights in the meantime while I learn to control my breathing, relaxation and skills.

Thank you so much for the advice! I will continue to work on my positioning and remembering to have fun! Regardless of the instructor!

 

[Quero]

Heavier fins may help, and also letting the tank ride lower on your back, if possible. Going from a 3mm to a 7mm wetsuit, I would guess that you'd need about 8 pounds in addition to what you were using with the 3 mm. Unless you were able to get down with just 2 pounds in the 3 mm, 10 wouldn't have been enough, I imagine. In a 7 mm, I personally wear about 15-16 pounds since I'm essentially a cork, even without a wetsuit.

 

[TravisD]

If you're thinking of going the ankle weight route, consider making some of that ballast useful -- if you aren't using them already, consider spring straps! Both an upgrade in general, as well as being a little more negative than the stock straps.

 

[silvernotch]

Plus a new suit is going to be way more buoyant than a used one.

and honestly, I hated the pool work. I got really discouraged because my buoyancy was all over the place. I couldn't stay in place at all. Once I got out into the open water....yeah it was a whole different ballgame.