Buoyancy help

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Marivan377

Contributor
Messages
86
Reaction score
35
Location
Delco pa
# of dives
50 - 99
Anyone interested in going to dutch springs this Sunday to help me a bit with my buoyancy issues with my back inflation bcd. It’s a hydros pro but I’ve never used a back inflate and am struggling getting flat. After we can do a dive.
 
Sure hope you're diving dry, otherwise getting flat isn't going to nearly as difficult a task as staying warm.
 
I dove it opening day in a 7mm at 75’ and was perfectly fine besides my hands.Water was 39f
 
OP, not sure what your issue is as you did not specify.

If your trying to get your trim so you are more horizontal, there is no magic...just distribute the weight you are carrying to help you balance out. If you are feet high, either secure your BC higher on the tank moving more of the tank lower on your body, and/or attach some weight to your tank cam strap, or use ankle weights/heavier fins.

If you are head high, you can move your BC lower on the tank to move more mass towards your shoulders, or put an ankle weight around the neck of your tank.

If the majority of your weight is in the integrated pockets on the sides of the BC then split that weight up and put it where it is needed for you to be comfortably horizontal.

-Z

Edited: mixed up the recommendations for head high/feet high...should read correct now.
 
Not knowing exactly what weight you have or where you have it placed on your kit and of course not seeing even a picture of your underwater profile it's hard to say what the issue(s) could be. But I would suggest, if you have trim pockets on your tank cam band(s).....use them. I dive a Zeagle Brigade (also back inflate) that has two cam straps and just bought another set of trim pockets so I have one set on each strap. I previously placed the trim pockets I had on the top strap and placed my heaviest weights in them so as to situate them on my back and close to my shoulders. That keeps me closer to a head down position so I actually have more of a horizontal/flat profile. The rest of my weight has previously been placed in the ditchable pockets on the sides and the issue with that is it allows more side-to-side rolling movement and it puts that weight lower on my body and away from my shoulders. So while I'm DMing an OW class this weekend at the local dive park (think quarry) I'll be putting all of my weight in those strap mounted trim pockets and see if that doesn't make the difference I'm looking for. I will say that I never have issues with being feet high because I dive very negative Hollis F1 fins. Honestly they're not ideal for a flat profile without either heavy neoprene or a drysuit, but I love the maneuverability and propulsion they provide so I deal with it. Another reason to place weight closer to my shoulders.

This has so far seemed to work for me but YMMV. Just something to consider.
 
Thank you all for the advice. So my problem the last dive I did was I was head up and very heavy. I miscalculated my weight to use from the get go cause I didn’t want to hold anyone up with a weight check. Thinking how much neoprene I had own I needed a lot of weight. I used 18lbs of lead in a Florida dive in December. Building on that I went 24lbs for the quarry dive. I know salt and fresh require. Two different weighting. Less for the fresh water. So I had 10lbs in my trim pockets by my tank and 14 in my ditchable pockets. I was wearing a 7mm full suit with a 5/3 hood and a 2mm beanie. I was previously diving a mares prime bcd and moved to a hydros pro. I started this thread because I want to be a better diver but feel like all the insta buddies I get have a dive plan that is geared more towards the dive. I’m all for that as well but hard to enjoy if I’m so out of whack that I can’t keep up because I’m so vertical and wasting all my energy to move forward. So was hoping to find a buddy who could accept a little time to get right before the dive and offer some feedback. At this point I only have 7 dives under my belt and my aow is May 18th.
 
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