Buoyancy/Trim for GIRLS !!!!

[monagirl]

Just to end the story .. Well my Sinai trip was cancelled, but as I was already in Eilat waiting to cross .. I stayed in Eilat and dived with the dolphins instead. Well we have an agreement on 20kg and their is a small amount of air trapped in the BCD (apparently a known design error with the Dragonfly) ..

Gonna try the Sinai option again shortly
TY all

 

[stevetim]

This is just a personal opinion, but I would avoid using ankle weights if at all possible. The added weight around the ankle extended so far out from the center of force requires a lot of extra effort to move through the water and greatly increases your gas consumption.



the K

Just a thought, but could she try to use ankle weights applied just above the knees? She should still get negative weight effect below her center of gravity and not have such a stronger effort to kick...

 

[monagirl]

Just an update on my experience

So FINALLY got to go to Sinai .. When I originally wrote this I had 30 dives, I now have nearly double that .. There is a lot to say about experience ..

What I have learned is that you need to do whatever you need to do, especially at the beginning and trial and error worked fine for me. I do need 20lbs, partly because of my suit (2pc 5.5mm) and partly because I have a small frame with little bone weight and no muscle. In my sort of shorty I dived with 12, I could manage, but I would probably prefer to take 14, with experience I am sure 12 would be fine. The 20 in my full gear I doubt I will change to 18, but to be honest, I am so suprised about how the distribution and experience can change the weights already .. I will wait and see.

ANYWAY 2x10 is not an option for me, it is very uncomfortable, leaves severe brusing and is distributed so badly that it is not so easy to move in the water. 2x8 and 2x6 on my hips is a little better and a little more again, but still .. distribution not great, and less comfortable .. Ideally 3x4 on my weight belt and 2x4 in pockets .. Its comfortable, the belt does spin round, I find it easy to move and I swim vertically most of the time without trying. When my BCD gets a little older, the strap will be more flexible so I will try to take 1x4 off my belt and onto my tank - just for comfort for my back. My feet DO NOT RISE anymore, I never used ankle weights, but my fins are heavy rubber .. I can not explain why my feet stopped rising, but I imagine the weight changes throughout just sorted out the problem, I am ready to change my fins to more speed (suggestons welcome, but maybe its the wrong forum for that discussion). My BCD is the Mares DragonFly .. it holds air at the top and the release is too low to empty it, so I have learned to either go upsidedown to release it all or just lean back further (maybe to 45degrees). That was a big problem in shallow waters, especially at the end of a dive when my tank was lighter.

Anyway, maybe it helps someone

 

[RumBum]

When I tried to switch to integrated weight I felt head heavy. I went back to a weight belt and sling it kind of low on my hips and that seems to fix me up.

 

[JRScuba]

Here it goes:
t I think it is a girl thing versus a guy thing (meaning body shape and floatation, you know !!! , I have a typical girl figure).
FrenchFrog

Just out of curiosity. What is a typical girl figure?????

As for the floating thing you just got the best answers your going to get without diving with you to assess the problem.

15 foot safety stop is probable a good place to start with your weigh problem, as it is one of the most important things that need to be accomplished. Coming up from depth and blowing by the safety stop is not a good thing.

 

[dumdiver]

I have taught many female divers and find one consistency -floating feet. I also noticed most of the time when a female diver comes to rest, her knees bend and feet go up. When diving you should make a conserted effort to keep your toes pointed out behind you with your knees fairly straight. Arching your back and pushing your chest out a bit will also help put pressure on your hips casing your legs to stay down and behind you. If you start from a postition wtih your knees bent with feet up, you will end up swimming in a head down / feet up position. I never use ankle weights on my divers. I have found that divfferent bc's and tank configurations change the center of gravity on the diver. Try moving weights around your bc, and look for the best configuration. Again you will always feel heavy at 100 feet, as you have over 58 pounds per square inch of force acting upon you at that depth. As others have said find the correct neutral bouancy from the surface to 15 feet, and add air to your bc to maintain neutral boauncy, when you submerge. Try taking some additional classes with your local shop. Most agencies offer a Master Diver type program, which will really get you dialed in and make you feel like a "master diver".