Feet heavy ..

[dazzavv]

My problem is that I am unable to keep my body horizontally bouyant underwater. It seems that my feet always seem to be too heavy and I find myself having to arch my back to get my feet to the same level as the rest of my body.
I dive in colder water and wear a 7mil 2 piece. I use a steel tank and carry all my weight around my waist. Besides distributing the weight more around my upper torso (?), are there any other suggestions, reasons what to do in this situation, or what might be causing this?

 

[Quarrior]

Have you tried moving your tank up higher? I see a lot of people diving with the tank almost half way down their backs.

 

[jonnythan]

Arching your back isn't necessarily a bad thing. I need to arch my back some to get a perfectly horizontal trim in the water.

In any case, and some will smack their heads at this suggestion, but you might want to try a backplate and wing. It will move at least 5 pounds of your weight onto your back and really helps with maintaining good trim. Having a heavy weight belt on your hips does tend to pull them downward, especially when in a very buoyant wetsuit.

 

[Michael Schlink]

Where are your feet ? Are they held high or stretched out?? Leg position is as important as body position. what type of kicks are you using?-Need more info

 

[dazzavv]

Where are your feet ? Are they held high or stretched out?? Leg position is as important as body position. what type of kicks are you using?-Need more info

The problem occurs when I am stationary, not kicking as much - I seem to taper off (come into line) when finning. Feet just seem to sink - can't seem to bring them into line.

 

[lamont]

if you can reposition the weights on your weightbelt, try moving them forwards. going to a BP/W, or if you've got a BP/W going from an aluminum plate to a steel plate would help. you could also put some trim weight on your tank and take it off your weightbelt.

 

[jbd]

The problem occurs when I am stationary, not kicking as much - I seem to taper off (come into line) when finning. Feet just seem to sink - can't seem to bring them into line.

As you are aware, move some weight up on your body. This can be done by moving the tank up(Quarrior's comment above) and by moving the weight belt up towards your chest. Especially if you have a lot of weight this is easier to do once you get UW and horizontal. Third, learn to use the frog kick which will move the weight of your lower leg and fins closer to your waist.

 

[jbisjim]

Trying a weight Harness may help as well. A harness will also move your weight up.

Remember do one change at a time so you can figure out exactly what the change did for you.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

All of the suggestions mentioned are excellent. I use 6 lb. stainless with my drysuit and only need 8 lbs on waist along with a steel tank. If your legs are sinking when you're stationary you know you have just a little too much weight on your wasit. If you can put in a pouch or two on the front or back it may help.

Something else that is quick and easy to try is to borrow a pair of fins that float. As an example Scuba Twin Jets in black are negative while the same fins in cobalt or yellow are positive.

My wife had the opposite problem in that her legs floated so she went to a negative fin which cured her problem.

Jim
Louisiana

My problem is that I am unable to keep my body horizontally bouyant underwater. It seems that my feet always seem to be too heavy and I find myself having to arch my back to get my feet to the same level as the rest of my body.
I dive in colder water and wear a 7mil 2 piece. I use a steel tank and carry all my weight around my waist. Besides distributing the weight more around my upper torso (?), are there any other suggestions, reasons what to do in this situation, or what might be causing this?

 

[saintsfan]

If you like where you put your tank just add an ankle weight around the valve and take a couple lbs off the weight belt, I use two different brand steel 95 tanks and one I have secured higher or I will be feet heavy.