Floating Feet - need ankle weights?

[all4scuba05]

Wait, wait, wait...if you realize your feet are too high, FORCE them a little? Or you could just slap on a pair of 1's or 1.5's and not have to fight an entire dive...I dunno...one sounds like the far simpler and freeing solution.

While one may never NEED ankle weights, depending on exposure suit/fin choice, they may be the far simpler/cheaper solution to "floaty feet". For instance, I have extremely positive feet and dead neutral fins when I dive my drysuit (it has been modified with non-stock attached boots, and I wear heavy foot undergarments (socks.. )), so..my options are to find a NEW drysuit AND/OR NEW Fins...or wear 1.5 lb ankle weights. I think I'll take the latter solution, thanks!

And for all the lip service we pay to "trim", isn't trim all about getting horizontal in the water column and spreading weight around where each individual needs it? Some of us, again, due to equipment configuration/exposure suit require some lead on the ankles to keep horizontal in the water...no amount of tank shifting is going to change the fact that it's just my FEET that are positive...but adding a small amount of lead WILL.

Cheers,
Austin

I gotta side with this guy. He's addressing "floaty feet" while some others are only correcting horizontal trim issues. If a diver has 3 layers of insulation on his feet in a drysuit with positively buoyant shoes and ScubaPro Twin Jets(which are positively buoyant), no matter where you place that tank, he WILL still have floaty feet.

 

[SoggyShoes]

I guess I am not sure what the difference is between more weight on fins or ankle weights. I really like my fins. Any explanation on the difference WITHOUT flaming would really be appreciated.

I also really like my weight integrated BC. I understand the argument about the advantages of a weight belt for lowering your weighted center, but I find the integrated BC much more comfortable and easier to use. Also, personally, I never had a problem with my trim (using an integrated BC) until I got a drysuit. I never used ankle weights until I got the drysuit (and don't use them without the drysuit). I am comfortable with the setup I have and have not had any problems with cramps. So I guess that if I am happy, enjoying my dives, see no obvious problems with my set up, what is wrong with it? Isn’t the whole point to safely and responsibly enjoy diving?

Soggy

 

[timle]

I think in a drysuit and in a wetsuit are two very different problems. In a drysuit if your feet go over your head and air rushes to it you will have a feet first ascent that will get more out of control as you ascend. In a wetsuit I just don't see this happening, I guess in a wetsuit light feet would throw off trim but shouldn't lead to an out of control ascent. In accordance with this I would address the issue differently depending on the suit.

In a drysuit I'd try gaiters or better fitting legs and boots to reduce the air trapped in your legs.

In a wetsuit I'd move some weight down to attempt to adjust trim.

Adding ankle weights in either case adds weight that you not only have to move through the water with but it also adds weight that your legs must move on each kick - leading to cramps, working to hard, increased air consumption etc.

 

[in_cavediver]

Adding ankle weights in either case adds weight that you not only have to move through the water with but it also adds weight that your legs must move on each kick - leading to cramps, working to hard, increased air consumption etc.

This is actually false if used properly. Ankle wieghts shouldn't add weight, just move it. Also, ankle weights are used to make the feet neutral, not negative. In this case, you would have *less* resistance to movement since you aren't fighting a positive bouyant force with each kick. Ankle wieghts can/do add a small amount of drag though.

 

[matt_unique]

This is actually false if used properly. Ankle wieghts shouldn't add weight, just move it. Also, ankle weights are used to make the feet neutral, not negative. In this case, you would have *less* resistance to movement since you aren't fighting a positive bouyant force with each kick. Ankle wieghts can/do add a small amount of drag though.

Ditto....though I have never considered the buoyancy resistance relating to floaty feet.....

Non of the detriments described in using ankle weights yield a measureable change in gas consumption. Other environmental factors are far more significant such as kick intensity, stress, type of dive (photo vs. hunting vs. scenic), etc.

--Matt

 

[SoggyShoes]

I agree with the last 2 posts. That makes sense that fighting the positive buoyancy of your legs as flotation bags would require much more energy and strength than the drag added by the weights. I also agree that adding ankle weights should be a redistribution of weight not adding weight (otherwise you would be over weighted).

But that didn’t answer the question I asked. A number of people said do not use ankle weights, but instead use heavier/denser fins. Why would this be such an advantage? The only thing that I could think of would be drag, but I can’t imagine this would be much. It also seems that it would be better to have more efficient or more comfortable fins and ankle weights than just heavier fins. I also think that it would be better to have the weight above the ankle joint than below. Having the weight below would seem to cause a lot of unnecessary torque and strain on the ankle. Even if you are properly using the large muscles in your legs for thrust, you still are using the ankle to maintain the fin angle (Newton’s laws still work underwater). So those that feel it is better to change fins than add ankle weights please help me. What is the difference (or advantage) of using heavier fins over ankle weights?

 

[in_cavediver]

But that didn’t answer the question I asked. A number of people said do not use ankle weights, but instead use heavier/denser fins. Why would this be such an advantage? The only thing that I could think of would be drag, but I can’t imagine this would be much. It also seems that it would be better to have more efficient or more comfortable fins and ankle weights than just heavier fins. I also think that it would be better to have the weight above the ankle joint than below. Having the weight below would seem to cause a lot of unnecessary torque and strain on the ankle. Even if you are properly using the large muscles in your legs for thrust, you still are using the ankle to maintain the fin angle (Newton’s laws still work underwater). So those that feel it is better to change fins than add ankle weights please help me. What is the difference (or advantage) of using heavier fins over ankle weights?

Quiet - negative fins does the exact same thing as ankle wieghts - move wieght to the feet!

Actually, the advantage of negative fins is that it keeps the localized center of bouyancy closer to the center of gravity. Ankle weights seperates these points further. By keeping the points closer, it increases stability for a vairety of kicks. The type of kick itself will determine how/where the CB and CG points are (and which muscles are used to kick) . Take me, I almost exclusively use the modified frog kick. My knees are bent and ankle wieghts would be below my fins. In a true flutter kick, the wieghts would be inline with the fins. With negative fins, The wieght is the same point as the localized CB, the fins/foot pocket. (other issues can be solved without weight - such as gators)

That said, proper fit and stiffness in my fins means more to me than whether I have ankle wieghts or not. Msilva stated changing the boots on his suit fixed the trapped air issue as well. Depending on your case, you need to make the decision for yourselve on how to address the issue. Do what works.

 

[frankc420]

Slide the tank down a 4-6 inches and if that doesn't help, try putting 1-2lbs toward the bottom of your tank (should be right above your butt), that should get your feet down...

 

[PNW Dive Girl]

I had the floating feet problem with my boot intergrated drysuit. I have small ankles and my feet would be come "lift bags". I wear Scuba Pro twin jets and I love them, buying new fins is something I'm not going to do, nor is changing the boots on my suit. $$ you know! Ankle weights have solved my problem. I guess gaiters might work too.

 

[all4scuba05]

Moving a tank further down on your back will place your hips lower in relation to your back. It does not make floaty feet less buoyant.