Floaty feet while snorkeling?

[chrispina]

My son and I are doing some laps in the pool with fins/masks/snorkels to get back in shape for our next dive trip after a year of sitting on our butts during Covid. I basically spent the whole time slapping the surface of the water with my fins. My son's experience was similar.

We are newbie divers with 10-15 dives each. I'm always super floaty and need a lot of weight without a wetsuit (5'7", 260) and I used ankle weights for the first time on my last dive and it made it a big difference. My son usually sinks like a stone (5'11", 220) and needs a lot less weight even in a wetsuit and has never had an issue with floaty feet.

So at the pool snorkeling on the surface, neither of us in a wetsuit, 3mm booties, Cressi Pro Light fins... How do we fix our floaty feet?

If ankle weights are the answer, are there adjustable ones? The ones I bought on my trip are just basic fabric tubes filled with sand/whatever and clips at the end. I would love to be able to add or remove weight as needed.

 

[dmaziuk]

If you have any kind of stretch in your ankle joints and can maintain horizontal trim, the typical diving fin will just slap the surface, as you found out. Because they have angled blades. Your options are swim fins with short & less-angled blades and/or a kickboard instead of mask & snorkel: it changes your trim to more head-up position.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Lower Leg Weights

 

[dmaziuk]

you know that's a 404?

Seriously though, it's the wrong fix, it'll just give them leg cramps. There's a reason we do laps in these: TYR Burner Fins 2.0 while holding on to these: https://www.amazon.com/Speedo-Team-Kickboard-Blue-Size/dp/B0172GZZNG

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Thanks, I fixed the link. I personally have the floaty feet syndrome and use those weights on most freedives.

 

[Jcp2]

My son and I are doing some laps in the pool with fins/masks/snorkels to get back in shape for our next dive trip after a year of sitting on our butts during Covid. I basically spent the whole time slapping the surface of the water with my fins. My son's experience was similar.

We are newbie divers with 10-15 dives each. I'm always super floaty and need a lot of weight without a wetsuit (5'7", 260) and I used ankle weights for the first time on my last dive and it made it a big difference. My son usually sinks like a stone (5'11", 220) and needs a lot less weight even in a wetsuit and has never had an issue with floaty feet.

So at the pool snorkeling on the surface, neither of us in a wetsuit, 3mm booties, Cressi Pro Light fins... How do we fix our floaty feet?

If ankle weights are the answer, are there adjustable ones? The ones I bought on my trip are just basic fabric tubes filled with sand/whatever and clips at the end. I would love to be able to add or remove weight as needed.

Instead of kicking flat on your front with fins, you might try kicking with your body at an angle, but turning your head slightly so it remains flat. That way you can get thrust on both your down kick and up kick without the fin splashing into the air. Think sidestroke but with flutter kick instead of scissor kick. You might surprise yourself at how quickly you can go. For extra speed you can extend your lower arm ahead like Superman.

 

[tarponchik]

If your ankle weights are filled with steel shot, they are really sensitive to the chlorine in pool water and will live dark stains everywhere.

 

[Marie13]

Get a kickboard off Amazon. Makes a huge difference. I used to snorkel a mile several times a week. Used the split fins I dived with at the time.

 

[chrispina]

The rec center has the kickboards. I will grab a couple pairs of short swim fins and go from there. Thanks!

 

[jadairiii]

lift your head a bit when swimming, when your head goes up, your legs go down. Later with practice you can get your legs below the water without lifting your head. It also takes core strength to shift your legs a bit deeper.

It is something that you normally have to fix with swimmers because they lift their head too much when swimming, thus sinking their legs and putting them in a poor swimming position. The flatter your body is in the water the more efficient you will be.