head down attitude?

[jon m]

hey all , recently tried out my bp/wing and loved it! one problem i had was if i tried to stay very still (hover) i would slowly go feet up/head down... i actually didn't move one time and ended up inverted completley... hmmmm any advice?
if i swam(very slowly) i would stay horizontal with no feeling of wanting to "tip over" and if i was drifting forward i would be o-k , it was only when i was very still....
i know there are hardly any times when i'll be "very still" just looking for tips on perfecting my trim.... thanks!
-me

 

[Adobo]

hey all , recently tried out my bp/wing and loved it! one problem i had was if i tried to stay very still (hover) i would slowly go feet up/head down... i actually didn't move one time and ended up inverted completley... hmmmm any advice?
if i swam(very slowly) i would stay horizontal with no feeling of wanting to "tip over" and if i was drifting forward i would be o-k , it was only when i was very still....
i know there are hardly any times when i'll be "very still" just looking for tips on perfecting my trim.... thanks!
-me

Two suggestions:

1. Joe Talavera from 5thd-x wrote up a pretty detailed note on this topic. While he talks about backplates, the concepts described apply to any diver regardless of configuration. See:
http://forum.5thd-x.com/viewtopic.php?t=978

2. Join some of your "local" divers who dive using backplates and get some tips in person. Ben is organizing something for this weekend:
http://scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=172834

 

[Darnold9999]

Shift the BP/W up an inch or so on your tank would be what I would do to fix this.

Adobo beat me to it and a more complete answer.

 

[scarefaceDM]

Have a look at this. It is standard adjustments for back plate..Go to page 7/8 in the manual.

http://www.halcyon.net/manuals/Halcyon_mc-CEv02_2006.pdf

Basically you should stand wearing your rig and exposure suit. with out tank. Take your right hand and bring it over your head as if to scratch our back. Hand open, reach down comfortably to touch the top of the back plate. If you cannot touch it, it is too low. Raise it or lower it until the tip of your fingers touch the top of the plate. Once that is adjusted. run through the other adjustments while wearing your rig and exposure suit. A cold beer would ease the process alittle...

Hope this helps

 

[cool_hardware52]

hey all , recently tried out my bp/wing and loved it! one problem i had was if i tried to stay very still (hover) i would slowly go feet up/head down... i actually didn't move one time and ended up inverted completley... hmmmm any advice?
if i swam(very slowly) i would stay horizontal with no feeling of wanting to "tip over" and if i was drifting forward i would be o-k , it was only when i was very still....
i know there are hardly any times when i'll be "very still" just looking for tips on perfecting my trim.... thanks!
-me

If you have access to a big pool with a flat bottom it can be a great aid in dialing in trim, the horizontal bottom provides a reference.

First make sure you have your total weighting nailed. No sense in getting balanced out and then adding XX lbs to a weight belt for salt water etc.

If you are head heavy you can move your tank down, as long as you can still reach the valve.

Make sure you have your wing mounted as high as possible relative to the plate.

Extending your legs a bit will help also.

Being well balanced helps a bunch, but so does a bit of practice.

Good luck,

Tobin

 

[jon m]

thanks , i may have been having trouble because i'm tall (6'3") and was using a HP steel 100... it puts alot of weight up at my shoulders... maybe if i spend a little more time scuba diving instead of cyber diving i will figure it out!!! i'll try extending my legs, too...
Tobin- finally got that rig in the water, it's comfy! the short inflator hose seemed a little weird at first, but i do like how it stays right up by my cheek, so i'm not feeling around for it on my chest (with other gear) i think i'll get used to it pretty quickly!
btw- that wing had no issues lifting me ! and , if my calcs are correct, it will float my whole rig(with me not in it) easily... surprising how much extra weight i was carrying... when i got in the water with the bp/wing and steel tank iwas almost nuetral... thanks again!
-me
-me