Lots of trouble getting trim right on surface

[satwar]

Well, I'll try. Diving in cold fresh water

7mm one piece, covered by 7mm core warmer (shorty)
100 steel tank
30 lb of lead (I'm a rookie and not bad for now but can probably shed a few pounds)

Dive Rite weight pockets on both sides. Tank trim pocket on right of top cam band, left of bottom cam band. Can't wear weight belt, no hips.

Tried 20 lbs in side weight pockets (10 lb each side) and 10 lbs in tank trim pockets (5 lb each). Total disaster, always on back on surface and underwater, also head heavy and left-right yaw very unstable. Couldn't dive.

What should be the next weight distribution. I've divided 10 lbs from trim pockets into 1 lb portions. Suggestions for where they should go ?

 

[BB1]

Need to know your details as well.

Weight especially

 

[spectrum]

Dive Rite weight pockets on both sides. Tank trim pocket on right of top cam band, left of bottom cam band. Can't wear weight belt, no hips.

Tried 20 lbs in side weight pockets (10 lb each side) and 10 lbs in tank trim pockets (5 lb each). Total disaster, always on back on surface and underwater, also head heavy and left-right yaw very unstable. Couldn't dive.

You have no hips and a weight belt will not be secure, fair enough. Your present solution puts all of your weight up in the BC along with a steel cylinder. In order to make room for all of the lead you have put a good amount up on the tank in the cam band pockets. I would expect you to be head heavy and wanting to turtle in that configuration. On top of that your BC is a heavy beast that will be miserable to handle a nightmare if you have to pass it up to someone.

Solve the hip problem with something like a DUI Weight & trim harness. The harness is like a weight belt with suspenders so you need not rely on or remain on your natural hips. Start by putting all of your weight down in in the harness. This will let you position the weight anywhere on your lower torso below your waist strap. No More head heavy. Also since the weight will hang down your side your center of gravity will be lowered, no more turtle. Get rid of the DR side pockets.

Next as you admit there is probably room to trim some of that lead away. Read this through and then do a real nice weight check at the end of your next dive.

To finesse your trim move a small amount of weight (4-6 pounds) to the cam band pockets IF you can't get what you need with the range of the weight harness.

Take your time and pay attention to detail like how high you mount your cylinder as you go through the process.

Pete

 

[fnfalman]

Yep, DUI weight harness for the no-hips people.

Also, if head heavy then mighty try some ankle weights. Ankle weights can go up to 6-lbs pair (3-lbs per ankle).

 

[satwar]

Thanks for the great link on ideas for proper weighting. Makes a lot of sense to me.

Not so sure about your conclusion to pitch the DR weight pockets. I was told by dive buddies that my swimming trim is quite good with all my lead in DR weight pockets.

The problem I'm trying to solve with tank trim pockets is achieve more comfort during surface flotation. I don't know why my instructor shifted so much weight to the tank trim pockets. Perhaps he forgot the objective. Anyway, shifting 10 lbs from my DR weigh pockets to my tank was a disaster, I think the change was too drastic. I suspect baby steps are more appropriate.

My instructor has scheduled some pool time this weekend. Hopefully we can get this straightened out. I hope he likes your technique for achieving proper weighting, because it makes a lot of sense to me and I'd like to try. My only concern is how long I can survive in a 85 F pool with 14mm neoprene.

 

[blue steal]

Hey satwar, I have the opposite problem. When I am vertical with no air in the wing, I fall over backwards. I have to lean forward maybe 30-45 degrees to keep from the backward tumble and feet up.

 

[satwar]

Hey satwar, I have the opposite problem. When I am vertical with no air in the wing, I fall over backwards. I have to lean forward maybe 30-45 degrees to keep from the backward tumble and feet up.

Well as you can see from my other post, I have this turtling problem underwater since I added a 7mm core warmer. It has been suggested to move the weigh pockets towards the front, to resolve this turtling effect.

Of course this will make my surface trim worse, but a few ideas have been posted to help reduce surface trim problems.