Need help with horizontal trim, out of ideas

[Lenaxia]

Hey guys, I'm having trouble establishing horizontal trim and I am finding that I am significantly feet heavy all the time even in my full 7mm with positively buoyant fins. I find that I'm having to constantly tread water with my feet in order to maintain horizontal trim.

Here is what I dive typically, and what I have tried.

• SS 6lb BP w/ 32lbs HOG wing with an SS STA.
• 7mm full wetsuit w/ 5mm booties and 5mm gloves and 5/3 hooded vest
• 12lbs bullet weights on the belt (I will be dropping this to 10lbs on my next set of dives to see if I can drop more).
• HP100 steel tank, 7.25" diameter (I have set it as high as possible and still am feet heavy)
• 3 sets of fins: Hollis F1 Batfins (L), ScubaPro Jet Sport Fins (Blade, XL), Zeagle Talon (Blade, XL)
• No ankle weights or weights anywhere else
• I am 6'4" 220lbs with an athletic build

I dive the F1's primarily which are very negative but I used to dive the Jet Sport and Talon fins before I got the F1's and both of these fins are positively buoyant and yet I am still significantly feet heavy with them.

I have tried shifting the HP100 tank as high as I am willing to, to the point where it interferes with my ability to look up and am finding I'm still feet heavy. I do not like diving LP95's as the 8" diameter makes me very back heavy and unstable. Also AL80's make the sinking feet worse. I can't imagine an HP120 will help much.

Keeping my hands outreached in front of me and my head looking down also do not do enough to counteract my sinking feet. It helps, but not nearly enough.

I will be switching to a drysuit here soon, but I want to resolve this before I do as I can foresee this problem also occurring in the drysuit.

Any suggestions guys? I'm stumped at this point. The only thing I can think of is putting V-weights into my back plate which will leave me with practically no ditchable weight.

 

[fisheater]

Move weight from your belt to your torso. Weight plates (if it's a DSS plate) or a weighted STA or weights on your cam bands.


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[Mr Carcharodon]

Try putting 4 pounds on the top cam band. For a HP100 having 6 pounds of ditchable weight should be enough.

 

[TSandM]

Trident and XS Scuba make weight pouches you can put on your cambands. I carry six pounds up there with my LP95s and it balances me perfectly.

The other thing is to get some feedback from your buddy on your posture. If you are flexing at the hips, so that your legs drop below you, you will have a great deal of trouble staying horizontal.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I agree with what everyone else is saying. Start shifting ballast from your hips up towards your head. Weight pockets on the tank cambands (just the top one or both top & bottom) or a small ankle weight positioned on the neck of the tank can be very helpful.

I'm a little confused by your comment about attempting to "drop" more weight from your weightbelt. Are you not properly weighted? You have to determine optimal weighting, i.e., do a weight check, before experimenting with ballast distribution to promote proper static horizontal trim.

Once you get your drysuit, you'll be back to square one. It's a whole 'nother beast. Have fun with it.
FWIW, I find that my trim is much easier to control while using a drysuit. I can control the size and position of the drysuit bubble.

 

[eelnoraa]

hmm, how about your posture? Is your need band up enough? Does you arm extended or retracted? Can you have a buddy shoot some video of you and see what you look like in water? Better yet, have an experience diver look at you in water.

For the longest time, I had leg heavy issue. Tried manything, none helped. The real issue was my knee was banding as much as I thought. Once I got my knees up. I am balanced even when using a heavier pair of fins.

 

[Lenaxia]

I'm a little confused by your comment about attempting to "drop" more weight from your weightbelt. Are you not properly weighted? You have to determine optimal weighting, i.e., do a weight check, before experimenting with ballast distribution to promote proper static horizontal trim.

I'v been diving 12 lbs for a while now and am pretty confortable with it, but I feel I can probably drop another 2lbs safely, I just never tried. I think it'll help reduce some more lower body weight if I do so.

I'll definitely try to get some video of my posture. I've built a gopro rig for my trip in Hawaii but I wasn't planning on diving with it regularly out in Monterey. Maybe I'll reconsider a bit.

 

[Frosty]

lenaxia-I asked almost the same question a week ago.I was slightly out rather than out a lot-
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/advanced-scuba-discussions/389903-trim-tune-up.html
anyhoo--problem solved for me 1 kg to the tank band had me a tiny bit foot heavy horisontal. -bring the fins in and bingo

 

[DevonDiver]

Get the weighting sorted first, only then can you trim out properly. When moving weight off your belt, ensure that your rig remains 'balanced' (i.e. you can swim the rig up with the fixed weight). If not, consider what form of redundant buoyancy you will use.... you might want to switch to a drysuit.

Some notes: Scuba Buoyancy Masterclass 1of9 - Buoyancy Control for Scuba Divers -Scuba Tech Philippines

 

[iztok]

I would say that you are overweighted. With what you said you probably don't even need weights at all. But do a proper weight check first to find out.