New tank throwing off my trim

[Tickler]

I used to dive with AL 80's and 10lbs of weight. I had very good trim and was very comfortable with that set up. I recently upgraded to some LP 108's from XS scuba. I have only dove with them once now but it felt very awkward in the water. I ditched all of my weight because of the buoyancy characteristics. I was able to sink just fine but I had my BC fairly full to keep myself neutral. I also had to fit from flipping over like a turtle on my back because the distribution of weight was much different than what I am used to. Do you guys have any advice or tips on how to counteract these symptoms?

Thanks for your advice.
Chris

 

[teknitroxdiver]

A lot of it is just practice. Turning turtle is a common tendency until you get some experience with heavy steels. Unfortunately 108s are about as heavy and negative as you can get.

 

[danvolker]

I used to dive with AL 80's and 10lbs of weight. I had very good trim and was very comfortable with that set up. I recently upgraded to some LP 108's from XS scuba. I have only dove with them once now but it felt very awkward in the water. I ditched all of my weight because of the buoyancy characteristics. I was able to sink just fine but I had my BC fairly full to keep myself neutral. I also had to fit from flipping over like a turtle on my back because the distribution of weight was much different than what I am used to. Do you guys have any advice or tips on how to counteract these symptoms?

Thanks for your advice.
Chris

Sure....go back to the 80's, and for better bottom time, use a combination of free diving fins ( much less effort in swimming --slow pace for you compared to buddies, will equal near resting heart rate and awesome sac rate)......bike ride for better aerobic power.....again less effort by you during dives.....and finally, work on the breathing techniques free divers use....most important for scuba divers is learning to push ALL the air out on the exhales, so that you use more of the air in your lungs for each ventilation cycle ( breathe in, breathe out).....most divers will breathe shallow--just with upper chest and half full lungs to full lungs--so relatively poor CO2 and O2 exchange occurs compared to the all the way out exhales free divers use.....From this, you don't breathe nearly as much on scuba---less air needs to be ventilated, as your lungs are far more efficient.

While I do see the large volume tanks for dives deeper than 100 feet if you are going to have to "work" on the dive....few dives at recreational depths could not be done well using the 80, free dive fins and good breathing technique and fitness level....

Also...if you went through a GUE Fundamentals class, you would see it is essentially impossible to hover properly with the very heavy steels....the 80 is ideal for this....for perfection in trim with more gas, many divers prefer double 80s--which are even more stable than a single ( sort of a catamaran effect).... Personally I don't like all the bother of dragging doubles around on boats that are not set up for them, so I am not actually suggesting this.

 

[Instructor_Tom]

Tickler;

Go find a pool to play in and work on adjusting the tanks placement on the BCD, as finding the perfect setup for balance is more critical with steel tanks than with Al80s.

You did not mention anything as to your configuration, so let me just say that diving steel you should be in a back inflation style BCD. This keeps the flotation wrapped around the tank and should make no difference wether you are face down and horizontal or face up and horizontal.

The only divers i have known that struggled with steel tanks where wearing jacket style BCDs and the only solution was to go to a wing style back inflation configuration.

Hope this helps

T.


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[Jim Lapenta]

Been diving steel tanks since my OW pool sessions. started with jacket bc graduated to.bpw, and now sidemount. Also used al80's when no.steels available. Made no difference in buoyancy and/or trim. Early on decided to work on buoyancy and trim and other than adjusting weights it does not matter. Singles, doubles, al or steel. It is a skills and skill practice issue and educating oneself. Not a gear problem unless it's allowed to be.

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[Hatul]

Sounds to me like that tank is not working out for you. I'd go back to the al tank.

 

[danvolker]

Singles, doubles, al or steel. It is a skills and skill practice issue and educating oneself. Not a gear problem unless it's allowed to be.

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Sorry Jim this is not exactly true.....While I agree that as long as you are swimming, the fins will EASILY stabilize you---BUT, if you try the exploration level hovering--where there is no forward or backward, and you try to be dead quiet with an absolute minimum of foot movement ( what you have to do in fundies...and potentially might find yourself doing in some wreck or cave penetrations at a restriction and when working a line.....etc) --in this situation, it is NOT skill related --the heavy steel WILL work like a big lever and roll you either left or right....
Now in all reality, this does not happen often for most divers...though many photographers will do some level of hovering, and when they slow down to near stop, the tank begins to roll them--many may not notice, as it is easy enough to correct this--but the point it...you do have to correct for it( this being the skill you speak of), and that is an issue you just don't have with the Al 80 or the old steel 72.

 

[Steve_C]

Could go to a different steel. At home I dive HP 100s with a BCD and do not have a problem but the there is some weight in the weight pockets and they are below my center of gravity. But then at home I always have a wet suit on.

A couple times when diving real warm waters with a heavy rental tank I did notice it was a bit tippy when completely stopped. I found that if I spread my legs a bit when horizontal it seemed to stabilize it well. Maybe not text book but did the job and I kept comfortably horizontal.

 

[steveb3000]

Chris,

Agree with most of the above. Particularly the BPW v. Jacket BCD (not great with doubles at all). and most of all practice. Such a massive change in your weight distribution will take some dive time to adjust to.

Stevo

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Sounds to me like that tank is not working out for you. I'd go back to the al tank.

He's only dove the new tank once. I sure wouldn't give up on it with that little effort.