Overweighting for better trim?

[grouchyturtle]

I dive a BP/wing. Up here where I have more weight and a heavier suit, my trim is pretty good, but...

I'm pretty short and have long legs in proportion to my torso, and also use Jetfins, which are heavy, and ad more weight to my legs. When I dove in wamer water I noticed I was kind of bottom heavy.

I went to Aruba a few months back, and was only diving a 2mm shorty. I could have dove with no weight, but left 2lbs. on my top cam strap, mainly to help with trim. Would it be ok to ad maybe another 2lbs. to the cam strap to trim me out a little better. I'd be about 4 lbs. overweighted at that point, but still only carrying 10lbs. total.

And before anyone suggests it, I already rig my tank pretty high, so moving it up more, really isn't an option.

So I guess my question is, is it ok to be a little overweighted if it improves you trim, if there really isn't any other way. If not what would you suggest I do when diving warmer water.

 

[detroit diver]

What is thte material of the backplate?

I dive a BP/wing. Up here where I have more weight and a heavier suit, my trim is pretty good, but...

I'm pretty short and have long legs in proportion to my torso, and also use Jetfins, which are heavy, and ad more weight to my legs. When I dove in wamer water I noticed I was kind of bottom heavy.

I went to Aruba a few months back, and was only diving a 2mm shorty. I could have dove with no weight, but left 2lbs. on my top cam strap, mainly to help with trim. Would it be ok to ad maybe another 2lbs. to the cam strap to trim me out a little better. I'd be about 4 lbs. overweighted at that point, but still only carrying 10lbs. total.

And before anyone suggests it, I already rig my tank pretty high, so moving it up more, really isn't an option.

So I guess my question is, is it ok to be a little overweighted if it improves you trim, if there really isn't any other way. If not what would you suggest I do when diving warmer water.

 

[Walter]

Overweighting will put your feet down and destroy your trim..

 

[Boogie711]

Sounds like you're carrying a 6lb plate or plate/sta combo. Detroit Diver nailed it - are you using a steel plate? Because if you move to aluminum and a lightweight STA, it will allow you to redistribute weight without overweighting yourself.

 

[H2Andy]

"Overweighting will put your feet down and destroy your trim.."

well, it would depend where you put the weight, wouldn't it? (unless i am missing something). if you put the weight away from your feet, it will lower your head.

i wear 6 pounds on the non-ditchable pockets of my BC and 10 pounds on the ditchable pouches (i am working to reduce as much weight as i can...this is still a work in progress). that and raising my tank gives me perfect horizontal trim.

 

[detroit diver]

Overweighting will put your feet down and destroy your trim..

That really depends on where the weight is placed, though. Too much weight on the BP will force your upper body down, and your feet up.

Take it from someone that knows this all too well! My first DIR-F class was quite embarrasing because of this (and other reasons). I was overweighted with a V-weight by over 25 lbs! Every time I tried to hold horizonal, my feet would fly up and I'd do a front flip. It was really a site to see on the video afterwards.....

 

[redacted]

I had similiar problem in WW using 1/4 inch Al BP. I added about 2 pounds to the top of my BP. Could probably stand another 2 lb but is OK until end of dive when the feet want to sink. This leaves me with only 3 lb on my belt in SW, and 5 lb negative in FW. I can swim that up so it will have to do. I guess the other option is 7mm boots - no thanks.

 

[Charlie99]

I guess the other option is 7mm boots

Or fins that aren't as negative buoyant as Jetfins.

 

[MarcHall]

I dive a BP/wing. Up here where I have more weight and a heavier suit, my trim is pretty good, but...

I'm pretty short and have long legs in proportion to my torso, and also use Jetfins, which are heavy, and ad more weight to my legs. When I dove in wamer water I noticed I was kind of bottom heavy.

I went to Aruba a few months back, and was only diving a 2mm shorty. I could have dove with no weight, but left 2lbs. on my top cam strap, mainly to help with trim. Would it be ok to ad maybe another 2lbs. to the cam strap to trim me out a little better. I'd be about 4 lbs. overweighted at that point, but still only carrying 10lbs. total.

And before anyone suggests it, I already rig my tank pretty high, so moving it up more, really isn't an option.

So I guess my question is, is it ok to be a little overweighted if it improves you trim, if there really isn't any other way. If not what would you suggest I do when diving warmer water.

I would not add weight to adjust my trim.

I would add or subtract weight to compensate for the changes
in bouyancy of the exposure suit I was wearing in different environments.

To adjust your trim you need to learn how to shift your center of gravity by adjusting the positioning of your legs.

If you can hold proper trim in colder water in the drysuit, for you in warmer water, bringing your lower legs closer to your body should help your trim. If you cannot hold proper trim
trim in your drysuit configuration then there are other things
that need to be worked on first. Without seeing you in the water, I can only go with your statement that you have pretty good trim.

Take care

Marc Hall
www.enjoythedive.com

 

[Walter]

"it would depend where you put the weight, wouldn't it?"

If a diver were an inanimate object, you'd be correct. Your trim is not determined so much by weight placement as by how you position your body. If you overweight the upper portion of your body and play inanimate object, you will sink head first. Your angle of descent will be determined by weight placement and how much you are overweighted. OTOH, divers rarely play inanimate object, they position their bodies and kick to avoid banging their heads into the bottom. An overweighted diver will angle his head up and kick down at an angle (angle determined by how overweighted he is) to move horizontally through the water. An underweighted diver will do the same with feet up to keep from floating to the surface.

"(unless i am missing something)."

Just a little.