Suggestions on floaty feet using a dry suit?

[SNorman]

When I dive with a dry suit, I have a problem with air pooling around the ends of my legs and my feet get floaty. I'm not sure how to avoid this, since as I'm kicking with my feet air goes to the highest spot in the suit and that's my feet. Eventually they're so floaty that I have to go to a more heads-up orientation and then I can feel the air migrate to the rest of the suit, then I'm ok for a little while, then I have to do it again when my feet get floaty.

I've seen some people claim that this is a training issue (if so give me some pointers!), some suggest ankle weights (doesn't seem like a good solution to me). It seems to me wrapping something around my calves/ankles to keep too much air out would work.

What do you all do?

 

[NorthernShrinkage]

Ankle weights can help personaly im not a fan of them depending on the type of fins you are using a slightly more negative fin can also be helpful. Limiting the amount of air in the suit to compensate for the squeeze and not a lot more is another way to go.

But by looking at your # of logged dives the best advice I can give you is practice and you will find what works best for you.

 

[*dave*]

Sometimes, it's not so much about being foot light as it is about being head heavy. In either case, shifting some weight around will remedy most of the issue and body position will take you the rest of the way.

Shifting your tank position, adding a tail weight or ballast below your center of gravity can help, but body positioning can be huge. Thinks of the suit as a tube: You need to isolate and balance the bubble and this is best achieved with pronounced back arching. If your feet are floating, tip the tube so some gas moves up and makes your top end lighter till you are in balance.

Ankle weights are not the answer.

 

[ptyx]

A couple options:

• Use your drysuit for exposure protection only and your BC for buoyancy (if you're not doing that already).
• If you have rock boots or something equivalent, tie them tight. Loose boots leave room for air pockets.
• Use heavier fins (Scubapro Jet Fins seems to be popular for that). Spring straps are heavier than a regular fin strap as well.
• Move your tank and/or weights down as to move your center of gravity down.
• Use gaiters.
• Finally, try ankle weights.

From your post, I suspect that you're letting too much air in your drysuit. Having a huge bubble moving around doesn't improve your protection from the cold, and is a pain to manage. I like my drysuit with just enough air to not get a squeeze, and my air bubble where it belongs: in my wing.

 

[gcbryan]

What kind of drysuit do you have? Are the boots attached or are they socks with you using something like rock boots?

If the boots are attached perhaps they are too big. If they are way too big get better fitting ones put on. Otherwise fill up as much of the space with socks, booties, etc. Try using fin keepers to compress your boots or use gaiters.

If you are using rock boots and are still having this problem you probably have too much air in your suit.

 

[mikemill]

Take a look to make sure you are wearing enough undergarments. I am having the same problem (still learning how to dive a drysuit) and I realized that I was keeping too much air in the drysuit because I was getting cold otherwise. Added a few more layers around my chest (where i was getting cold) and it helped.

 

[mdb]

SNorman:

Here is our solution to floating feet:
Apollo Sports: Dive Gear: Drysuits: 4.0mm EX Drysuit

You are getting good advice on this thread. Proper trim and weight distribution and more practice will, most likely, solve your problem. Have lots of fun diving dry and warm.

 

[ligersandtions]

It sounds like maybe you're putting too much air in your suit and are not quite able to control it yet. It also sounds like you may be diving slightly head down (which is not normal for new divers, but not unheard of), which means all the air is going to your feet and not being distributed.

When I dive, my feet are up above the rest of my body (highest point), but I make sure to distribue air into the rest of my suit as well and trim myself out such that I am horizontal and don't have air rushing to my feet....I also don't use my drysuit as my only source of buoyancy. I use my drysuit to be comfortable and warm (i.e. I'm not squeezed and my undies are lofted) and whatever else I need to compensate for is done so with my wing.

Another thing I've found that makes the air in my feet not feel uncomfortable (or let the feet blow up enough that I could kick out of my fins) are fin keepers -- see the pic at the bottom of the link. I've heard many people say "a set of fin keepers should come with every drysuit" and I tend to agree....while I can dive fine without them, I find life much better with them

 

[Teamcasa]

Sometimes, it's not so much about being foot light as it is about being head heavy. In either case, shifting some weight around will remedy most of the issue and body position will take you the rest of the way.

Shifting your tank position, adding a tail weight or ballast below your center of gravity can help, but body positioning can be huge. Thinks of the suit as a tube: You need to isolate and balance the bubble and this is best achieved with pronounced back arching. If your feet are floating, tip the tube so some gas moves up and makes your top end lighter till you are in balance.

Dave is right and the above is good advice.

However, this is (all to common response) not right 100% of the time either.

Ankle weights are not the answer.

I use ankle weights when I videotape. They help balance the (heavy) camera out and makes my diving/videotaping easier.

 

[*dave*]

Dave is right and the above is good advice.

However, this is (all to common response) not right 100% of the time either. I use ankle weights when I videotape. They help balance the (heavy) camera out and makes my diving/videotaping easier.

Nothing wrong with that, but I don't find it necessary. If I'm working something heavy, I shift some gas to compensate.

If I was shooting a rig that was negative on a regular basis, I'd make it slightly positive. That would provide the added benefit of the camera floating to the surface if it were lost, which would make it easier to find. Why dive with a brick?