Trim feedback lower back pain

[tarponchik]

This depends on the person. I am a curvy girl and a weightbelt will NEVER rest on my hips. Hip to waist ratio is "wrong" and will cause the weightbelt to slide to the waistsection and hang mostly in the front and annoy. (Or be uncomfortably tight on the hips limiting mobility)
I will strip weights to the plate, tankbands, thread them on the right side waistwebbing, put them in thigh pockets or boltsnap them to any d-ring suitable before I will consider a weightbelt.

I understand.

 

[dmaziuk]

@Kikabock look at where her tank is relative to where yours is. I really think that's were I'd start.

Just about everyone diving poodle jackets is wearing their tank where OP's is. There is a reason for that.

PS and I don't wear the tank where it is in your photo because my head hurts when I do.

 

[uncfnp]

My advice. Stop worrying about trim position. Relax. See what feels most natural and comfortable underwater. Try diving tilted up a bit. Switch positions during the dive. Change up kicks. Frog kick awhile then stretch out the legs and flutter kick. Occasionally hold position and bring knees to chest to stretch the back.

Holding a static trim position is uncomfortable with back issues, at least in my experience.

 

[NitroxSam]

My advice. Stop worrying about trim position. Relax. See what feels most natural and comfortable underwater. Try diving tilted up a bit. Switch positions during the dive. Change up kicks. Frog kick awhile then stretch out the legs and flutter kick. Occasionally hold position and bring knees to chest to stretch the back.

Holding a static trim position is uncomfortable with back issues, at least in my experience.

Definitely! On long dives, if my back gets a little touchy, I do knees to chest. I have found that It helps immediately.

 

[FreqFlier]

Are your fins positive, neutral, or negative?

Q+ are slightly negative

 

[DreadnoughtNH]

I have similar low back pain, particularly following multi-dive days. I also noticed similar pain when touring cities/museums (lots of slow walking/short stride). It all stemmed from very tight IT bands and quads; all those muscles join up in my low back.
My solution was IT band and quad stretching exercises, and they were a game changer. Invest in a harder foam roller and a lacrosse ball (I bring my ball on all dive trips now). Performing the exercises/stretches was super painful at first, but I noticed the pain relief almost immediately. YouTube is a great resources for techniques and exercises.

 

[crofrog]

Once I am in the water I do not care. Obviously my question referred to standing/walking on land/boat.

where the weight is when standing around doesn't really matter that much though does it?

 

[tarponchik]

where the weight is when standing around doesn't really matter that much though does it?

It depends. Sometimes I have to walk half a mile in my gear.

 

[rx7diver]

... I would love feedback on my trim in trying to determine if I need to upgrade my gear to better support by back, work on my trim or just do core strength exercises. Any feedback is welcome.

@Kikabock,

Your trim/attitude look very good to me.

I wear a weight belt (whether I'm wearing my non-weight-integrated Scubapro Stab Jacket BC or my BP/W). If I wear the belt around my waist (across the small of my back), my lower back will ache--even with way less than 18 lbs on the belt. If I wear the belt lower, around my hips, then I experience NO back pain. Okay, I don't know how your integrated weights make your BC and/or your BC waist strap pull across your lower back, but maybe those 18 lbs are causing your BC and/or BC waist strap to somehow put a lot of pressure on your lower back.

rx7diver

 

[amado_sarhan]

View attachment 819639View attachment 819640View attachment 819641View attachment 819642I’m a recreational warm water diver 1 tank and use a scubapro go bcd with integrated weights. I have chronic lower back pain and this recent trip to Bonaire was tough. I do shore dives but valet style with husband carrying my gear into the water and I gear up there (lucky me). I would love feedback on my trim in trying to determine if I need to upgrade my gear to better support by back, work on my trim or just do core strength exercises. Any feedback is welcome.

I think your trim looks good! If I can suggest something that's difficult to assess from the pictures: once you establish neutral buoyancy, stop propelling and try to hover in your place to see which points of your body are weighing you down while trying to align your shoulders (open up your arms), thighs, and knees. This is something you can do on your own. The picture below demonstrates the above.

You can achieve good trim with a jacket BCD; it's all about how you are weighted and your buoyancy. However, a wing and backplate will surely allow you to better fintune your trim and buoyancy control. A jacket is a bit more difficult to control, and the drag is higher.

Finally, I recommend you have a good instructor accompany you underwater, observe, and correct. There is quite a limitation to what you can receive online (have a look at the video below for info, but it's not something you can learn by watching alone).

You can also enrol in a foundational course: GUE Fundamentals, UTD Fundamentals, IANTD Essentials or TDI Intro to Tech (not actually tech diving); I think it will benefit your overall trim and propulsion techniques, help streamline your equipment configuration and improve your basic skill set. Keep diving forever