Trim Issues

[jadairiii]

An Alum 80 is tail light to begin with when it starts to empty. Issue 1. Then, your legs are a tad floaty I would bet.

To test the light legs theory, next time you dive, drop a 2 lb weight into each of your drysuit pockets an just see if this helps or completely solves the problem.

I'm not making any admissions here.....but the "weights in the pockets" trick may have helped in me passing tech cave.....

 

[Arkman]

Developing skills that will serve you for decades to come might be worth the expense of a trip somewhere to meet up with an instructor. North Florida, for example, has loads of instructors who can get you squared away.

Totally agree. I've been trying to find a place to go that will work for me. I'm done with instruction around here for now, I'm going to wait until I can get some actual good instruction.

Try diving with your arms out in front of you. This will shift your center of balance as well as allow the air in the drysuit arms to offset the lift the air in your lower legs and feet provide. Look at videos and photos of solid drysuit divers and you'll see they are nearly all in some sort of "Superman" pose or a variation of it. And if you are holding a dive flag with one hand and away from your body it might be contributing to your sideways list.

In this particual dive we didn't have a flag. There were other people diving that day so there was a flag out there. But the super man pose is a good tip. I'll try that next time.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Totally agree. I've been trying to find a place to go that will work for me. I'm done with instruction around here for now, I'm going to wait until I can get some actual good instruction.

@The Chairman , do you still do a trim and buoyancy clinic?

 

[Arkman]

An Alum 80 is tail light to begin with when it starts to empty. Issue 1. Then, your legs are a tad floaty I would bet.

To test the light legs theory, next time you dive, drop a 2 lb weight into each of your drysuit pockets an just see if this helps or completely solves the problem.

I'm not making any admissions here.....but the "weights in the pockets" trick may have helped in me passing tech cave.....

See, this is why I'm here . This is a good tip. I'm sure there are some that would say this is bad, some that would say this is ok. For me, if i try this out and it works I can try and figure out a permanent solution based on this information. Thanks for the tip!

 

[The Chairman]

I'm no longer an instructor, but I'll be glad to dive and give tips.

FWIW, I'm without power and internet post Idalia. It's hard to type on my phone.

 

[Forbin's Descent]

Have you ever checked out Steve Martin's videos at sidemounting.com? He should really change the name because it is way more than sidemounting. He has a bunch of great videos on weight and trim in different exposure suits and different tanks. He delve's into it deeper with some of his new masterclass stuff. That alone is worth the price of admission.

 

[Endler's]

Try lowering the tank, in small increments, until no longer head-heavy.

GUE Instructor Francesco Cameli explains: Diving Tips & Tricks: Perfecting your Trim

 

[The Chairman]

Try lowering the tank, in small increments, until no longer head-heavy.

That won't work with an aluminum tank in the water. The bottom floats, so the more you move it to your feet, the more it pulls your butt up. Not much, but a bit.

Take a tank band off. Thread a 2-4 pound weight on it and put it low on the tank. Adjust that back and forth to get a good adjustment. Remove the same amount of lead from your weight belt.

 

[VikingDives]

I'm with @Jim Lapenta on this one - a second set of competent eyes is the way to go. That said, it sounds like you may have some body posture issues that you don't recognise. Make sure you have your chin up. If you're looking down, you're going to go head down. Keep your head pointed straight ahead.

 

[Arkman]

That won't work with an aluminum tank in the water. The bottom floats, so the more you move it to your feet, the more it pulls your butt up. Not much, but a bit.

Take a tank band off. Thread a 2-4 pound weight on it and put it low on the tank. Adjust that back and forth to get a good adjustment. Remove the same amount of lead from your weight belt.

I wonder if this is the case. Since I don't think I had this many issues before I dove with the aluminum tank.

I'm with @Jim Lapenta on this one - a second set of competent eyes is the way to go. That said, it sounds like you may have some body posture issues that you don't recognise. Make sure you have your chin up. If you're looking down, you're going to go head down. Keep your head pointed straight ahead.

I really want to do this. I just don't trust any local instructors to do stuff like this. Maybe I'm wrong, but I have a sour taste from previous training.

I'm in the process of making a plan for some more training. I just have to wait until I can afford to travel somewhere to do it.

I am very interested in doing it more local as opposed to Florida or somewhere like that. I'll do most of my diving in cold water so I want to do training to match my conditions.