Trim

[BRANDY]

Im having trim problems and figured the best place to post would be with you dir guys and girls. Problem is lead feet.Im 6'5' 250lbs athletic build.I usually dive a 3mm wetsuit,AL80 and sherwood bcd. In fresh water I use 10lbs of lead in the integrated belt or pockets whatever you call them ,this was fine when I weighed 220lbs but I started weight training and I cant get level anymore.I like my bcd and would prefer to keep it. I tryied moving 6lbs to the top weight pockets(My bcd has trim pockets higher up kinda at the back of my ribs closer to my shoulder) And it diddnt help.Is Tank placement a factor or will going to steel the answer.Maybe I will get some of those kids pool floaties and put on ankels(just kiddin).Ive heard of tank weights but I think there for the bottom of tank.Help Please

 

[divinginn]

try moving the tank up higher,play with it and see if it helps.

 

[jeckyll]

Brandy: This probably isn't a DIR specific question and I'm pretty sure that the DIR folks aren't the only ones who can trim out, though some might disagree

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

Have you tried doing a weight check since you started working out? It's possible that 10 lbs is too much for you now, which could be causing your hips to drop if you are wearing the weight around your waist.

I would do a weight check first before making any other adjustments. Use your normal gear config, with 500 PSI or so in the tank, in shallow water (i.e. less than 10 feet - a shallow swimming pool is ideal for this). For the weight check, you don't need to worry about trim or body position or any of that stuff - all you're interested in is finding the minimum amount of weight that allows you to sink. Make sure you have a buddy with you when you do this (mainly for safety - 500 PSI is not much gas).

Once you get the weight dialed in, then you can see where that leaves you with respect to your trim. Note that you can do quite a bit of adjustment just with your leg position, and especially so given your height. Make sure you are in a good horizontal trim, and then see what happens as you adjust your leg position. Work your legs from fully extended to fully bent. Your buddy can keep an eye out and let you know how that affects your body position - even better is to try and borrow an U/W video setup so you can see it yourself.

Regarding your BC - you didn't mention what specific type you had, but most jacket styles are harder to trim out than backplate and wings. Air tends to collect in the shoulders of the jacket, especially if you are over-weighted (which I am suspecting you are). Try to borrow a BP/W if you can, and see if that helps any.

 

[H2Andy]

Brandy: the tank suggestion was a good one. i'd start there.

the weight check is an excellent suggestion. try to dive with as little weight as possible.

move the BCD down on the tank so the tank rides higher over your neck. be careful at first, you are not used to having the valve so high and may whap yourself on the head.
you get used to it fast

also, be consicious of lowering your head. if you lower your head, your feet will go up.
try to consciously assume a slightly head-down attitude so that your feet will be riding higher.

if that doesn't work by itself, try taking some weight from your belt/pockets and puting it higher up. you can buy two weight pockets and put them on the top tank strap and put some weight there

 

[divemaster_jim]

Brandy: the tank suggestion was a good one. i'd start there.

the weight check is an excellent suggestion. try to dive with as little weight as possible.

move the BCD down on the tank so the tank rides higher over your neck. be careful at first, you are not used to having the valve so high and may whap yourself on the head.
you get used to it fast

also, be consicious of lowering your head. if you lower your head, your feet will go up.
try to consciously assume a slightly head-down attitude so that your feet will be riding higher.

if that doesn't work by itself, try taking some weight from your belt/pockets and puting it higher up. you can buy two weight pockets and put them on the top tank strap and put some weight there

One thing not mentioned is that muscle weighs more than fat.
hey H2Andy, sorry for stealing your post.

 

[TSandM]

Al80s tend to get butt-floaty as they get empty, so they should be helping you with this problem, rather than hurting.

I'm with everybody else . . . Do a weight check and make sure you're properly weighted, then get yourself horizontal and really flat, with your knees bent, and try to hover and see what happens. Low feet can be low knees, or legs extended too far, or too much weight low on the body. Also, extending your arms out in front of you weights the front of your body, too.

 

[BRANDY]

It seems moving the tank up would make it worse because the AL80 floats.Or am I thinking of this wrong. So moving it higher in the straps will bring my feet up?

 

[H2Andy]

It seems moving the tank up would make it worse because the AL80 floats.

it took me a few seconds to see what you were saying

don't worry about this. you are using the AL tank for weight, and the more weight you have forward of your center of gravity, the more your feet will be pushed up

towards the end of the dive, the AL tank will get light and it will tend to float "butt up"
so that will help too. in fact, towards the end of the dive you may end up with much too floaty feet.

 

[BRANDY]

Maybe going to steel tanks will help,arent they neg at the end of dive? ive never used steel.Oh I just weighed and I now weigh 257lbs. It just seems to me after moving weight around today that I need a lead neckless or some lead braclets