Trimming dive posture/weight position

[300bar]

Sure thing--will try the approaches suggested and get some pics on Sunday. Thanks for all the feedback. I'm a little grumpy that my Peak Performance Buoyancy instructor didn't mention tank position at all for fine tuning. Maybe the course manual did, but I don't recall it.

Problem here,could be that divers diving with one setup tend to forget those "little"things.
Or you have a very young instructor,lacking the experiance.
It's not in the book(PADI) as far as I've seen.
But experimenting got us all a LOOOONG way.

Have FUN, dive safe

 

[spectrum]

Thanks everyone for the great (and quick) replies. I'll pick up a weight harness before the weekend and see if it helps--I've tried belts before and had to keep adjusting them every 5 minutes due to lack of a waistline.

Yup, that makes you a harness candidate. The beauty of the harness is that you can carry the weight in a wide range of places, not just at your hips. It also keeps the weight down to the sides which lowers your center of gravity for more stability.

You are taking charge of your configuration with your eyes wide open I have no doubt that you will do well.

Pete

 

[Nemrod]

I'm finishing up a peak performance bouyancy class, and my general bouyancy control is really good. However, whenever I am just hovering, I either go feet-down or feet-up depending on whether I'm wearing ankle weights (I've tried no weight, 1 lb, and 2 lb ankle weights). My gut feeling is that the ankle weights are just offsetting a greater imbalance in my other weight placement. I'm heading out to do the open water portion of the class this weekend, and I'd prefer not to have to do my hover upside-down like I did in the pool.

I'd like to get to the point where regardless of the position I hover in (skydive, feet up, or feet down), I stay that way with no finning. Here's info about me:

- Dive mostly cold saltwater in a 7mm wetsuit with hood
- Carry 32lbs of shot weight distributed with 5lbs each in two trim pockets between my back and tank, and the remainder in integrated pockets in my Aeris Atmos LX.
- When using ankle weights, I remove the offsetting weight from the integrated pockets
- I dive a steel HP80 that is about 2lbs negative
- Fins are very slightly negative Oceanic V-16
- Overweight (working on that), but with virtually all fat in the midsection. Legs are lean from training for 10k runs the past 6 months and the rest is slowly following.

I've read some material related to DIR philosophy on weighting, and maybe will look into backplates with weight set close to the center of the wing in my next set of gear, but I want to find a way to make my current gear last me for a while. Any help is appreciated!

In my 7mm suit with two hoods, boots, gloves, and 3mm short and vest under, I use 16 pounds fresh and 18 salt with an aluminum 80. You are over weighted.

I put two pounds in each camband pocket on my Oxy Mach V and the rest on a belt.

N

 

[Greendiver]

mikemath, thanks for asking this question. I am currently working the trim issue out for myself only I'm feet down. I enjoy learning of all the options available.

 

[Mayor]

32lbs does sound like a lot. Do a weight check with your AL80 at 500psi. See if you can hold a 10 foot stop. You also might want to look into steel tanks.

 

[Teamcasa]

You are over weighted.

Just how did you come to that conclusion? Do you know this guy? You know how big he is? What if he weighs 260lbs? What if ....?

Simplistic answers based on some sort of self comparision mean nothing.

 

[Nemrod]

Just how did you come to that conclusion? Do you know this guy? You know how big he is? What if he weighs 260lbs? What if ....?

Simplistic answers based on some sort of self comparision mean nothing.

How do you know he isn't, he is having the problem, not me. I will stick with what I said and if you don't like it too bad. If I were the OP I would evaluate my total weight as well as the distribution of that weight.

Just because he took some "Peak Buoyancy" course also means absolutely nothing, maybe he should get his money back.

N

 

[Ben_ca]

I would ditch the HP 80.... Very hard to trim out in that tank... Short and stuby

A longer tank would spread out the weight over the length of your back...

Not saying it can't be done but it's just way harder than it should be...

 

[scubadiver888]

32lbs does sound like a lot. Do a weight check with your AL80 at 500psi. See if you can hold a 10 foot stop. You also might want to look into steel tanks.

As Teamcasa points out, how much lead you need is different for different people. I am not a small guy (6'0" and 240 lbs.). I could afford to lose a couple of inches off my waist (37").

Mikemath is using steel cylinders already. I would guess his HP80 is adding 5 lbs. over an AL80.

I wore 36 lbs. with 7mm suit, hood, gloves and a 7mm tunic (14mm on the core) and an AL80.

He is wearing 32 lbs., a steel cylinder and only 7mm on the core. Does seem a tad bit heavy but again, don't know what his build is like.

 

[Nemrod]

He is wearing 32 lbs., a steel cylinder and only 7mm on the core. Does seem a tad bit heavy but again, don't know what his build is like.

OK, that is three people who think he may be over weighted. He may indeed need more than 16 pounds but given the steel tanks and other equipment he seems a tad over possibly.

Frankly, to the OP, take your stuff to a pool---by yourself---and play around until you get close to what you like. Internet help is great but each person is a unique critter and in the end only you can get it right.

You will probably never get a perfect balance where you remain static/fixed in any given position over the course of a dive, learn to use your lungs to act as an auxiliary balance/BC, learn to move your legs in (up, bend at knee) or extend them to act as a pendulum to help adjust your center of gravity. Your arms as well, crossing them under your chest or moving the out front, crossed or even held along your side will also alter your balance/center of buoyancy. BTW, resist the tendency to use your arms and hands to swim and maneuver, do it all with your legs and fins.

These guys dismiss what I say, I have been a continuously active diver with hundreds and hundreds of dives for over 40 years, I might know a few tricks beyond what you learned in your Peak Buoyancy course. Remove every bit of weight you don't need, over weighting only compounds and magnifies other problems.

Good luck, hope you get it worked out to YOUR satisfaction.

N