Upside Down Diver!

[h2ofria]

I have tried diving with no weight in the trim pockets, it doesn't have much effect. My BC has two tank bands.

I eventually go completely upside down in my current configurtion.

I will try lowering the tank a bit and maybe not wearing the BC so high on my body. I usually keep the shouilder straps cinched pretty tight to keep the BC from riding up. If I can lower it without that problem it may solve the issue.

Tanks weights are another option. Thanks for the advice.

 

[TSandM]

Posture can help, too. If you tend to dive with your head down, it will tend to make you tip that way. Keeping your head up helps keep your front end up.

But nothing will help if you are truly weight-balanced so that you are heavier on top, except moving ballast. Taking some weight from your weight pockets and putting it on your ankles is an option, as is moving to a more negative fin and adding spring straps. You don't have to add a lot of ballast to your feet to fix the problem, because that weight is on the end of a long lever arm.

 

[masterof0]

I have tried diving with no weight in the trim pockets, it doesn't have much effect. My BC has two tank bands.

I eventually go completely upside down in my current configurtion.

I will try lowering the tank a bit and maybe not wearing the BC so high on my body. I usually keep the shouilder straps cinched pretty tight to keep the BC from riding up. If I can lower it without that problem it may solve the issue.

Tanks weights are another option. Thanks for the advice.

I am not sure what type of tank you are diving, but I have had the same problems. Recently I went from a HP80 (short) to a LP95 and an HP100 and the added length made a huge difference. It took enough weight away from the top half and moved it close to my center of gravity, enough so that I no longer have the "floaty feet" syndrome.

To TSandM's point, I have also made more of a concerted effort to keep my head up, which has made a difference as well

 

[fnfalman]

How about take a Peak Buoyancy class. That way an instructor can observe you and help you adjust your weight distribution.

 

[diver 85]

I have a weighty diving issue. Whenever I am hovering I gradually end up head down/fins up. Neutral bouyancy is not the issue, I can maintain the proper depth but every few minutes I have to do a tuck and roll to get back to the heads up position. This even occurs if I am relaxed while holding onto a mooring line.

I wear a Sherwood AVID BC with integrated weights, usually 12 to 14 pounds in warm saltwater. My fins are Mares and are slightly negatively bouyant. I wear a 3 Mil wetsuit in warm water. I am a male, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weigh 185 pounds. I usually use an 80 aluminum tank.

I tried using 1 pound ankle weights which helped a little and tried shifting my back weights to the front pockets, to get them lower on my body, with no effect.

Obviously I am top heavy. Anybody have any advice on how I can straighten up and fly right without so much weight on my ankles that I am constantly dragging the bottom.

I'd like to see pictures of this.......And.....on the "Obviously I am top heavy" thingy, ------breast reduction surgery???....

 

[buckybwhiplash]

I will try lowering the tank a bit and maybe not wearing the BC so high on my body. I usually keep the shouilder straps cinched pretty tight to keep the BC from riding up. If I can lower it without that problem it may solve the issue.

I had the same trouble with my first BC (Scuba Pro Knighthawk), I was also cinching down the shoulder straps too much and I would slowly end up inverted. After I loosened them up a bit, it did a lot to lower the CG of the integrated weights and straightened out my trim without having to buy a thing.

Now I have a TransPac/Rec Wing rig and have the opposite problem. Go figure.

 

[dpbishop]

Try splitting the weights between your BC and a weight belt. That will lower your center of gravity. It also makes it easier to lift the BC.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

get a backplate and wing.

 

[TSandM]

I have to admit that I don't understand why people are telling this diver, who appears to have too much weight high on his body, to get a backplate. Putting more weight up on his back may very well not improve his situation; it may make it worse. Getting an aluminum or Kydex backplate might allow him to keep his weights pretty much where they are (which is clearly not optimal).

He either needs to modify his posture significantly, or move ballast south of his center of gravity.

 

[masterof0]

That's because a BP/W is the holy grail of scuba diving...it solves all problems, doesn't it?