Weighting for horizontal trim

[SnorkelLA]

I'm about 6' 200lbs and not a lot of it is muscle . And I don't need ANY weight with my Mares Dragon or my BP/W in fresh water with 4mm shorty, and I can still get by with none in a full 4mm, all I have to do is get negative by getting down deep. I highly doubt you would need THAT much weight if you sink in fresh water. Being overweighted could be your issue. Do a straight up, full on baseline weight check

 

[Divejones]

i try to keep it simple, i balance weight above and below my CG (Which is around 4 inches above the small my back) and try to keep it even on either side for Roll trim, a few bad habits we gain overtime affects too. my humble submission

 

[aquaregia]

I Dive and love my aqualung dimension i3, but am having a hell of a time finding neutral horizontal trim. With a 3 mil wetsuit, 3 mil vest and hood and 3 mil shorts, I use 8 lbs in fresh water, 4-6 in salt with a shorty... I keep all of this weight in the trim pockets, have the tank shoved up so far I cant get my head all the way back and still can't keep from going feet down when neutral... Mind you, I have no trouble maintaining neutral, even at the end of the dive, but I'd like to get my trim set horizontally. I have about 30 dives under my belt and have even done a PPb course hoping to fix this... The instructor ended up just shaking his head. I do have a very low body fat percentage and am somewhat muscular. I sink like a stone and cannot float (think swimming not diving) at all in fresh water without very actively paddling or kicking. I can snorkel in salt water without a flotation device, but only horizontally... If I go vertical, I have to kick to stay up..

I use around 8lbs wearing a full 7mm suit + hood in fresh water, and I'm definitely not muscular.

You might want to consider moving that tank back down so you can get your head back properly, which will let you get your arms out in front of you easier. Just stretching out does wonders for me.

 

[Griffo]

Head right back will make more difference than the tank 2 inches further forward. Push the tank down so you can get your head all the way back. Arms out in front, and you should then use your legs to balance it out. Think of your arms and head as one side of the see-saw, and the bottom half of your legs the other.

Video will help.

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[D_B]

Your arm position will change center of buoyancy, try it

What tank are you using?
With an AL80 it goes positive later on in the dive , if it's high it will be adding to your buoyancy up top

when I had one, both me and dive buddy needed it low to counter floaty feet, which it would, for part of the dive, but at the end you could feel it (and see if close to bottom) pulling you butt high

 

[Slmason.72]

Unfortunately, I have 'sinky' feet... Even with positive buoyancy fins.

Tried some of the suggestions today...a little better,but not much. With my knees bent 90*, I end up vertical even faster. Best was arms out, one leg bent, one leg straight. No video this time...

Wonder if I'd look funny diving with pool noodles tied around my ankles?

I do think I'm going to try putting a crotch strap on my BC to see if I can get it to stay a bit lower on my body.

 

[Griffo]

I'd take a guess that you are dropping your knees. Clench your glutes real hard - as they say, try to crack a nut with your butt cheeks. If you clench them properly, its almost impossible to drop your knees. Now see what happens.


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[Slmason.72]

I've had a couple of chances to work on my buoyancy recently. I dropped an additional two lbs, now using only 6 (all in trim pockets on my cam bands) with the 3 mil full over 3 mil hooded vest and 3 mil shorts. I also shoved the tank up another couple of inches. After six dives this weekend, I think I have a permanent indention in my hood from the reg pushing into the back of my head. The good news... I found stable horizontal trim that I can hold. (at least for several minutes anyway) I still can't get my knees where I want them, I'm at about a 45 degree or less angle and go feet down when I try to get them to 90 degrees, but definitely making progress.

By the time I get this all worked out for a wetsuit and an aluminum 80, I'll be trying to learn how to do it with a drysuit. but it's so damn much fun...

 

[danpass]

I've seriously considered adding some form of ankle 'floats' for the sole purpose of stretching out, hehe. Perhaps some form of velcroing on some layers of neoprene, sort of like gaiters.

 

[TSandM]

The key to the posture is flat from shoulders TO knees. Your knees don't have to be bent 90 degrees, unless 90 degrees is where they have to be to keep you in trim. I wonder if part of the problem is that your legs could be floaty, but you're bringing them up so close to your butt that they aren't doing you any good?

Getting your arms well out in front of you may help, because they probably aren't too floaty, and might help counterbalance. Your idea of an extra camband high on the tank with trim weights isn't a bad one, either.

But I'd really, really like to see some video, because I find it really hard to believe that anybody can be THAT foot-heavy in gear as light as what you are describing.