Whats with ankle weights?

[elan]

I use ankle weights with my drysuit and I don't care what any of you think

Basically I have tried a lot of things to reduce my need to wear ankle weights but it is the only way I can achieve good trim (and I do have good trim with them). I have my tanks low as possible (but still so I can reach valve), tail weight, gaiters, my weighting is correct, etc etc. I am both foot light as well as head heavy in twins (100cf, with other twins such as 85cf and ~70cf it is much worse). In single tank, I can dive without them but it is infinitely more comfortable with ankle weights as my trim suffers and my air consumption is higher. Whether or not I use my drysuit for buoyancy doesn't seem to matter. Gaiters reduce the amount of weight I wear on my ankles though.

I have also had three instructors (two of them are technical instructors too) tell me 'ha! I can help you get rid of your ankle weights, no worries' and each one has failed. The conclusion was that I could probably get rid of them if I switch from a neoprene drysuit to a membrane one, but yea I don't really feel like buying a completely new drysuit, just to get rid of ankle weights.

Everyone made fun of me on my cavern course including a lot of cave divers who were staying at the same place but I don't care as I have good trim!

Some people need them, but not as many as currently wear them.

Depending on your height the HP100 can be too short. For women it's a bit different as well as their bodies are built differently, men would have wider thus more buoyant shoulders but women are more butt/hips buoyant I find the LP85 and LP72s are better as they are longer and you can put the required weight all the way to the butt to help with head heaviness. I feel more head heavy with HP100

 

[Sas]

Depending on your height the HP100 can be too short. For women it's a bit different as well as their bodies are built differently, men would have wider thus more buoyant shoulders but women are more butt buoyant I find the LP85 and LP72s are better as they are longer and you can put the required weight all the way to the butt to help with head heaviness. I feel more head heavy with HP100

No, these are long tanks, 85cf are shorter. Our tanks have different specifications over here, for example, there is no HP v LP. You get 232 bar tanks or 300bar tanks. I have 232bar Faber 12L.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I use ankle weights with my drysuit and I don't care what any of you think

Basically I have tried a lot of things to reduce my need to wear ankle weights but it is the only way I can achieve good trim (and I do have good trim with them). I have my tanks low as possible (but still so I can reach valve), tail weight, gaiters, my weighting is correct, etc etc. I am both foot light as well as head heavy in twins (100cf, with other twins such as 85cf and ~70cf it is much worse). In single tank, I can dive without them but it is infinitely more comfortable with ankle weights as my trim suffers and my air consumption is higher. Whether or not I use my drysuit for buoyancy doesn't seem to matter. Gaiters reduce the amount of weight I wear on my ankles though.

I have also had three instructors (two of them are technical instructors too) tell me 'ha! I can help you get rid of your ankle weights, no worries' and each one has failed. The conclusion was that I could probably get rid of them if I switch from a neoprene drysuit to a membrane one, but yea I don't really feel like buying a completely new drysuit, just to get rid of ankle weights.

Everyone made fun of me on my cavern course including a lot of cave divers who were staying at the same place but I don't care as I have good trim!

Some people need them, but not as many as currently wear them.

Yup ... I had a student who absolutely needed them. We went through all the "tricks" to get her properly trimmed without them. Nothing else worked.

Some people genuinely benefit from them ... but as you say, not as many as currently wear them.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[elan]

No, these are long tanks, 85cf are shorter. Our tanks have different specifications over here, for example, there is no HP v LP. You get 232 bar tanks or 300bar tanks. I have 232bar Faber 12L.

Got you, yeah my HP100 are only 24' long while LP85s are around 26'

 

[Sas]

Yup ... I had a student who absolutely needed them. We went through all the "tricks" to get her properly trimmed without them. Nothing else worked.

Some people genuinely benefit from them ... but as you say, not as many as currently wear them.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Hehe, my instructor for cavern spent a bunch of time watching me underwater and getting me to try various things saying I definitely wouldn't need them. I got excited as I thought I'd finally get rid of them. In the end he said 'hmm well ok get your ankle weights'. :depressed: At the end of the course, when he was giving feedback, he said my trim and buoyancy had been very good and I said 'yea thanks to my ankle weights!' and he said 'hmm let's not talk about those'.

Got you, yeah my HP100 are only 24' long while LP85s are around 26'

Ok, well I looked into this. Here HP is 300bar, LP is 232bar. I believe this is different to the US. My tanks are 24.6' long, and are the longest available barring the 18L tank which is 28' long. But there is no way I could double up twin 18L (150cf)! As it is the 12Ls are overkill for the amount of air I need but the others mess with my trim too much.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Hehe, my instructor for cavern spent a bunch of time watching me underwater and getting me to try various things saying I definitely wouldn't need them. I got excited as I thought I'd finally get rid of them. In the end he said 'hmm well ok get your ankle weights'. :depressed: At the end of the course, when he was giving feedback, he said my trim and buoyancy had been very good and I said 'yea thanks to my ankle weights!' and he said 'hmm let's not talk about those'.

Pretty much how it went with Julie (my student) ... until I met her, I was convinced that no one needed ankle weights.

I changed my mind ... now I'll allow that there's the rare exceptional person who does.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[elan]

Ok, well I looked into this. Here HP is 300bar, LP is 232bar. I believe this is different to the US. My tanks are 24.6' long, and are the longest available barring the 18L tank which is 28' long. But there is no way I could double up twin 18L (150cf)! As it is the 12Ls are overkill for the amount of air I need but the others mess with my trim too much.

We have HP - 232bar and LP 184 bar here.

 

[treasurehunter]

I use ankle weights with my drysuit. I started without them and I found there were times with high current and other situations i would have to fight to stay horizontal. i don't ever leave divers in the dust behind me because i have very good control. I just find it less work with them on. When i penetrate i sometimes need to go in verticaly head first and its just so much easier to rehorizontalise(don't know if this is acuallly a real word but sounds good) myself. Nobody tried to sell me the weight i just felt the need for them.

 

[DaleC]

I used to use ankle weights but now I don't. First, I found switching to doubles more stable, then I found switching boots helped. I initially wore Bare neoprene boots (on top of my drysuit neoprene socks) which made my feet quite bouyant even with Jets but then I switched to Converse hightops and that went away.

I like ankle weights for wrapping around the base of my camera housing though...

 

[Peter Guy]

As I've written before, ankle weights are ONLY for newbies and sissies and other low life. REAL divers use Jets and spring straps because they KNOW there's no reason to have any weight on their feet.