Whats with ankle weights?

[elan]

elan, that's clever; looks like you custom fabricated that weight? Making something like that would probably do it, but I don't want to solve the problem that much

thanks, yeah it was our project for the last Saturday while our wives were chatting . I had no choice as with both of my sets I felt head heavy. And after making those weights I feel very balanced, even with a full AL80 stage pushing down on the rings, before that I could marginally balance HP10O but placing a stage would through me off. So we made 4lb for HP100, 10lb for LP72 and 8 for my friend's LP85, now we are all happy

if you have some friends who can do that weight for you you can place your tanks back in business

 

[Peter Guy]

if you have some friends who can do that weight for you you can place your tanks back in business

Those are MY tanks, not hers! And I do trim out exactly like I want!

 

[elan]

Those are MY tanks, not hers! And I do trim out exactly like I want!

 

[Herk_Man]

The sequence I seem to see is ankle weights to gaiters to Jet fins

AHA! So there it is. Jet fins = ankle weights. (just messin with ya borg queen)

 

[oldflounder]

I read this thread a couple weeks ago. I have used 1.5 ankle weights since I first started diving 1 1/2 years ago [less than 100 dives mostly in ocean] because I couldn't seem to keep my lower half down. After reading the article about what a whuss I am for wearing them I thought I would give it a try without them. I use the old heavy Scubapro jetfins and thought maybe these might allow me to loose the weights after reading the talk here. I dive wet and my large belly makes me a little topheavy. I didn't wear them today. What a noticeable difference!! I was once again fighting most of the dive to keep my legs level behind me. I do most of my diving less than 30' and that may have something to do with it. They are definately going back on next weekend.... signed by a whuss and proud of it if it helps me to dive comfortably.

 

[Scubadew1]

When I buy a new wetsuit. Fresh, uncompressed neoprene floats nicely, and my butt is big... Also I dive full foot fins - volo race - that are light. Works great for me, which is what matters. After the suit gets a little wear, then I drop the ankle weights.

Deb

 

[scubabooty]

Way too many people use ankle weights as a crutch to keep their feet down out of fear of having a feet first ascent. They don't realize how important proper weighting is to proper and effective use of the drysuit. We teach our students from the start not to use ankle weights and to manage the air in their suit to get good trim. I need a bit of air in my boots to keep my feet up and my body horizonatal. If I end up looking down on something and my feet go up, when I am done looking, a quick tweek gets the air out of my feet and my trim back to horizontal. That does not mean we do not have ankle weights handy for those students who do need them. Not everyone is built the same and sometimes body composition dictates a bit of weight needed on the ankles. There is a time and place for everything. We just wait until they are actually needed before we use them.

We dive frequently with divers who have lots n lots of dives and still use ankle weights. When we stop to look at something, all of them drop their legs and end up kneeling on the bottom disturbing the sand (or herring spawn, yuk) while we hover off the bottom. That is they way they were taught, have always dove, and are therefore comfortable with. Each to his own.

I think there is definitely a difference in the need for ankle weights between diving a suit with built in boots vs a suit with socks and rock boots. I have been in both and can see where those who are not great at managing the air in their boots might feel more of a need to put on a bit of weight on the ankles. I like a bit of air in my boots as it helps keep my body horizontal, but then I am quite comfortable moving my body slightly as needed to reposition the air.

One thing that really helped me with my trim is switching from a weight belt to a weight harness. I use the DUI harness and have it positioned down on my hips rather than up around my waist. When I changed my fins from heavy jet fins to light Manataray fins, I adjusted the harness down a bit to compensate for the weight and am able to keep my trim good.

Just my 2cents worth.

 

[Cave Diver]

Yes, they are LP72s, and I don't know how I'd put ten pounds off the end of the tanks.

Lead tank boots.

 

[noreastDIVER84]

I am a ankle weight diver, and have needed them even when not diving a drysuit. Whether I am in a drysuit or a wetsuit I have buoyant feet. I don't find that the ankle weights keep air from going to my feet in the drysuit. I do however keep minimal air in my drysuit and haven't had an issue of air in the feet unless I am intentionally doing it.

 

[dhuskins]

A certain local dive shop seems to sell ankle weights to every new drysuit diver that comes through their door. We see them at the local dive sites and as soon as they gear up I know where they shop just by the uniform.
I get that they need to sell poodle jackets and split fins to pay the bills but c'mon does every diver really need to use ankle weights?
I followed a couple of those roto-tillers out at the dive site this weekend and was shocked by the effect these guys had on the vis.
Do us all a favor and lose the ankle weights, a quick look behind you should tell you if you need them or not.

Before you pronounce your unilateral hatred of ankle weights, realize there is a place for them.

My wife and I are dry suit divers. We have custom-made dry suits and only inflate them to the point of lofting the undergarments. Always have. Always will.

My wife's body type makes her center of gravity much higher up than me. We struggled with getting her trim to be horizontal and tried all kinds of things including different BCs and different weight layouts. It turns out that one pound ankle weights moves her center of balance to the point that she doesn't have to have a ton of extra weight on her waist.

The further the weight is from the center of balance, the more effective it is in moving that center point. Distance has more effect than weight. The formula we use for stability in archery is distance squared times weight. Experience with scuba shows that there are too many other factors underwater, but the theory still holds that distance from the center is more important than the quantity of weight.

Should EVERY dry suit diver wear ankle weights? No. No more than EVERY dry suit diver should not wear them.