Why do I roll?!

[Kate in Africa]

Hello all

A question with, I hope, quite an obvious answer but I'd appreciate any help!

I don't have too much experience (a grand total of 10 dives since I got my OW 2 months ago) but I'm getting the hang of neutral buoyancy now and have no real problems adjusting my height in the water to go up and down when necessary.

The only real problem in terms of position in the water is that I can't just stop and hover motionless. When I stop finning I can tell that my position in the water is neutrally buoyant because I don't sink or float - I stay at the same level. But when I stop finning, and try to hold a good horizonal trim to look at things without moving, I start to roll over onto my back! The only way to stop it is to constantly have my arms out (which I don't want to do - I like to hold them tucked in underneath me) or fin (which again is not great if I want to stop to look at something).

I thought at first it was the positioning of my weights, but last dive I made sure that they were as evenly distributed as possible - I wear a normal weight belt and I had 2 on my sides and only one in the middle of my back. But could it be I need to move more to my front? I am not exactly flat chested (not huge though!) so could it be that the most buoyant part of me wants to float and therefore causes me to roll over onto my back?!

Whatever it is, I hope there's something I can do about it - constantly having to right yourself is very annoying when you just want to hover effortlessly like everyone else seems to!

Thanks!

K

 

[bubblemonkey]

I think it sounds like a weight issue, try moving the weights around during a dive to find out where they best suit you.

 

[GEODIVE]

You have to be patient!!!!

You will be motionless like every other experienced diver, one day with out really knowing how it happened, just keep on diivng.

Your way of breathing is an important factor , you have to be slow...and the weighting is highly important...try to move your weights as much as to the front of your waist to balance the tank weight in the back.....

I know that you may think " thanx a lot for nothing", but , trust me, you will be there soon!!!!

 

[fabasard]

Kate, I must agree with Bubblemonkey, sounds like the weights are the issue. Try with your weights MAINLY forward (IE around front, but keep the release where its supposed to be) Make certain your weights are EVENLY distributed left/right and if you have an odd weight put that at the small of your back. So if you use 13 lbs. of weights try 6 on your left hip/ 6 on your right hip (both up front) and 1 in the small of your back. My wife is NOT EXACTLY flat chested either and she has no problem with body roll due to her chest. Good luck!

 

[Kim]

Hmm....maybe shifting your weights around would help but.......what kind of BCD do you use?.....how much air is in it?

 

[TeddyDiver]

Maybe your tank is negatively bouyant. Some more information please, tank, weigths?

 

[Kate in Africa]

Hi everyone

Thanks for all the suggestions. I did try to distribute the weight evenly (exactly as you said Fabasard - I use 13lb (6kilos) and had 2.5 kilos on each hip, and 1 kilo in the small of my back), but maybe the extra 1 kilo at the back was too much with the weight of the tank as well.

The BCD was just a standard jacket style BCD - but perhaps when I dump air from the lower valve it means one side is more buoyant than the other? Usually when I'm neutrally buoyant at the bottom, there's not much air in it at all though...

Geodive, I completely get your point and thanks for the advice! I'm not expecting to be a pro after 10 dives I promise. I just want to know if, other than just getting more experience, there is anything practical I can do now to minimise this particular problem.

OK Teddydiver more info: I usually dive in a 3mm wetsuit with 13lb of weight, and seem to roll whenever - it doesn't matter if I have 200bar of air or 50bar. Tank is usually aluminium 12litre. I can't think of any other info...!

Thanks

K

 

[Kim]

What about the rest. Wetsuit thickness? Steel or Alu tank?

What I would try if it's at all possible is to borrow a back inflate system - it doesn't matter what - soft harness or hard plate. See how you feel in that.

 

[spectrum]

Try getting that weight off of your back and distributing it down the sides. Position the weights so they are as low as possible when swimming in a prone position.

In addition to the weights mass out back it may be jacking you cylinder up highder depending on you body shape, BC, cylinder length and a host of other stuff. I always rig my belts with keepers so there is nothing up on my back.

Pete

 

[Walter]

The problem is not the position of your weights. Since I've never dived with you, I can't be 100% sure, but the problem is most likely a misunderstanding on your part.

I want to to stand on a flat surface. Stand there motionless for 5 minutes. While standing there, concentrate on your legs, your feet, your shoulders, your arms........ What you'll notice is you are not motionless. You are constantly shifting weight to keep balanced. Now imaging trying the same excercise outside on a very windy day. You're even less likely to stay motionless. Now you put yourself prone in the thicker medium that is constantly in motion without a solid surface to stand on and expect to be motionless. It's not going to happen. None of the folks who claim to be motionless are motionless either. In this photo (Thanks Howard)

I appear to be motionless. I'm not. I'm doing the same thing I do when standing still on land, shifting weight to compensate for currents, waves, passing divers.......... Concentrate on you position in the water, not on being motionless - no one is motionless, no matter how much they claim otherwise.