Best way to work on trim - feet sinking

[Ardilla Del Mar]

Rock on.. I've learned a lot from reading the post in the thread. I'm going to the pool tomorrow to try and work out my trim.

---------- Post added November 22nd, 2013 at 06:42 PM ----------

It's very hard to evaluate without seeing how you look in the water. But you are a very similar size as my wife, so from my experience with her, I'd say (A) is probably true. My wife wears a 7mm suit PLUS a 2mm hooded vest, and yet she only uses 18lbs of weight total, with a non-technical style BC (Zeagle Scout).

For moving weight up, I'd recommend mounting weight pockets on your tank strap.

Since you're in San Diego, you should seriously consider doing an "Extreme Scuba Makeover" with UTD diving:

Extreme Scuba Makeover - Unified Team Diving

This is essentially an all-day buoyancy clinic. They will get you dialed, and work on all of your issues: A, B, and C. (They have a big stock of rental/demo gear so you could experiment with a backplate/wing BC, different fins, weight pockets, etc.)

UTD is a great resource for us San Diegans. We're lucky to have them right here in our backyard.

Thank you for the link. I'm going to defiantly try that buoyancy clinic. The more training on the basics the better.

I figured I was probably a little heavy. I'm going to test different weight configs in the pool tomorrow. Additionally, it would make sense, because even with 10lbs of trim I'm still heads up.

 

[Ardilla Del Mar]

It's very hard to evaluate without seeing how you look in the water. But you are a very similar size as my wife, so from my experience with her, I'd say (A) is probably true. My wife wears a 7mm suit PLUS a 2mm hooded vest, and yet she only uses 18lbs of weight total, with a non-technical style BC (Zeagle Scout).

For moving weight up, I'd recommend mounting weight pockets on your tank strap.

Since you're in San Diego, you should seriously consider doing an "Extreme Scuba Makeover" with UTD diving:

Extreme Scuba Makeover - Unified Team Diving

This is essentially an all-day buoyancy clinic. They will get you dialed, and work on all of your issues: A, B, and C. (They have a big stock of rental/demo gear so you could experiment with a backplate/wing BC, different fins, weight pockets, etc.)

UTD is a great resource for us San Diegans. We're lucky to have them right here in our backyard.

Thats awesome, I've heard some really good things about UTD. I'll definitely sign up for this class. Im very thankful how helpful San Diegan divers and the dive community have been with helping a new diver. I'm going to try out different weighting configs in the pool tomorrow.

*Sorry if there is a double post, I wasn't sure if the first one took.

 

[ben.mcgeever]

but it was a thought that I had about torque and the effect of a longer lever arm.

Dont forget that thought, at the end of the day the rules of physics are rarely broken. In my experience resolving trim is a mix off getting some great training ( GUE/UDT) and getting a gear configuration that works. Divers with great trim also have gear configs that work. Your center of buoyancy has to be close to your center of mass.

 

[buddhasummer]

The F2s are lighter than F1s but still heavier than other great fins that are available.

Like what for example? I have some F2s and as a pair they weigh 1.6kgs, they are pretty light. The only other fins I know that are lighter are the Aeris Accels, SP Seawing Novas and AL Hotshots. Cheers.

 

[Dive-aholic]

You just named 3.

 

[The Chairman]

Forcing myself to use lighter fins would be my very, very last option. There are many, many ways to skin that cat without sacrificing comfort for lighter fins.

Has anyone tried to help you with this? There are a lot of mentors here on ScubaBoard and they might see something really obvious that you're simply missing. Trying to self diagnose is a hit/miss proposition. Would a propulsion/trim class help? Probably, but not all of them are created equal. Like I wrote, there are a lot of mentors right here on ScubaBoard. Find one.

 

[Rick Murchison]

... I can get in pretty much any rig and trim out nicely without much effort. It doesn't matter if it's a jacket BC, BP/W, backmount, or sidemount. The key is knowing how to configure the gear so no matter what gear it is you will trim out. Even when I swapped fins out with my student a couple weeks ago and was wearing his F1s, I still maintained horizontal trim even when he couldn't...

Forcing myself to use lighter fins would be my very, very last option. There are many, many ways to skin that cat without sacrificing comfort for lighter fins... mentors here on ScubaBoard ... Find one.

It has been interesting reading folks' thoughts in this thread... NetDoc's is the very best advice here - largely because what Dive-aholic says is true.

Rick

 

[The Chairman]

NetDoc's is the very best advice here - largely because what Dive-aholic says is true.

Why, thanks Uncle Ricky! That's a nice thing to say!

 

[Doc Harry]

Actually, while I appreciate everyone's advice, I think the best way to fix trim problems is to dive more.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Actually, while I appreciate everyone's advice, I think the best way to fix trim problems is to dive more.

And that's very good advice as well!
Dive, dive, dive, and if you can do it with a good mentor you can pack more value into every dive.

Rick