Mubble Bubble
Registered
I took a buoyancy class with my LDS. 7 nights in the pool with guys who know what to look for made a huge difference for me.
How to keep feet off the bottom... Very noob question.
- Thread starter temet vince
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Scuba_Noob
Contributor
Are you wearing ankle weights? That might be a big reason. You can always redistribute your weights, as has been suggested.
Also, looks like you have Jet Fins, which are negatively buoyant. I use Jet Fins without ankle weights, and it's not difficult to keep my feet from the ground.
I have a thing against fins touching the ground, as I don't want to damage any wildlife accidentally or cause massive amounts of silt. Thus, when I first started, I kept a good distance from the bottom so I could practice my buoyancy without risk of touching the bottom. Try that.
Also, looks like you have Jet Fins, which are negatively buoyant. I use Jet Fins without ankle weights, and it's not difficult to keep my feet from the ground.
I have a thing against fins touching the ground, as I don't want to damage any wildlife accidentally or cause massive amounts of silt. Thus, when I first started, I kept a good distance from the bottom so I could practice my buoyancy without risk of touching the bottom. Try that.
freewillie
Contributor
First thought is you may be little overweighted. Do a formal buoyancy check. As the link from Devn shows you might think it's your feet that are sinking but maybe it's your hips.
Other thought, those look like pretty negatively weighted fins. You could try getting thicker booties, might help offset the fins and would be cheaper than new pair fins.
Other thought, those look like pretty negatively weighted fins. You could try getting thicker booties, might help offset the fins and would be cheaper than new pair fins.
I think this is a great question that many divers, not just new divers, have. The suggestions are all good, though I am not real keen on the ankle floaties, though in a proper circumstance it is a creative solution. Adjusting tank position, change to less negative fins, and adjusting weight location will all help, but I think the clearest issue is proper weighting. If you are over weighted, you will need more air in your BC for neutral buoyancy, and that air will have a tendency to "stand you up." So on your next dive, do a weight check at the surface and eliminate excess weight while retaining enough weight to allow an easy descent and to hold a good safety stop hover at the end of the dive. The less air in your bc, the less tendency there will be for you to be "shoved" into a vertical position. As you practice both buoyancy and position control, play with headstand hovers. It's a good position for looking in cracks and crevices, and an essential one for good photographers. I am sure that the problem will be resolved as you apply all the good suggestions people have offered, but proper weighting will be the key to resolving the situation.
DivemasterDennis
DivemasterDennis
Swim with your head down and I assure you that your fins will not touch the bottom 
It's actually not a joke. Horizontal often feels like you are swimming head down of you are used to swimming with your head up.
Here is an exercise that's worth considering. While in the head down position try stacking small rocks while you hover in the water column (no finning!) Once you are good at that task you will have mastered neutral buoyancy. Now you can do the same thing in a horizontal position. If you notice your feet start to drop just go back into the head down position. You will eventually learn to balance yourself using the bend in your neck, the flex of your knees, and the arch of your back. If you have proper weight distribution you won't have to contort your body as much to achieve balance but I'm able to hover horizontally in rigs without proper weight distribution just by varying my body position. Take the time to get the total amount of weight right (so much depends on it- including your safety) but I recommend you learn buoyancy and balance by feel before messing around too much with weight distribution.
The keys to not disturbing the bottom are
0. Proper attitude (the first step is to give a damn- which you do- kudos to you).
1. Neutral buoyancy (the sine qua non of good diving)
2. Body position (angle of head, bend of knees, arch of back, etc, needed to maintain desired position)
3. Propulsion technqiues (if you are close to a silty bottom the flutter kick will kick up all kinds of stuff)
It's actually not a joke. Horizontal often feels like you are swimming head down of you are used to swimming with your head up.
Here is an exercise that's worth considering. While in the head down position try stacking small rocks while you hover in the water column (no finning!) Once you are good at that task you will have mastered neutral buoyancy. Now you can do the same thing in a horizontal position. If you notice your feet start to drop just go back into the head down position. You will eventually learn to balance yourself using the bend in your neck, the flex of your knees, and the arch of your back. If you have proper weight distribution you won't have to contort your body as much to achieve balance but I'm able to hover horizontally in rigs without proper weight distribution just by varying my body position. Take the time to get the total amount of weight right (so much depends on it- including your safety) but I recommend you learn buoyancy and balance by feel before messing around too much with weight distribution.
The keys to not disturbing the bottom are
0. Proper attitude (the first step is to give a damn- which you do- kudos to you).
1. Neutral buoyancy (the sine qua non of good diving)
2. Body position (angle of head, bend of knees, arch of back, etc, needed to maintain desired position)
3. Propulsion technqiues (if you are close to a silty bottom the flutter kick will kick up all kinds of stuff)
The simplest thing to do maybe to just adjust the position of the tank. I've seen in several situation that a person has the tank adjusted a little too low and it drags their feet down or too high and it pushes them down head first. I'd try moving the tank up just a little bit.
RonFrank
Contributor
I see the problem, way too much talc is messing you up!
OP
temet vince
Contributor
Wheh! Lot's of good info.
As Scuba_Noob said, I'm just going to have to stay up off the bottom further until I get this sorted out.
-I'm not wearing ankle weights, so that's not the problem.
-I can't move my tank any higher or it smacks me in the back of the head. So the tank isn't too low I don't think, but I'll pay close attention next time to make sure.
-My fins are negatively buoyant, but Scuba_Noob has fins similar to mine (jet fins vs rocket fins) and doesn't experience a sinking problem, so the fins shouldn't be the issue.
-Freewillie recommended thicker booties. A possible solution, although probably not the problem.
That leaves two major (ie probable) causes:
1. Weighting
2. Buoyancy/Trim
1. I don't think I'm over weighted by only using 4 lbs with a 5mm wetsuit, but it is still a possibility. I am using an aluminum tank, so I'm not really sure how I'm getting away with so little weight. Is that amount of weight normal?
2.
-Buoyancy: Perhaps my buoyancy sucks. As a noob diver, this is a definite possibility. Also, as freewillie mentioned, perhaps my hips are sinking and I am mistakenly believing it's only my feet.
-Trim: Even more likely is that my trim is horrendous. If I think I am horizontally level but I really have my head up and my feet down, then it's no wonder my feet will continue to sink, especially if I am over weighted and have too much air in my bcd. I suspect that this is the problem.
In summary:
My opinion is that my trim is horrible and this is complicated by possibly being over weighted.
In addition I should:
-Pick my feet up more by bending my knees
-Try the exercises mentioned by Insta-Gator, Jaydubya and DivemasterDennis.
-Move some of my ditchable weight to the top of my back plate or tank.
-Position my tank more forward towards my head if possible.
None of these mentions the steps in the articles provided by DevonDiver, as I haven't finished them yet. I will finish them I promise!
In addition to those names already mentioned in this post, thank you Chris Horn, Bratface, irishsquid, =C=, RonFrank, TMHeimer, Mubble Bubble, and bwbake for your wonderful advice and participation. It was very helpful. Most of it was incorporated into this post in various locations.
It is unfortunate that I will not be diving anytime in the near future to update you all on how it goes, and I don't want to necropost when I do get to dive. But I'm sure there is a solution here on these 2 pages, and I will find it! Thank you.
As Scuba_Noob said, I'm just going to have to stay up off the bottom further until I get this sorted out.
-I'm not wearing ankle weights, so that's not the problem.
-I can't move my tank any higher or it smacks me in the back of the head. So the tank isn't too low I don't think, but I'll pay close attention next time to make sure.
-My fins are negatively buoyant, but Scuba_Noob has fins similar to mine (jet fins vs rocket fins) and doesn't experience a sinking problem, so the fins shouldn't be the issue.
-Freewillie recommended thicker booties. A possible solution, although probably not the problem.
That leaves two major (ie probable) causes:
1. Weighting
2. Buoyancy/Trim
1. I don't think I'm over weighted by only using 4 lbs with a 5mm wetsuit, but it is still a possibility. I am using an aluminum tank, so I'm not really sure how I'm getting away with so little weight. Is that amount of weight normal?
2.
-Buoyancy: Perhaps my buoyancy sucks. As a noob diver, this is a definite possibility. Also, as freewillie mentioned, perhaps my hips are sinking and I am mistakenly believing it's only my feet.
-Trim: Even more likely is that my trim is horrendous. If I think I am horizontally level but I really have my head up and my feet down, then it's no wonder my feet will continue to sink, especially if I am over weighted and have too much air in my bcd. I suspect that this is the problem.
In summary:
My opinion is that my trim is horrible and this is complicated by possibly being over weighted.
In addition I should:
-Pick my feet up more by bending my knees
-Try the exercises mentioned by Insta-Gator, Jaydubya and DivemasterDennis.
-Move some of my ditchable weight to the top of my back plate or tank.
-Position my tank more forward towards my head if possible.
None of these mentions the steps in the articles provided by DevonDiver, as I haven't finished them yet. I will finish them I promise!
In addition to those names already mentioned in this post, thank you Chris Horn, Bratface, irishsquid, =C=, RonFrank, TMHeimer, Mubble Bubble, and bwbake for your wonderful advice and participation. It was very helpful. Most of it was incorporated into this post in various locations.
It is unfortunate that I will not be diving anytime in the near future to update you all on how it goes, and I don't want to necropost when I do get to dive. But I'm sure there is a solution here on these 2 pages, and I will find it! Thank you.
Last edited:
CamG
Contributor
Greetings Vince great ideas posted so far all I would add is to relax and commit to mastering your weighting / trim.
Plan a day to get it nailed down, if you need a DM or mentor to help seek one out.
What you will find is that once you are weighted spot on this means you can be horizontal motionless in trim.
I would go to the pool first and make a day of it working on different options to find the best for your body size / gear configuration.
I have helped others and do this myself when I am working with a new configuration.
It makes for great winter activity when our waters freeze I head indoors to work on new things!
Used to think about ice diving now I go to north FL caving, so much warmer!
Good luck with your task and do not be afraid to ask for help.
Great divers are not born but made through training and a commitment to excellence.
CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!
Plan a day to get it nailed down, if you need a DM or mentor to help seek one out.
What you will find is that once you are weighted spot on this means you can be horizontal motionless in trim.
I would go to the pool first and make a day of it working on different options to find the best for your body size / gear configuration.
I have helped others and do this myself when I am working with a new configuration.
It makes for great winter activity when our waters freeze I head indoors to work on new things!
Used to think about ice diving now I go to north FL caving, so much warmer!
Good luck with your task and do not be afraid to ask for help.
Great divers are not born but made through training and a commitment to excellence.
CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!
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