Head position could affect your trim, so if you're head is too far "up" then your feet are going to be... anyone? Bueller?
Need help with horizontal trim, out of ideas
- Thread starter Lenaxia
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I had similar problems and a Scubapro Mk7 pretty much cured it. But that is a rather drastic solution that I would not recommend unless you want to try an old, very different 1st stage. In any event, start by moving 2 to 4 pounds off your belt and attach them around the neck of your tank. This is not a permanent solution of course but should give you a good feel for the direction you need to go. I would hope 2 pounds will do the trick and can't imagine more than 4. Once you get a ballpark figure, look for more suitable permanent attachment points like a channel weight or a couple pounds attached to the top of the plate.
I'm same size/weight and use same fins, wet suit and had same problem until I put a 5Lb. ankle weight around the neck of my tank...Try the other things mentioned if they don't work then try it....You can buy empty ankle weight holders and fill them to whatever works. [put the soft weights in a plastic zip bag then slide it in the ankle weight. Stops the pellets from fallig out]....
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I agree with everyone else regarding shifting some weight from your belt to your cam bands/tank valve.
In addition, the question of posture in the water is critical. You don't mention your propulsion technique, but if you are using frog kicks, your resting position should put your feet above your hips, which changes the fulcrum/pivot point of your body in comparison to holding your legs straight out behind you. If you are doing this and your knees are still sinking, perhaps you aren't arching your lower back enough. Many of my students have complained of lower back tension after working on frog kicking because of this unaccustomed position--they are used to stretching out in the water and doing flutter kicks.
In addition, the question of posture in the water is critical. You don't mention your propulsion technique, but if you are using frog kicks, your resting position should put your feet above your hips, which changes the fulcrum/pivot point of your body in comparison to holding your legs straight out behind you. If you are doing this and your knees are still sinking, perhaps you aren't arching your lower back enough. Many of my students have complained of lower back tension after working on frog kicking because of this unaccustomed position--they are used to stretching out in the water and doing flutter kicks.
I will move a couple pounds to my cam bands and see how that helps.
I am using frog kicks for my primary propulsion, both the F1's and Talon's (surprisingly) give a good amount of distance. I *feel* that I am keeping my feet high, but then again what I feel and what I do may be different, I will get video of my true posture next time I'm out, hopefully this weekend.
I am pretty comfortable with frog kicks and helicopter kicks, and moderately comfortable with back kicks to where I can effectively use them more or less reliably.
@ppo2_diver, I just tried putting my head down to see if I could possibly affect some sort of change in my trim, it'd be silly to spend the whole dive looking at the bottom and not where I'm going
Anyway, thanks guys, I'll get back with how things are as soon as I get another dive in.
Peter_C
Contributor
The issue you are having can be easily solved with a drysuit...then you won't be cold anymore. Not sure how anyone can dive a wetsuit and come up warmish after a recreational dive in Monterey? My friend in a custom Rubatex wetsuit was cold after an hour long dive to 65 feet. We were slightly chilled in our drysuits, but not even close to cold.
Once dry you can still move weight up higher if needed, but putting a little air in the feet quickly changes your trim. Of course how much you bend at the knees plays a big part in trim too. Plus once you are comfortable in your new drysuit you can take a UTD class with Don C., or step up to GUE Fundies to further your diving skills.
Once dry you can still move weight up higher if needed, but putting a little air in the feet quickly changes your trim. Of course how much you bend at the knees plays a big part in trim too. Plus once you are comfortable in your new drysuit you can take a UTD class with Don C., or step up to GUE Fundies to further your diving skills.
BabyDuck
Contributor
i don't think anyone's said this yet, so...
make *really* sure your problem is 'feet heavy' rather than 'head heavy and compensating really hard'. get kitted up, go to 20ft or so, get in position, hold your body tension, and totally stop moving. see where you rotate/turn/flip.
you may well *be* foot heavy. in that case, the above excellent advice applies. or you may be compensating for being head heavy by rotating your head up past 45degrees so you're 'balancing' on your knees almost. i've done this with new gear - you may need some of your ballast in a tail weight if this is the issue.
have fun sorting it out!
make *really* sure your problem is 'feet heavy' rather than 'head heavy and compensating really hard'. get kitted up, go to 20ft or so, get in position, hold your body tension, and totally stop moving. see where you rotate/turn/flip.
you may well *be* foot heavy. in that case, the above excellent advice applies. or you may be compensating for being head heavy by rotating your head up past 45degrees so you're 'balancing' on your knees almost. i've done this with new gear - you may need some of your ballast in a tail weight if this is the issue.
have fun sorting it out!
Do a good weight check with an experienced diver or instructor, even better would be to take a peak performance buoyancy course. My guess is that you're overweighted, fix that then your trim.
Start by getting in the water, hold your breath and let all the air out of your BC/wing. You should only sink until your eyes are just below the water line, with the water line across your forehead. Then exhale fully and you should slowly start to descend, and it should take some effort to get down the first 5 feet or so.
If your whole head goes under water and you start to descend while holding a full breath (with the wing empty), you are overweighted. Once your predive weight check is dialed in, run a tank down to 500psi and make sure you can hold your safety stop at 15 feet. With a thick wetsuit that can take some work. But try to hold it with good buoyancy control rather than more weight.
Once you complete all of the above you can work on your trim.
I dive a 7mm farmer john (yes, 14mm total over most of the body). It was a bitch to dial in proper weighting with that suit. With that suit I dive a SS BP, STA, HP100, and 6 lbs on the belt. I usually have to add a 1 lb weight to my tank valve to trim out properly. I'm 5'10, 190 lbs, I know everyone is different but I'd bet you can drop 4 lbs of weight off the belt, that alone would probably help your trim tremendously.
Start by getting in the water, hold your breath and let all the air out of your BC/wing. You should only sink until your eyes are just below the water line, with the water line across your forehead. Then exhale fully and you should slowly start to descend, and it should take some effort to get down the first 5 feet or so.
If your whole head goes under water and you start to descend while holding a full breath (with the wing empty), you are overweighted. Once your predive weight check is dialed in, run a tank down to 500psi and make sure you can hold your safety stop at 15 feet. With a thick wetsuit that can take some work. But try to hold it with good buoyancy control rather than more weight.
Once you complete all of the above you can work on your trim.
I dive a 7mm farmer john (yes, 14mm total over most of the body). It was a bitch to dial in proper weighting with that suit. With that suit I dive a SS BP, STA, HP100, and 6 lbs on the belt. I usually have to add a 1 lb weight to my tank valve to trim out properly. I'm 5'10, 190 lbs, I know everyone is different but I'd bet you can drop 4 lbs of weight off the belt, that alone would probably help your trim tremendously.
I don't know about the Zeagles, but the first two are the heaviest fins around.
OMS Slipstreams are half the weight, and DiveRite Blades are even lighter, per Edd at Cave Adventurers.
Get a friend with a bunch of ankle weights. WEIGH the ankle weights. My 1-lb ankle weights actually weigh 1.5 lbs.
Get into position in the water column, and don't move. Hold body position and list / sink as you will. Your friend could put the weights in various places until you're horizontal. That will give the best idea of where to shift weight.
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