Please help me~~ rotating upside down under water; Might Apollo Bio Fins help?

[pork]

Hello,

My hubby created an account for me so that I can ask your advice! :blinking:

I am 5'4", 103lb. I am struggling with the problem of my feet pulling upward. The force is ridiculously strong so that it's impossible for me to just rest with my legs stretched out under water, and I have to constantly fight against it. Because my feet are pulling upward so strong, my knees are always bent uncontrollably --- 90 degree if my torso is maintaining a horizontal position, and even more bent if I want to stay upright. I have to constantly kick some water so that I do not completely rotate upside down.

I am using the following gear: 5mm new wetsuit, Aqualung Pearl BCD XS (fits me wide but very short), and 5mm boots, slightly negatively buoyant fins.

I tried to move some weights down by installing half of the weights at the bottom of the tank (using a weight belt strap). This helps to some degree in that at least my torso stops rotating, but my feet still want to go up and my knees are helplessly bent upward.

I did not have this problem when i was renting all the gear, which included very used-up wetsuit (possibly only 3mm) and no boots (bare foot). I'm thinking that with the brand new 5mm wetsuit and 5mm boots, my calves and feet do not have enough mass to compensate for the buoyancy.

I am concerned about ankle weights, as I am not a good swimmer, and I am already struggling with my current fins (Aqualung Express ADJ) --- I get tired easily.

The cheap small rental fins were so much easier to swim with, but they work only with barefoot, and I really want to wear boots now as I am diving deeper and in colder water now.

Instead, I'm thinking maybe I will change my fins to something heavier ---- like Apollo Bio Fins. These would be as if I am wearing some ankle weights, but they are split fins, so they're supposedly easier to swim with less effort. At least that's what online reviews seem to indicate: for example, Gear / Accessories | Scuba Diving Magazine.

Local stores don't carry them, so i'll have to order them online. Would you have any opinion or experience with Bio Fins?

I'd also appreciate any general advice on my problem that my feet are pulling upward so strong.

Thank you!

 

[TSandM]

pork, can you possibly get in a pool and have someone video you?

It's highly unlikely that your booties are pulling your feet up so hard that you can't keep them down. It IS possible that your gear is put together so that there is too much lift at the bottom of the tank, and you are tending to go head down -- but I also know from personal experience that, when I am tense, I tend to bend my knees too much and my heels end up on my butt, which makes me VERY unstable and I have to scull.

Posture is really the centerpiece of stability in the water, and until we see what your posture is, it's hard to make recommendations. I wouldn't go out and buy new fins right away, and if you are having stability problems, splits are the WORST fins to have, because they don't "bite" the water and help stabilize you.

 

[Peter_C]

^Great advice as always.

One thing I would like to comment on is the fact that you say you get tired. Have you tried frog kicking? It is a much more relaxing kick. Frog kicks work much better with a Jet type fin in other words a paddle fin not a split fin.

 

[Doc]

m,I am concerned about ankle weights, as I am not a good swimmer, and I am already struggling with my current fins (Aqualung Express ADJ) --- I get tired easily.

The suit might "wear in"offering slightly less buoyancy , but for now- ankle weights are the easy and quick fix. I don't see them really affecting the effort expended in your swimming.

Borrow a set and try it out.

 

[Glenn08]

Try ankle weights. But why are you scuba diving if you are not a good swimmer ? While surface swimming skill is not essential to scuba diving, being comfortable in the water is. Work on your swimming so that you are comfortable in the water and see if that helps also.

 

[Bopper]

Hello,
Instead, I'm thinking maybe I will change my fins to something heavier ---- like Apollo Bio Fins. These would be as if I am wearing some ankle weights, but they are split fins, so they're supposedly easier to swim with less effort. At least that's what online reviews seem to indicate: for example, Gear / Accessories | Scuba Diving Magazine.

Local stores don't carry them, so i'll have to order them online. Would you have any opinion or experience with Bio Fins?

I use Apollo Bio-Fins and I've never really noticed that they're any more negatively buoyant than any other fin, but maybe I'm just not really tuned into it. For negative buoyancy, the fins I've heard recommended were ScubaPro Twin Jet Fins. I'd bet that regular ScubaPro Jet Fins would be similar.

But I'm with TSandM. You've got something going on that *probably* can be fixed or reduced with ankle weights or heavier fins, but shouldn't be. There are "shortcuts" that people take that - unwittingly - cause them to be less-than-optimal in their diving efficiency or even worse, less than safe.

Speaking of which, I've never heard of someone putting weights on their tank w. a weight belt strap. Of course people do everything under the sun when scuba diving. But I'm wondering if that's safe. An accidental release of those weights might cause you to ascend quicker than you'd want.

 

[Doc]

Speaking of which, I've never heard of someone putting weights on their tank w. a weight belt strap. Of course people do everything under the sun when scuba diving. But I'm wondering if that's safe. An accidental release of those weights might cause you to ascend quicker than you'd want.

Generically called "keel weights". Losing them is as likely as losing any weight- ditching them is a whole different can of worms.

Ankle weights can also be added to the top of the tank by looping them around the valve stem. I've use 550 paracord and 2# lead weights. Whatever works.

There is some voodoo mathematical computation for the maximum percentage of weights that "might not be" easily ditchable. Just don't get carried away.

 

[g1138]

Body posture is everything in a near weightless environment. Apart from what others have said you may be keeping your spine neutral and looking down, this pulls your body head down which causes your feet to float up.
Your may very well be doing a somersault without knowing.

Try stretching out your spine (think tippy toeing), arcing your upper back (think stretching your arms back so your shoulder blades touch), and leaning your head back gently.

Also pork? You and your husband must have a good sense of humor. That or he's in trouble.

 

[pork]

Hi Everyone who kindly relied to my question! I will keep your concerns in mind, and try out your suggestions.

Just to clarify, I did not have _any_ of these problems when I used to rent everything. Including the fact that I was not getting tired easily either. I think I get tired quickly now because I have to constantly create the opposite force against the rotating torque (as opposed to just rest and cruise), and also because my fins are now much bigger than the cheap renting fins that were like swimming fins rather than real diving fins.

Also, even though i am relatively a newbie (about 25 dives with advance certification), i was one of the better ones (among newbies) when I was getting certified in terms of posture and control --- for example, i can control my buoyancy by breathing control, and i can swim very close to the bottom without touching the ground or creating silt. My hubby took videos of me when I was not paying attention to the video, and it looked like i maintain a good posture too (with an arched back).

Ever since I got the fancier/warmer wetsuit and boots and my own BCD, I started having problems that I did not have before. And because I still seem like under control under water, it's been very difficult to convince my husband that I am really suffering with a real problem. He still sometimes says things like maybe I should just relax, which drives me nuts,:bounce3: because if I just relax, I know i will be standing upside down in no time! well, at least he created an account for me here so that I can seek help from you : )


---------- Post added December 2nd, 2012 at 02:29 AM ----------

Also pork? You and your husband must have a good sense of humor. That or he's in trouble.

I like pork and I consider pork as compliment :banana:

 

[farsidefan1]

Were your earlier dives in a pool without a wetsuit? I'm another one who agrees with the ankle weights. Easy fix. Try before you buy. Consider how high or low you have your bc attached to the air tank. Than could be s source of your problem as well.