Dolphin and trim

[Sophia4]

I have a Dolphin that I absolutely love. There is one problem. My trim now stinks, the second I stop finning, I start to go vertical. I know the cause. When buying a tank, I asked for the biggest one, which meant a 65-ish steel, which is of course sitting on the small of my back. Short of putting a 5 pounder on each shoulder strap, do y'll have any other ideas?

[Camerone]

More weights in the shoulders will definitely help, but examine the rest of your gear configuration, too.

For instance, I usually dive mine with the stock 28 cf blue football cylinder, and I run two pounds in each shoulder. I sometimes use a 50 cf when on a trip or a liveaboard where I've got to partial pressure blend my cylinder, to avoid the annoyance. I move just one more pound to each shoulder to balance out the weight, but I add a little more to the waist to account for finishing up an aluminum cylinder at 300 psi. All my diving is drysuit, so with thirty pounds of lead, I've got a bit to move around. On the other hand, a pound here and there can make a significant difference. Moving to five in each shoulder is a LOT of weight to move up there, and seems particularly high for a Dolphin...

Look at what you have clipped where on the BC - do you dive a cannister light or clip on lights? Can you move them higher up towards your shoulders? Argon for drysuit inflation? Can you mount the pony higher? (or do you dive wet?) The way you mount your bailout bottle can affect your center of gravity - do you mount it to the unit, or do you side sling it like a stage? Have you considered moving it up higher on the side of the shell?

When I first started diving the Dolphin, buoyancy and trim were a problem, too. The number one improvement I made was throwing away the ankle weights I'd been using since learning to dive... They were totally unnecessary and were the greatest impediment to being level I'd ever seen; without them, things instantly got significantly better.

[Diver Mike]

Camerone is correct.

The best advice is to get rid of the ankle weights and place the three to four pounds from those on the shoulders.

The removal of the ankle weights will make so much difference you cannot beleive.

Whn I first started with my Dolphin, I thought I would never get it right, but another diver mentioned the ankle weights and boom, problem solved.

[Sophia4]

I forgot to mention I usually dive with as little clothing as possible. I absolutely hate wetsuits. On a Live aboard, about mioway through I wear a T-shirt because my back gets irritated.

Living in Texas, I don't have easy access to water that requires dry suits so it's not worthwhile to have one. Although, the Sealions in CA sound tempting. I hoped there would be another answer than the shoulder. My Dolphin came with a pony sleeve for the side.

[caveseeker7]

I hoped there would be another answer than the shoulder.

My Dolphin came with a pony sleeve for the side.

There are plenty of places to add weights.

With shoulder, do you mean the weight pouches on the wing, or weights mounted on your shoulder strap?

You do use a bailout tank with independent reg, don't you?
OMS has little 13cu.ft. tanks that are perfect for that location as they are 2.25lbs negative when empty, 3.3lbs when filled.

On the opposite site you can mount leadweights to balance,
or a second tank.

Of course there is always the possibility to add a bp/w with an aftermarket steel subframe for the Dolphin's shell. Might not be the most comfortable thing to dive with in a T-shirt, but it will add weight (about 9lbs or so), and most of it above the tank.

[Champollion]

I put some ankle-lead (from a drysuit) in top of my backplate to have more weight near the top of the breather. you can find a picture in my photo album (http://www.recycleur.net/modules/mx_smartor/album.php?smartor_mode=album_cat&cat_id=5)

[landfish]

take the ankle weights off and put them on the sholder strap

[caveseeker7]

What ankle weights?

I have a Dolphin that I absolutely love. There is one problem. My trim now stinks, the second I stop finning, I start to go vertical. I know the cause. When buying a tank, I asked for the biggest one, which meant a 65-ish steel, which is of course sitting on the small of my back. Short of putting a 5 pounder on each shoulder strap, do y'll have any other ideas?

[gkndivebum]

[...]Of course there is always the possibility to add a bp/w with an aftermarket steel subframe for the Dolphin's shell. Might not be the most comfortable thing to dive with in a T-shirt, but it will add weight (about 9lbs or so), and most of it above the tank.

Ron has a nice looking backplate conversion kit here (http://www.tmishop.com/Backplate.htm).

(the rest of his site (http://www.tmishop.com) has an interesting discussion of his CCR Dolphin)

I've toyed with the notion of getting one of the backplates for my Dolphin, but
haven't done it yet.

[caveseeker7]

Ron has a nice looking backplate conversion kit here (http://www.tmishop.com/Backplate.htm).

Hi Gerard,

are you coming to the BBQ later on ? :D

Ron's backplate conversion is good, his website even better.
(much more than the CCR Dolphin, also has KISSes, Inspiration and Prism teardowns as well as a nice CCR comparisson chart)

But the nicest backplate conversion I've found is from Enrique at Diving Equipment Specialies (http://www.techdivetools.com/rebreather/draeger.html)

I like the way the tankholders tie in with the frame, taking the weight off the shell, which allows larger tanks to be mounted. Having seen his Inspiration case (in titanium, no less, which isn't easy to work with), his craftmanship is excellent.

[jepuskar]

Don't stop finning! :)

[diveprojeff]

Dive Equip. Specialties conversion plate for $320+????
Give me the ankle weights!!!!!!

[Sophia4]

I'll look into the ankle weights, and where I can attach them near the top. I was speaking of the pockets on the shoulder strap. I put 2 lbs in each last time. I try to look graceful when getting into the Dolphin, so as not to give it a bad name. But the one-size-fits-most BC makes that harder than normal. I worry that more weights on the shoulder will make that harder. My pony is a 19 cu. ft. I am noticing a bigger is better trend. I haven't noticed a roll to one side yet, but that may be because the vertical roll is so pronouced. I only got the system in April, but I do plan to start converting it down the road. First BP/wings then to CCR. I still recovering from the expense of the Dolphin (used), and the Z02/OXY2

[teknitroxdiver]

Would it be possible to mount a pony bottle across the top of the rebreather, behind your neck? One of OMS's 20cf steel tanks would add some weight and function.

[Champollion]

I found even better : from v4tec.de , very good service, soon shipped, I am very happy with their stuff. Their design is even better than Enrique.

[gkndivebum]

are you coming to the BBQ later on ? :D

Aloha Stefan -- it was good to see you on saturday. We had an unventful drive
back to San Diego on sunday, complete with a spiffy new Haskel pump. I also
bought the "big one" :eye-popin: for the local technical diving operator back in Kona;
that one will need to be shipped.
[...]


But the nicest backplate conversion I've found is from Enrique [...]

Indeed - it's gorgeous. A bit spendy - but it's very nice.

[caveseeker7]

Enjoyed seeing ya'll, too.


We had an unventful drive back to San Diego on sunday, complete with a spiffy new Haskel pump.

Uneventfull or blissfully unaware?
Would you even hear the sirens with those pipes?
Sure can't see them ... ;)

I wonder if you could hook up the Haskel to boost the engine ... :D



Indeed - it's gorgeous. A bit spendy - but it's very nice.

That has been said about everything from decorative eggs to women.
To quote Hearst, pleasure is worth what you can afford to pay for. ;)