Ankle weights with wetsuits????

[terrasmak]

I went out on a dive boat this weekend and saw at least 3 divers doing this. Is this common , i really didnt want to ask out on the boat ( arguements etc etc ). How many people actually need ankle weights for wet suit diving?? I can understand for drysuits to some extent. I probably should have asked the Padi instructer on the boat who was doing this, but i didnt think he would know. Anyone have thoughts and comments for a better understanding of this. The tanks everyone was diving were Alum 80's so that wasnt a facter.

[DuckyDiver]

After my first dive in a 7 mil wet suit I started useing ankle weights. Even though my integrated weight bc was weighted properly my legs would just float up and make it very difficult to control my position in the water. Each weight is only aprox 1.5 lbs. It seems like something that is individual to the diver, because my instructor and myself were the only ones that needed these ankle weights.

[fire_diver]

I feel that they aren't needed. I dive a 7mm, and used to have problems with "floaty feet" in the top 6 foot or so. I think the problem solved itself. Possibly stronger leg muscles to hold them down. The only problem I have with the ankle weights is when you are at depth. Once under the "floaty" zone, then you have the reverse problem of having overly heavy feet.

But to each thier own. If adding weights works for you, then who am I to condem it.

FD

[jepuskar]

Like many things with diving, this is open for debate. However, it is my view that ankle weights are a crutch or a temporary fix. It was funny because just the other night my buddy and I were watching video of our first dive trip together..her being newly certified and she had on ankle weights diving in a wetsuit...we had a pretty good laugh about that.

Even in drysuits they really arent needed. Weight distribution and tank position is part of the equation for proper balance/trim, but the experienced diver knows how to position their body in the water to compensate.

So why did they have them on? They are most likely pretty new to diving, the person who taught them or someone with more experience than them told them they needed to wear them,.....they have what is perceived as 'floaty' feet...but really isnt.

[shoredivr]

I used to use ankle weights with my drysuit, but now I have heavier OMS rubber fins (about 1 lb each) rather than lightweight Genesis fins. This made all the difference for me in terms of floaty feet.

[in_cavediver]

I used to use ankle weights with my drysuit, but now I have heavier OMS rubber fins (about 1 lb each) rather than lightweight Genesis fins. This made all the difference for me in terms of floaty feet.

I'll second this. While trimming yourself is important, overly 'floaty' fins can be a problem area. I personally choose fins based first on comfort/fit then on trim. With my old fins (that were slightly positive), I used to use ankle wieghts in a drysuit to get good trim. My current turtle fins are about as negative as the ankle wieghts I used previously so I no longer use them. Since I dive steel doubles, its hard to truly tell whether I have changed my 'wieghting' much since I start and end most every dive quite negative (reserve air) and carry no ditchable wieight.

I see ankle weights as another tool for good trim. (when used properly). I mean really, who cares what the distrobution of wieght is so long as you are horizontal in the water with a balanced rig. (dropping feet is another matter)

[RJP]

I'm in the camp of the folks that say that ankle weights are "a gear solution to a skill/technique problem" and that they are to be avoided at all cost.

Seriously.

One person mentioned "it doesn't matter how the weight is distributed" but I would suggest that 99% of folks using ankle weights are likely overweighted by AT LEAST the weight of the ankle weights. I see so many people that claim they are perfectly weighted, but that their feet float, so they go ahead and add ankle weights. Either they are overweighted now, or were underweighted before, because they didn't "lose" the weight of the ankle weights from their belt.

Further, I think that many people have ZERO idea what proper trim looks like or feels like, because many folks that I see who claim they need ankle weights are trimmed pretty well, but confuse being "horizontal in the water" with "my feet are too bouyant." These same people add ankle weights and then happily go back to roto-tiller mode dragging their now too-heavy feet around the bottom.

[RJP]

After my first dive in a 7 mil wet suit I started useing ankle weights. Even though my integrated weight bc was weighted properly my legs would just float up and make it very difficult to control my position in the water. Each weight is only aprox 1.5 lbs. It seems like something that is individual to the diver, because my instructor and myself were the only ones that needed these ankle weights.

It's telling that "you AND your instructor" both "needed" ankle weights.

Further, it's interesting that you say you were "weighted properly" and then added 3lbs. Did you REMOVE 3 pounds from your BC? Based on the observations made in my previous post I'm gonna bet you didn't. In which case you are now three pounds overweighted.

Did you first try sliding your tank down a bit in your BCD? This will often help trim you out a bit. Give it a try. You may also suggest the same thing to your instructor, he might find it useful advice. (Did your instructor suggest this before adding weight to you? If not, you may want to find a new instructor.)

[chrisc]

Are we talking ankle weights on men or women? I tend to agree that men do not need the weights. With women, the weight position on the BC higher on the hips tend to give them more weight on the upper half of the body. The addition of the ankle weights and removal af 2 pounds from the BC seem to fix this problem.

[coachrenz]

I wore 1 lb ankle weights (that being 1 lb on each ankle) with my wetsuit and moved up to 2 lb weights per ankle with my dry suit.

I like the fact that it got some weight off my belt and into a different place. Not only felt better in the water but on the shore as well.

Don't let the preachers out there (especially the new ones with limited experience) determine what you do. Try it, if wearing ankle weights makes you more comfortable in the water, then go for it.


Tim