Upside Down Turtle - Please don't Laugh!

[The Chairman]

Part of the balancing act comes from experience with your tank. You are the cork and the tank is the sinker. The more you try to balance the tank on your back, the more successful you will become. Some hints:

Try ditching ALL of your weight. Can you sink? Cross those arms and legs please. I'll bet that you might not need any weight with that tank.

Now, adopt a frog kick. Learn to bend your knees and to spread out your fins for stability. You won't need this so much later on, but for now the non-rocking kick will allow your tank to be near motionless on your back.

Are you with me still? Now, fold your hands together just under your chin. Let your elbows flair straight out. Stay calm and do that frog kick.

Final thought: when you THINK you are stable, close your eyes and try to hover for 30 seconds? When you open your eyes, what is your attitude in the water? You might need to shift some weight around (like your tank). When you can hold a blind hover for five minutes or longer you have finally mastered this skill.

 

[Ronniemu]

A dozen factors enter in but I’ll assume you have the basics down.
When switching to the HP100, a fine tank I might add, reducing your weight by 6-8lbs is a good place to start.
As for the turtle factor, you said your BC was a back inflate and you use the integrated weight pockets. Fine.
One contributing factor is BC fit. Supporting the weight of the new tank and lead, your BC needs to fit right and tight. A slight puff of air in the BC will also turn you over pretty quick!

My lovely bride had the same problem when she switched to a HP80. The solution for her was to stop using the integrated pockets and started using a weight belt. The lead is more secure and with a belt you can move the lead around to improve your trim.


Dave

When I purchased my BCD, it was fitted by a dive shop. It fits snug. When I try diving with my new tank over the weekend. I will double check that I pull all the adjustments snug. Thanks, Ronnie

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Can I laugh with you, as well?

I use a back inflate BC, as well, and when we went to Cozumel I tried a 100 cu ft tank for the first time, and couldn't keep my feet from sinking.

I moved the tank as high as I could get it, and pulled my weight belt as high as I could. No change.

I split by weight to two weight belts and tied one around my tank valve. My feet still sank. Part way through that dive the belt fell off the tank (worn-out rental belt), so I held it in my hands. I found that if I held the second belt at arms length over my head I could keep horizontal! What a pain.

That was the last dive I did before coming home. One of these days I'll rent a 100, take it out to the lake, and see just what it takes to stay horizontal.

I know that doesn't help you, but I just wanted to commiserate.

Good luck, and have fun!

 

[DiveMaven]

This is where a BP/w helps. The bladder actually comes up around (not all the way) the sides of tank and helps to lower the center of gravity of you and the tank, in relation to the buoyancy.. A back-inflate bc puts the buoyancy between your back and the tank, so if you weigh less negative in the water than your tank your bc will act as the pivot point for you and your tank to switch places.

This isn't necessarily a true statement. My back inflate BC has a wing that comes up around my tank just like a BP/W, and my husband's BC has 2 simple clips that allow his to do the same.

 

[Bubble Junky]

I use a back inflate BC, as well, and when we went to Cozumel I tried a 100 cu ft tank for the first time, and couldn't keep my feet from sinking.

I might be way off the mark, but this sounds like you could be over-weighted. When over-weighted, the weight on the belt will pull the lower half of your body down, to compensate for this you would add air to the BCD. The next thing that happens is that that air, thanks to your in-water angle, will accumulate in the shoulders of the BCD. This will make it even harder to keep horizontal.

 

[tracydr]

Good post Dave. I also see so many people wearing BCs that are too big for them. They fit it like a t-shirt, not that snug-it's-hugging-me fit.

What to do when the XS ladies BCDs still fit like a t-shirt?

 

[Charles R]

What to do when the XS ladies BCDs still fit like a t-shirt?

Get a backplate and wing so that it will fit properly if you cannot fit into ane XS then this would be your only option. either that or get bigger

 

[DiverBizz]

My BCD keeps shrinking, it can't be that I am gaining weight. NetDoc as usual you have given some good sound advice.

 

[FreeFloat]

Get a backplate and wing so that it will fit properly if you cannot fit into ane XS then this would be your only option. either that or get bigger

I had that happen. What prompted me towards getting a backplate and wing was after a dive when my buddies said, "Gee, FreeFloat, we could see clear across your back through the armholes of your BC" LOL I guess I was "dangling" from it.

 

[D_B]

LOL! ... I was SO disappointed when I got my HP100 .. before that I had good trim, horizontal, knees bent, fins back .. then I got that tank .. moved trim weights all around trying to trim myself out ... Head down ... Feet down .. and always trying to turtle me .. used more air than my buddy with an al80 ... thought it was the tank from hell :laughing:

what fixed it ? ... eventually I removed another 4 lbs (was that much overweighted) after I had removed 7lbs already ... no weight in back trim pockets ... and by the second dive in that config, I was quite comfortable, and by moving the small air bubble I can stand on head, go vertical, or perfectly horizontal and roll 45* left, or right , and be stable in any of those positions ...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/DonBeary/DB.jpg

Note: if I roll more than about 50* I'm still going to "turtle" .. I'll live with it though

14lbs in SW ... Knight Hawk back inflate BC - 7mm suit + 5mm boots + 3mm gloves + 5/3mm hood .. 180lbs 5'8" .. hold stop with no air in BC at 10' at 500psi