Twenty-two minutes of humility

[Lorenzoid]

Rather than ACE bandages as a temporary gaiter, have you considered using transparent slightly stretchy tape that hockey players use on the outside of their socks to keep shinpads in place?

Does it have a name?

 

[JohnnyC]

Does it have a name?

Hockey tape. In this case shin pad hockey tape. I know it sounds stupid, but that's literally what it's called.

Shop Shin Pad Tape | Howies Hockey Tape

 

[Zef]

Rather than ACE bandages as a temporary gaiter, have you considered using transparent slightly stretchy tape that hockey players use on the outside of their socks to keep shinpads in place?

Another option that I think is better than an ace wrap is coban bandage wrap....it is stretchy, sticks to itself, and has a rubbery texture that will not absorb water like an ace wrap and there is no adhesive to leave a residue behind once removed.

-Z

 

[uncfnp]

I have ready access to ace wraps and coban, which I had also considered. The obvious advantage of ace wraps is they are reusable. But you are right. Tape may be a better option.

 

[AfterDark]

Ankle weights are a poor substitute for proper gear and technique. Barring some sort of physical ailment, you should definitely be able to get it sorted out without having to resort to ankle weights. If using proper negative fins doesn't work, and you're still trapping air in your feet, get a set of gaiters. What you don't want to do is add weight that if lost will screw with you in awkward ways, adds excess weight that will cause fatigue when you swim, only works in one trim position, more weight to climb a ladder with, etc. I'm not saying they never have a place, they should just be the last option, not the first.

I agree except in my case and the OP, my fins/boots/ are positive also so a 1/2lb on each ankle evens things out. And no I'm not going to buy different fins/boots until they need replacing that is, which probably wouldn't happen before I retire from diving.

 

[dewdropsonrosa]

I'm a female diver with a hip-heavy, foot-light build. I dove the Fusion Fit and Mares Avanti Quattro fins for almost 18 months and..... it wasn't going well.

The combination of a suit in which the feet are the most-inflatable part (because there's no skin) and mostly-neutral, slightly-positive fins made it incredibly difficult for me to maintain my stability. It actually cost me about a day of cave training because while blindfolded, I had to constantly fight the bubble that wanted to knock me off balance while figuring out how to correct my positioning WHILE not be able to see ish.

One of the most significant changes in my Fundamentals class was when the instructor told me that the fins were simply too light for me to stay balanced. I had to flail in order to generate the momentum to stay in place. I switched over to Jet Fins (super, duper negative) and life improved almost immediately. A heavier fin might be enough to fix you ($100-$150), rather than an entire drysuit upgrade ($thousands).

 

[uncfnp]

I'm a female diver with a hip-heavy, foot-light build. I dove the Fusion Fit and Mares Avanti Quattro fins for almost 18 months and..... it wasn't going well.

The combination of a suit in which the feet are the most-inflatable part (because there's no skin) and mostly-neutral, slightly-positive fins made it incredibly difficult for me to maintain my stability. It actually cost me about a day of cave training because while blindfolded, I had to constantly fight the bubble that wanted to knock me off balance while figuring out how to correct my positioning WHILE not be able to see ish.

One of the most significant changes in my Fundamentals class was when the instructor told me that the fins were simply too light for me to stay balanced. I had to flail in order to generate the momentum to stay in place. I switched over to Jet Fins (super, duper negative) and life improved almost immediately. A heavier fin might be enough to fix you ($100-$150), rather than an entire drysuit upgrade ($thousands).

Thank you.

What size shoe and fin do you wear?

 

[dewdropsonrosa]

I wear a women's size US 9/9.5 and I need XL fins to accommodate double socks and dry boots.

 

[Hickdive]

I had a Fusion for a while and liked diving it, the trouble was I hated everything else about it. Ordinarily I wouldn't worry about something being awkward out of the water if it was better in the water but the Fusion was just beyond horrible for getting into and out of.

If you have a bubble in the suit that you consciously have to manage then you simply have too much air in your suit. This is exacerbated by the extreme flexibility of the Fusion suit. You need enough to take the squeeze off and that's it. Gas for buoyancy control needs to go in your wing/bcd. If you have too much in your wing/bcd then you are over weighted. Do a proper check with reserve gas only, no excess air in suit or BCD, and you should still be able to hold a safety stop.

Try shifting weight before adding any. Moving your cylinder up and down in the BCD will affect your trim. If you have integrated weights in a BCD and are foot light/head heavy, try moving your weights to a belt or vice versa.

Fins can make a big difference even with relatively small changes in weight because they are so far from your centre of gravity, and have a lever effect. Borrow a variety if you can and see if heavier/lighter fins make a difference.

 

[rongoodman]

Another option for keeping the air out of soft boots https://www.makospearguns.com/Freedive-Fin-Keepers-p/mfdfk.htm

Put them over the boots and inside the fins.