A bit of help please

[pickens_46929]

So everyone's been giving some pretty good advice so far, so I won't repeat it other than to say I agree with wearing a bit more fluffy something on your legs to let air get in there and taking it slow.

Had some of the same issue when I started. I found that arching my back more helped with managing air into my legs / feet. Arms out in front, head up, arch the back... if I needed to I stretched one leg at a time kind of back and up like a slow mule kick which got some air in there for me.

 

[scubamountaingirl]

Lynne, yes your right. I had a trauma last year over not getting it right the suit, the trim the weights, and it has stayed with me. I just found a local friend who will let me use her pool to play in and so i can get some good play time in without driving 2hrs. to the local dive pool....and i can go to the quarry and stay on the platform if i can find a buddy that wants to do drills while i fiddle with my issues. that is not always as easy...they will NOT let me in the water alone no exceptions. so my water spots are limited but i am determined to figure this out. i swear this post has been so helpful and your comments always taken to heart.

now i just need a tank...and a place to get an airfill....

 

[letterboy]

BP/W - how tight is your waist belt? If the waist belt is to tight, removing the weight belt may not help any.

Just a thought I had . . .

 

[scubamountaingirl]

BP/W - how tight is your waist belt? If the waist belt is to tight, removing the weight belt may not help any.

Just a thought I had . . .

LB the belt is somewhat tight to keep my tank in place. but that should not be my issue. i undid the straps and it still happened.

as lynne said air will go to the highest spot so i need to keep that in mind as i am diving. if i do a somersault the air WILL go into my legs. but i dont want to rely on that method for trim. it is also very disorienting. I need to be horizontal as she and the others said any way i can. Then i can go into my trim and frog kick position if i can stay horizontal. I am trying to hover horizontal and maybe that is too advanced for me this month...LOL

are you diving this weekend? or is this your mexico weekend? i could use someone to do a platform dive with me??? huh huh?

 

[SteveAD]

This is one for the experts...its usually the other way around, people complaining about too much air in their legs.

Try wearing a pair of thick fleece pants over your current undergarments that should trap some air in the legs.

Good luck,
U/O

This is a good Idea. get some fairly bulky pants (displacement = bouyancy). By your description, you are big chested, but otherwise fairly lean. Your old wetsuit provided some bouyancy to your legs and evened out your bodys bouyancy distribution. A snug fitting fusion with relatively thin undies probably provides less bouyancy than your old wetsuit (did your total weight requirement go down from the wetsuit to the fusion?).

It is not necessarily air that provides bouyancy, it is displacement. Bulkier pants will provide displacement, and therefore bouyancy, that can't be squeezed out.

 

[letterboy]

LB the belt is somewhat tight to keep my tank in place. but that should not be my issue. i undid the straps and it still happened.

as lynne said air will go to the highest spot so i need to keep that in mind as i am diving. if i do a somersault the air WILL go into my legs. but i dont want to rely on that method for trim. it is also very disorienting. I need to be horizontal as she and the others said any way i can. Then i can go into my trim and frog kick position if i can stay horizontal. I am trying to hover horizontal and maybe that is too advanced for me this month...LOL

are you diving this weekend? or is this your mexico weekend? i could use someone to do a platform dive with me??? huh huh?

I figured you had loosened it, but you never know, you are from New York State

I won't be there this weekend, I have other "commitments" I am trying to make it next weekend

I leave the 22nd for my trip arty: The count down has begun arty:

 

[scubamountaingirl]

This is a good Idea. get some fairly bulky pants (displacement = bouyancy). By your description, you are big chested, but otherwise fairly lean. Your old wetsuit provided some bouyancy to your legs and evened out your bodys bouyancy distribution. A snug fitting fusion with relatively thin undies probably provides less bouyancy than your old wetsuit (did your total weight requirement go down from the wetsuit to the fusion?).

It is not necessarily air that provides bouyancy, it is displacement. Bulkier pants will provide displacement, and therefore bouyancy, that can't be squeezed out.

yes outside of this recent POOL adventure, i have been using the mk2 and me is thinkin that is part of what is different. I am going to wear it next dive. it never gets real warm here in NY but the air sure does and the water can be comfortable with just underarmour....If i can equalize with the bulkier, airier, mk2, then i think i can understand how to adjust my weights for a change.

thank you for answering.
w

 

[crlavoie]

OK... Lots of good advice here and I'll try to throw in my $.02 without repeating everyone else.

One thing that occurs to me is your tank choice. If you're not already, you may want to consider using a shorter,fatter tank. I don't want to recomend specific sizes because you're overall volume should be dictated by your gas requirements for a given dive.

That aside, an HP 80 which many people despise because of the tendency to put them in a heads down posture (which by the way... many people inaccurately describe as "floaty feet"), may be beneficial in your case as it would keep the majority of the mass up over your shoulders. Likewise, if you need more volume, an HP 119 would be similar although it is still a bit taller than the 80, so some additional adjustment may be required.

Another thing that I was humbled to learn in fundies, is how incredibly uncomfortable and difficult it can be to maintain TRUE horizontal trim at first. I thought for sure that I was at least close if not spot on when I went into the class. The HD video reivews clearly showed I was not, despite the fact that I "felt" horizontal and others even said they "thought" I looked horizontal.

Finally, as Lynne touched upon, your propulsion techniques can not be over looked here. Your fins, in addition to providing momentum, also provide balance.

I see that you have an instructor that you are comfortable. However, since you're in NY, it might be worth your while to check ou the Bouyancy 1 class at Scuba Shack in CT with Ed Hayes. He is a GUE instructor but this course is not GUE. However it WILL change your diving forever.

 

[scubamountaingirl]

OK... Lots of good advice here and I'll try to throw in my $.02 without repeating everyone else.

One thing that occurs to me is your tank choice. If you're not already, you may want to consider using a shorter,fatter tank. I don't want to recomend specific sizes because you're overall volume should be dictated by your gas requirements for a given dive.

That aside, an HP 80 which many people despise because of the tendency to put them in a heads down posture (which by the way... many people inaccurately describe as "floaty feet"), may be beneficial in your case as it would keep the majority of the mass up over your shoulders. Likewise, if you need more volume, an HP 119 would be similar although it is still a bit taller than the 80, so some additional adjustment may be required.

Another thing that I was humbled to learn in fundies, is how incredibly uncomfortable and difficult it can be to maintain TRUE horizontal trim at first. I thought for sure that I was at least close if not spot on when I went into the class. The HD video reivews clearly showed I was not, despite the fact that I "felt" horizontal and others even said they "thought" I looked horizontal.

Finally, as Lynne touched upon, your propulsion techniques can not be over looked here. Your fins, in addition to providing momentum, also provide balance.

I see that you have an instructor that you are comfortable. However, since you're in NY, it might be worth your while to check ou the Bouyancy 1 class at Scuba Shack in CT with Ed Hayes. He is a GUE instructor but this course is not GUE. However it WILL change your diving forever.

God i would love to take Ed's class. We spoke last year about it, but it is just too much of a commute. its a six week, one hr ea. class and i cant do it. the cost of driving would be almost as much as fundies when i got done...But thank you for the suggestion. Bob Sherwood is coming to give our dive group a day of glory in a couple of weeks and I hope to be ready for his input.

so far my tank of choice is an hp100 but alas i cannot afford one so i am diving with what ever tank i can get my hands on. in the pool, its been an lp95. and as we played with moving it up and down i could feel myself getting head heavy and then putting on my hollis to see if that was a fix , but in the end we went for a middle ground so i could raise my head up to see....that is important one hopes...LOL

I am so glad i made this post, I am getting such good advise. thank you again.
w

 

[-Aaron-]

With most of your buoyancy in your upper body having a weight belt on your waist is going to make you very fin heavy. You might consider something like a DUI Weight and Trim Harness. They are much more comfortable than a weight belt and you can adjust it so that it sits higher on your body, just below your harness belt. This will help shift your balance point towards your upper body and bring your legs up. Another option would be weighted plates or a weighted STA on your backplate. The Weight and Trim Classic has really helped me balance out my trim issues and I had a similar problem with heavy feet.