Ankle weights

[b1gcountry]

Ankle Vents?

Ann Marie basically went over the only reason I ever seem to need ankle weights. When I dive dry, I don't use any ankle weights. I'm diving in very cold water with thick undergarments, and I never have a problem with floaty feet wanting to mess up my trim. For some reason I've never felt that way with my 7mm. My feet always felt floaty at shallow depths, so I started using 1lb ankle weights once upon a time. Since I got my drysuit, I haven't been back in my 7mm, so I'm not sure I would even need them anymore, but thick wetsuits pose a lot of problems that drysuits don't, specifically the difference in buoyancy at different depths.

Tom

 

[ScubaGirlJg]

I just completed my confined water dives today and the instructor told me I needed ankle weights (which I had to buy for $29.95/pr of course :shocked2.. I was told my legs are too buoyant and are rising. Are these really necessary or is this a bunch of BS?

Well when I did my pool sessions my legs would float up and it was very frustrating but my instructor instructed me to wear two extra pounds on my weight belt and it never happened again. Hope this helps!!!

 

[boulderjohn]

I purchased a dry suit a few weeks back and used it for the first time last week. I noticed with the drysuit my feet were significantly more bouyant even with the ankle vents open and using the exact same setup as before.

I had some floaty feet problem when I first started diving dry. I was not interested in ankle weights because I was convinced the problem was related to technique. I don't have the problem any more, and since I have not changed one bit of equipment, I suspect the change is all in technique.

I think that if I had thrown some ankle weights on to solve the problem, I would have adjusted my technique to accommodate the presence of the ankle weights, and I never would have solved the problem on my own.

Work on other aspects of your trim and keep diving!

 

[bleeb]

I'm wondering how much of the apparent help from ankle weights in reducing the feeling in floaty feet doesn't come so much from the weight, but from restricting air flow to the feet and tightening up the suit around the calves also reducing the amount of air that can be contained in that area. Sort of like the gaiters I understand some people wear. Any comments?

 

[JeffG]

Any comments?

Its the weight.

 

[ligersandtions]

I'm wondering how much of the apparent help from ankle weights in reducing the feeling in floaty feet doesn't come so much from the weight, but from restricting air flow to the feet and tightening up the suit around the calves also reducing the amount of air that can be contained in that area. Sort of like the gaiters I understand some people wear. Any comments?

Don't know much about ankle weights or gaiters, but I wear fin keepers over my boots (I use wetsuit boots over the neo socks on my drysuit). I have no issues not wearing the fin keepers, but I find it just a little more comfortable keeping the boots tight on my feet....but it doesn't stop air from going into my feet (I still get the floaty feet thing going on if I put too much air in there or I go upside down with a decent bubble in my suit).

 

[diver 85]

Overpriced LDS as usual........click link......(ie 15 bucks a pair here---plus a 10% SB discount---)

Sea Pearl Ankle Weights (Pair) reviews and discounts, Seapearls

 

[SoybeanQueen]

Before you get too excited on adding weight here or there or moving things around, do a weight check. I know that my husband and I weren't properly weighted when we were just out of OW class. Now that my weighting is closer to right (still making little changes to see what happens), moving things around makes a difference. Before? I could have tried every possible combination and it likely wouldn't have made much difference.

My (still relatively noob) experience is that almost none of these techniques or trim adjustments will work unless you're close to proper weighting. I spent several dives thinking that I was just never going to be able to get trim/buoyancy right, until I took off more weights. It was like a miracle dive the first time with better weighting. It all suddenly made sense.

 

[twicetwins]

I have a slightly different twist on the floaty feet problem. I feel balanced/trimmed when finning horizontally. My problem is at the surface. Other people can dangle vertically, feet under them, and tread water as well. My feet shoot right up in front of me. I can't seem to force them back down when they are up in front of me, so I end up rolling over and pulling them back down as I roll, only to have them come back up almost immediately. I think I have strong legs. What's the trick to keeping my feet/fins under me?

 

[Brian Sharpe]

My only comment about ankle weights..............watch "Hitler's Lost Sub", especially the section where John Chatterton penetrates the electric engine room there's a very clear shot of him wearing ankle weights.......'nuff said.