Ankle weights

[jcxd45]

Newb question about ankle weights.
I'm a fresh out of ow diver, bought some gear on craigslist, went to the lds and got enough weights to check out my buoyancy in a pool.
The book had me at 28-30 lbs so I got enough for 32 and split 30 between my bc and belt.
I had no problems in the pool and could hover easily but my feet kept wanting to float and I couldn't do a fun pivot.
I'm using a 7m wetsuit with atomic splitfins, and it seems like ankle weights are the obvious solution but I keep hearing they are bad and will tire you out.
Are they a good idea and if so how much weight should I use?
I'm also 6'2 and I hear that could be part of my problem.

 

[undrwater]

Ankle weights are generally a work-around, and are helpful to get you diving when you are trying to problem solve trim issues. You'll get lots of advice, but no one will fault you for being 6'2"! That is most definitely NOT your problem!

Happy diving!

 

[supergaijin]

Work on dropping weight until you're breathing out to descend and if using an aluminum tank, keep and extra couple of pounds to compensate for a lighter tank at the end of the dive.

Once down try to concentrate on moving your hips in or out (pelvic thrusts). You may get some odd looks but... Also moving the cam-strap up or down an inch or so may make a difference. Relax yourself completely underwater, see where you end up. Even if it somehow upside down, just go completely floppy like a dead man, then try small movements to get yourself in a 'proper' position.

I'd stay away from ankle weights and focus on getting your body balanced. Finally Jetfins are pretty heavy and you may find cheapish on ebay

 

[Teller]

New equipment purchase should be the last option you should exercise. Many thing can be adjusted to effect trim. Typically divers place the blame on equipment instead of looking at their own skills. You cant fix a skills issue with equipment. Spend some more time in the pool. If need be I would get a heavier fin before getting ankle weights. Good luck.

 

[Peter_C]

Do not put any weight in the upper trim pockets of your BC, assuming it has them. Instead use a weight belt for the majority of your weight which will bring it down lower on your body (Plus using a weight belt will allow you to doff and don your kit underwater without you floating like a buoy and your BC trying to hit the bottom). There is no way you need that much weight with a 7mm wetsuit, so as suggested start dropping weight until you find the right amount.

Also extend your legs out and head up to shift your body center of gravity more towards your feet.

 

[tomfcrist]

Peter, if this diver is not of average body composition, it is very much a possibility that this is close to the right weighting for him/her. Not saying that is the case, but remember that not all divers look like the models in the dive mags.

 

[TSandM]

At 6'2", you're a tall person, which means the weight of the tank is probably fairly high on your back. This is going to tend to push you head-down a bit, and the tendency will be compounded a lot if you also drop your head so that you are staring straight down. There is a limit to how low you can drop the tank, if you hope to be able to reach your own valve, so the advice on putting your weight low on your body is good. Do look at what is lower, your weight-integrated pockets or your waist, because putting weight on a belt is not always lower on your body than your weight pockets are!

30 pounds DOES sound a bit much for a 7 mil suit in fresh water, but if you are both tall and heavy, it could be required. Since you are doing the work to check your buoyancy, I would assume you have done it correctly, and you know how much weight you need.

I have certainly seen some of our students in wetsuits, using steel tanks, who end up needing some extra weight to keep their feet down. Ankle weights are an option, but they have the dual negatives of being something that's easy to forget, and also something that not infrequently comes loose. Negative fins are a bit easier to remember and are less likely to be lost, but obviously, replacing fins is much more expensive than buying a set of ankle weights.

A very reasonable approach might be to see what you can do with the tank and rig weights, and getting your head up, and see if you still feel you need some weight further down your body. Then try a set of ankle weights and see if they fix the problem; if they do, you could look into eventually switching to heavy fins. If you are going to dive actively in the PNW, I suspect you will not spend a long time as a wetsuit diver, so investing in heavy fins may be quite reasonable, as you will probably want them with a dry suit.

 

[coldwatercanada]

shifting the weight forward on your weight belt could help too

 

[eponym]

If you're diving wetsuited you'll find that your trim changes as you reach depths beyond what the pool offers. At thirty feet, for example, if you have long legs and a normal-length torso, compression of the neoprene may very well allow your feet to drop in line with your body. Without ankle weights.

Ask a buddy to observe you.

-Bryan

 

[Scubysnaps!]

Ankle weights prime use are for trilaminate dry suits where a squeeze in the lower legs is relieved by having a bit more air down there than usual combined with the weights...in my opinion