Ankle weights

[boulderjohn]

My experience with instruction tells me that feet floating up on the fin pivot is the result of the diver not keeping the knees straight. back when the fin pivot per se was required by PADI, I had to spend much-too-much time dealing with people who bent their knees up unconsciously during the exercise.

That being said, there really isn't much of a call for the fin pivot in the real world, and having great form on that is not all that important. That is why PADI no longer requires having good fin pivot form. I am gong to recommend that you simply stop trying it. Instead, I strongly that you should instead focus on trying to achieve good buoyancy and horizontal trim while swimming in mid water.

 

[SubMariner]

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.

I am constantly puzzled by this prejudice against ankle weights. If a person requires extra weight because of "floaty feet" in either a wet or drysuit, what is the difference between ankle weights and heavier fins? The end result is the same except for the fact that the heavier fins are harder to move & increase diver fatigue.

Frankly, not everyone wants or needs "heavier fins": I certainly don't. I'm perfectly happy with the fins I have, that I can use with both my drysuit and wetsuit.

Once upon a time I needed ankle weights because I was diving a 5mm neoprene suit in TGWN. But once I switched to a membrane suit (trilam) I found that my lace on boots were de facto gators, and the floaty feet problem was solved without the need for ankle weights.

Please, no more "ankle weights bad; heavy fins good"!:shocked2:

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Ankle weights are one solution ... and in most cases not the best one. In eight years of teaching I've had exactly one student who I felt truly needed them. Other solutions involve primarily how your weights (including tank) are distributed, and what you're doing with your body. Think of your body as a see-saw, and your waistline as the pivot of the see-saw. Moving your weights and your limbs changes how the see-saw will move ... whether it will go head-down, feet-down or remain in a balanced position. Using ankle weights can certainly affect a change, but is it the best solution?

Sometimes ... but not nearly as often as some would have you believe. The relevent question isn't whether ankle weights will resolve the problem ... but whether there are better solutions. Usually, there are ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[rick00001967]

i bought ankle weights at one point. my back had a hard time using a weight belt so i wanted to remove as much weight from the belt as i could. i strapped a 1.5 lb ankle weight to each leg just below the knee (instead of actually on the ankle). it worked awsome for me. it took some load off my bad back and i found it was a big help in keeping me in a more upright position while wearing my 5/4mm suit. i did not find them cumbersome at all and in no way was a problem. i have since switched gear and use a pretty heavy weight integrated bcd and only use a 1mm suit when i travel so i don't use the ankle weights anymore. but they did serve a good purpose for me when i need them.

 

[RonFrank]

Weighting via the internet is difficult. You have access to two great instructors, and one fantastic diver. TS (Lynne), Peter, and Bob. Plan a trip and work it out. It's what, 4 hours from Portland? I do 6 hours to dive a weekend more often than I like to admit.

These are awesome scuba folk even if I have never met them. They are great instructors and worth spending time with even if the privilege costs a few pesos!

 

[TSandM]

SubMariner, I thought I presented a couple of reasons to prefer heavy fins to ankle weights -- you're less likely to forget or lose them. Either requires more effort at the end of a long lever.

The bottom line is that you have to do what you have to do to achieve static balance. The first thing to fix is posture; the next thing to fix is the position of the tank and the normal weights (weight belt, integrated pouches, etc.). If you cannot achieve static balance with good posture and adjustment of normal weights, you can add things like ankle weights. I do think some people in thick wetsuits just plain need them, especially with Al tanks. In a dry suit, you can almost always solve the problem another way.

 

[cmburch]

I used ankle weights to get some lead off my belt. Mainly for hiking. Surface kicking they would tend to loosen and flop around a bit. I prefer a negative fin over a neutral. I disagree that negative fins are harder to use over a neutral or positive buoyant fins. Positive fins such as Seawing Nova are terrible for surface kicking for me. Too bad you are not local. I have 2 sets. I use to fly into Portland monthly and stay around Beaverton and Forest Grove. Now only a few times a year.

 

[spectrum]

A harness like a weight and trim will let you move your major lead below your natural hips. A little bit there can make a big difference.

Given your height I agree that cylinder position is a big opportunity, especially if you dive steel cylinders which remain negative. Cylinder buoyancy will wash out of your overall calculation but the property will drive the effect on trim.

Pete

 

[FinnMom]

I am constantly puzzled by this prejudice against ankle weights. If a person requires extra weight because of "floaty feet" in either a wet or drysuit, what is the difference between ankle weights and heavier fins?

I dive in club obganization. This means we are regularly in the water with a new crop of new divers every spring. This has caused me to be against ankle weights because
1) The need for them is usually temporary, therefore wasted money.
2) They do get forgotten at home/fall off/get lost a lot
BUT MOST OF ALL
with a new diver I hate having this source of negative bouyancy that both the diver and anyone trying to help might forget/fail to notice. This has come up when the diver takes off their BCD in water too deep to stand in because they are a) climbing into a zodiac b) practising doffing/donning gear at the surface c) practising rescue scenarios. When for whatever reason a person who thinks he should now be positively bouyant finds himself slipping under the water, some of them can get REALLY unhappy about it. Heavy fins at least help you regain/maintain the surface.

 

[cmburch]

I use my old ankle weights in a spare back-up pouch weight belt. If I need a little extra weight when hunting at shallow depths requiring a small weight, it is easier to handle a soft 1-2 lb with strap over a solid lead weight for me. This is especially true when diving from a kayak or board. So they are still in use, but not for my ankles. I thought they paid off for themselves due to their convenience until I got away from my first wetsuit; a very buoyant 7mm Farmer John. When freediving, I will rocket to the surface if I drop my 14lb belt while still wearing my 7lb weight vest. My ankle weights are only a total of 3-4lb maybe. I guess it depends on how buoyant you are from exposure suit if 3-4 lbs of lead will sink you.