Feet are sink'N!

[sharpenu]

Chances are, if your feet sink, you are overweighted. Your weight will pull down on the lower part of your body, and then you compensate by adding air to your BC to become neutral. This makes your top half even more bouyant. You then have your (Over)weight pulling your bottom half down and your BC pulling your top half up. Result:foot sinkage.

Most problems of trim are the result of improper weighting. Adding tank weight will only make it worse.

 

[Zept]

Originally posted by sharpenu
Chances are, if your feet sink, you are overweighted.

Not necessarily. My feet sink even when my BC is empty. My feet sink when I float on the surface of the pool (an exercise that looks more like sinking, to the untrained observer). I have air in my lungs, but not in my feet. Ergo, my feet sink. Probably more true to say that my lungs float, given that the rest of me would sink too, given half a chance.

Yours with feet of lead,


Zept

 

[ScubaBaby]

Zept

Just out of interest - do you have (to your knowledge) bad circulation in your legs ?

 

[jbd]

I had this discussion with Bengalsmgtsucks since I have the same problem with or without diving gear; as Zept mentions. I can swim horizontally with or with out diving gear very easily but when it comes to floating I end up nearly vertical whether on my back or on my face with or without diving gear.

I think Beast has the right idea and I think Dee's gaitor idea would work also.

 

[pipedope]

I use sections cut from an old wetsuit as knee pads for working and this makes a difference in trim. Not that I would notice when wearing 50 lbs of weight in a commercial harness.

 

[Zept]

Originally posted by ScubaBaby
Just out of interest - do you have (to your knowledge) bad circulation in your legs ?

Poorish. I'm prone to chillblains in the winter, anyway... although not in Singapore!

Why?

 

[ChrisF]

I've struggled with the same problem. For me it wasn't an issue of being overweighted. With 4 lbs in my belt, an AL 80 and no wetsuit, my feet still had a tendancy to sink.

In my experience this problem is not uncommon for divers who have a low fat content in their legs, especially in warm tropical waters where you don't have other factors involved like extra bouyancy added by a wet suit or dry suit.

I tried positively bouyant fins. No noticable impact. I tried raising my tank up a bit. It helped some, but didn't solve the problem.

Solution: A 1.5 lb ankle weight around the tank valve. Plus, diving with my hands folded slightly in front of me (at about chest level) rather than tucked back towards my abdomen.

Between the two, I was able to shift my center of gravity just enough so I can now remain motionless in a horizonal position without having my feet sink.

Good luck and let us know what you find works for you.

 

[Zept]

Originally posted by ChrisF
Plus, diving with my hands folded slightly in front of me (at about chest level) rather than tucked back towards my abdomen.

That's a good thought. I normally dive with my hands trailing back towards my thighs. Bringing them forwards might help (and would cost nothing, hurrah!). Otherwise I'll have to add some weight to the tank.

Thanks,

Zept