Floating Feet - need ankle weights?

[river_sand_bar]

Ok, silly question then about adjusting the tank to suit buoyancy, IF your using an Al80 tank and shift it down further, at the beginning of the dive with a negative buoyancy it all works great... however at the end of the dive when it comes time to free float for the safety stop, now you have a POSITIVE buoyancy lower on your back which, I would think cause even further issues with a floaty back side.

Please fill me in on this on....

 

[all4scuba05]

when diving a wetsuit with buoyant 5mm booties and buoyant fins, how do you guys fix the floaty feet problem? Think before you answer please. And please read all previous posts prior to answering if you joined in part way.

 

[Packhorse]

No one ever needs ankle weights.

No one ever needs advice from Walter.

Over Chrismas I had the pleasure of meeting Wade and Jan Doaks. World famous in New Zealand for their diving, books and conservation efforts. Both are in their late sixties I belive and still dive regulary. Jan uses a whole lot of nuts threaded thru string and tied around her ankles. Sure its not the tidyest of solutions but it works for her.
Does she NEED them? plobably not but then she doesnt NEED a BC but choose to use one all the same.

 

[in_cavediver]

when diving a wetsuit with buoyant 5mm booties and buoyant fins, how do you guys fix the floaty feet problem? Think before you answer please. And please read all previous posts prior to answering if you joined in part way.

With a wetsuit, it is not trapped air. This is either inherent trim issues or a localized problem with your specific fins. A little trial and error will give you the most comfortable soluiton.

I am also assuming you know what good horizontal trim is and you know what proper weighting is and this observation is from a relaxed hover where you see these porblems and can repeat them. If those conditions are not clearly met, then work with an expierenced mentor to get those in control first. You may not really have a problem with your equipment. It may just be a symptom of another problem entirely.

Here are my suggestions, in order, if it really is an equipment related problem:

1) Move your tank(s) down if possible.

2) If you have trim pockets, try positioning weight lower than the weight integrated pocket might be. (if using such a system)

3) Try fins that are more negative

4) If you BC is weight integrated and the pouches ride high - try a weightbelt for some of your lead.

5) Try Ankle Wieghts

6) Try other wetsuit styles and boots

With all of these changes - you need to make them in small steps and do a short 20-30 minute dive after each change to evaluate the results. IE, don't add ankle wieghts, new fins and move your tank on one dive. Keep a log so you know how each change you made affected your overall trim and postitioning in the water. You should also have someone along who can give confirmation of what you feel (and a if you have a UW video camera - use it)

 

[all4scuba05]

I like your advice. Someone will benefit from it for sure.
I already fixed my floaty feet when I bought fins and boots that were negative.

 

[TheHobster]

Sorry - just picturing myself doing a somersualt in peacock springs (cave) to handle a bit of trapped air in my boots.

What a joke -

Its an equipment problem. Use/change/modify equipment to solve it!

as a full cave diver you wouldn't be in a cave with a floaty feet problem; you would have worked out all new gear problems etc BEFORE entering a cave system; cave divers are the most body aware divers I have ever met and I seriously doubt that one would let themsleves get in a situation where they had that problem - plus with modern cave diving gear you are diving with steel doubles and floaty anything would be all but impossible

plus this poster was talking an OW scenario; NOT a cave scenario

 

[3-Ring Octopus]

Again...weight on your BACK has nothing to do with floaty FEET! So diving doubles in a cave you still might end up with floaty feet (mind you..that might not be such a bad thing in that case..as it would prevent silting.. ).

Holy God in Heaven...we aren't talking about "trapped" air here or poor suit control (getting inverted and not knowing how to get the air out of your legs) or physical weakness (again, the inability to move air from your legs up to your upper body where it can be vented as needed)...we're talking about floaty feet...the nuisance of having positively bouyant boots/socks/big ole boats/fins and having to fight against them to be comfortable.

Cheers,
Austin

 

[in_cavediver]

as a full cave diver you wouldn't be in a cave with a floaty feet problem; you would have worked out all new gear problems etc BEFORE entering a cave system; cave divers are the most body aware divers I have ever met and I seriously doubt that one would let themsleves get in a situation where they had that problem - plus with modern cave diving gear you are diving with steel doubles and floaty anything would be all but impossible

plus this poster was talking an OW scenario; NOT a cave scenario

This simply proves you don't understand the problem.

Its possible to have 'floaty feet' without having a trim problem. Case in point - I did 8-9 cave dives in a suit with what I consider floaty feet. The cause, I had to use less negative fins and the suit has integrated boots - trapping a very small amount of air. The dives were fine - not silt or trim issues, didn't much the place up. Just discomfort kicking. Had I had ankle wieghts, I would have tried them.

Now, for me, the solution hopefully will be here next week in the form of new jetfins in the right size foot pocket. I want neutral feet, not slightly positive feet.

And for why I dove the suit - its simple. I was there for a week of diving and had the opertunity to try it. I've been in the market for a better fitting suit for 6 months or so. Ended up getting this one for $600 that fits the bill.

 

[Jasonb]

Wow, I stirred up a right hornet's nest!

As someone pointed out a few pages back, I don't use a dry-suit, so anything about dry suits, while interesting to read, actually has nothing to do with this thread.

As I pointed out myself ( and as someone else pointed out again more recently ), I'm not an experienced diver, I'm still learning ( aren't we all? ) and I'm fully aware that while ankle weights might get rid of the problem for me, they might not be the best solution. Maybe I just need to get more experience and I'll find that the floaty feet become less of a problem. That doesn't mean that ankle weights are immediately 'wrong', it just means they could help, maybe as a stopgap or something.

Personally, I view this as nothing to do with trim, and everything to do with large buoyant boots ( size 14UK 5mm 'cos the water is rather cold here ) and fins that seem to be, at best, neutral in the sea. I can't get smaller boots ( they won't fit ), I'd rather not get thinner boots ( it's too cold ) and I'm not in a position to change my fins right now ( I don't have the money ). So, €30 ankle weights becomes a possible option for me.

However, I dived again this weekend just gone and while I experienced the problem again, I handled it a bit better, and it wasn't as much of an issue. For the moment, I'm not going to buy ankle weights. Not 'cos they're evil and you can't call yourself a diver if you use them ( as some people seem to think ) but just cos I'm hopeful I can improve without them, handle the floaty feet, and save myself a bit of money. That said, if it continues to be very awkward for me, I'll try the weights out. I don't care if half the diving community looks down on me, as long as I'm comfortable and enjoying my diving...

Thanks to everyone for their feedback...

J.

 

[TSandM]

Jasonb, try your ankle weights. If they make your life easier in the short run, they're a good thing. They do increase the effort of kicking a little bit (putting weight on the end of a long lever arm will do that), but if they make it possible to relax and enjoy the dive more, that's fine.

I used them in the beginning. Everybody told me they were a crutch and I'd get rid of them eventually, and they were all right. A lot of diving trim and balance issues can be solved with body positioning or minor gear changes. But when you are new and struggling with just about everything, make your life easier.