Please help me~~ rotating upside down under water; Might Apollo Bio Fins help?

[GappyToofus]

Hi Everybody, I just want to say first off a big Thank You for all the great information I have found on ScubaBoard. I am a new diver in the process of buying my first gear set up and ScubaBoard has been my constant "go to" for unbiased real world reviews of scuba gear. Pork, I had the same problems with my feet floating up and the twirling "playing turtle" instability the whole time I was doing my pool sessions for OW certification. Some of my problem is being a newbie and learning good buoyancy control, but I know a big part is also attributable to oversized, poorly fitting equipment. I am wondering if a couple things are coming into play for you with your new gear. First, neoprene as you are already noting, dramatically changes buoyancy. I had rental 5mm long wetsuit and my own 3mm booties on when I was doing my pool training.... I am just 5'0" tall and all the extra neoprene of the too long wetsuit bunching at my ankles definitely contributed to the headstands. I switched to a shorty for the pool and I did much better with the ankle float. I haven't tried ankle weights, but it sounds like a good idea and I will try it next time I go diving. Us women are generally, on average, more buoyant just by means of body composition (less dense muscle tissue) than men. I love it when I am snorkelling... I just float efffortlessly in salt water with just a tshirt and bathing suit, while my boyfriend sinks like a stone when without a wetsuit Cold water does required a thicker wetsuit (I dove in Catalina for with a rental 7mm toooo looong wetsuit for my 3rd and 4th "big girl" dive, brrr and had to fight my ankles the whole time) Does your new suit bunch up? Is it too long?

Your new bc.... you said it is short enough in the torso, but fits you wide? Does it slip side to side? Is your tank shifting? Fit is soooo important! When I was playing turtle in the pool and also down in the Florida Keys for my open water checks, my turtle acrobatics were mostly fixed with better fitting bc and proper trim weights.... I am investing in an Aqualung Lotus i3, wing style and am realllllly reallllly hoping it helps, because it fits me so much better than the oversized mostly made for men rental gear I have used so far. I am going to Puerto Rico and St. Croix in jan and feb I am planning on using an aqualung 3mm long wetsuit (size 14 SHORT) and my new women's bc... I will let you know how it goes with the turtle rolling and sumersaults or hopefully lack thereof! Donna

 

[ferris213]

We spent a couple of dives exclusively working on her buoyancy and settled on a single 1kg weight on the tank strap with nothing in the BCD and no other weight. It is a bit of a pain as she has to take an extra 2KG in the pocket to get down the line which she either drops at the bottom of the line to pick up on return or, if a drift, then guess who gets an extra couple of kilo's to dive with!!!

What happens if you don't make it back to the down line? Or you get separated on the drift dive?

To the op, my old bc had a range of adjustments that weren't immediately obvious, maybe see if you can set it lower on your body?

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[rgalanti21]

What kind/size tank are you using? I have found Alum 80's are the easiest to control buoyancy with, and if you are using steel tanks this could influence your buoyancy. I prefer large steel tanks, but am wondering what kind you are using?

 

[Seiler]

In my opinion all things can be solved by using Apollo Bio Fins!
[h=2][/h]

 

[Krazyklaws]

I have exactly this problem with my Diva BC. Because 'girl shaped' BCs tend to be cut shorter, weight is moved up the body and causes this 'feet up' position. I have the additional problem that I carry weight on my bottom and thighs, so need more neoprene in those areas!

The solution I've found is a combination of moving my tank down lower, and using a weight belt in conjuction with the integrated BC weights. I vary the split depending on the thickness of wetsuit I'm wearing. Thicker the wetsuit, the more weight I move to my hips. My Diva also has weight pockets on the tank strap, but whenever I use them the problem seems far worse.

Hope that helps.

KK xx

 

[faze]

What happens if you don't make it back to the down line? Or you get separated on the drift dive?


Very good point Ferris, we include it in our planning and the additional weight makes her safety stop easier rather than possible so a controlled ascent is not dependent on the additional weight. The extra 2KG is an aid rather than a requirement, every 5th or 6th dive we go without her having the weight.

 

[kdsmithjr]

one thing that might help is changing your thinking about what you are experiencing. right now it seems that your feet to too bouyant....to you. Have you ever thought about your upper body being to heavy....pulling your upper torso down relative to your feet?