Tailoring Trim To Tubby Tummies

[Bubblesong]

Despite all the talk about “dialing in trim”, i have yet to see a comprehensive list of factors that affect trim, and also where divisions of weights need to be located on different body types in order to sort out weighting so that you have a decent starting place before you go in the water and start turtling like the Swedish Warship Vasa.

Are we too delicate to mention that NOT weighting for butz and gutz make us a diving klutz?

To start, i am a “Middleweight”, so I found i needed weight on a weight belt in front, but tried spreading some trim weights on tanks. Whether in 7mm or in 3mm wetsuits, with aluminum tank, it seems like tank trim weights are just not helping with stability, as weights want to roll under and tummy wants to float up.
Are tank trim weights just for skinny people?

 

[pepperbelly]

I am also buoyance enhanced.
I am not as smart as most here but I think tank trim weights are more to balance between head and feet, not butt and gut.
I use a Zeagle Ranger bcd with weight pockets. Having weight more in front seems handy.

 

[Marie13]

Remember - us plump people are floaty people!

I found that having my weight all spread out really helped me. Stainless steel BP, weighted STA, trim weights, some on the belt, and steel tanks.

 

[Bubblesong]

I use a Zeagle Ranger bcd with weight pockets. Having weight more in front seems handy.

I used to use BCD, but have switched to back plate and wing with OMS ballast system that is putting weights more to the side, rather than hanging down in front, and then I added the tank trim weights to get higher weights, but now I face stability issues i did not have with a bcd.

 

[Bubblesong]

Remember - us plump people are floaty people!

I found that having my weight all spread out really helped me. Stainless steel BP, weighted STA, trim weights, some on the belt, and steel tanks.

All that seems to put your heavy bits above your floaty bits, yet you don’t have stability issues?

 

[Marie13]

All that seems to put your heavy bits above your floaty bits, yet you don’t have stability issues?

Nope. With my 5mm I need 8 lbs of lead and 12 lbs with my 7mm. I spread the weight evenly amongst belt and trim pockets. Works well. Believe me, I’ve mucked around with it a ton. I used to be very head UP. My HP80s work beautifully for me as they can tend to put people head down, I’m told.

 

[The Chairman]

Getting trim is all about your center of gravity as well as your center of floatation. Fat doesn't seem to deposit itself only in one place... at least for most people. But determining whether you're a floater or a sinker is important. Does adding EP make you a floater, or are you still a sinker? We're approaching this as a whole, so first things first: where are you at now? FWIW, this requires that you've already figured out how much weight you needed to sink and that you have that weight.

Get yourself in a hovering position about ten to twelve inches above the bottom. You should be able to easily touch the bottom. Try to relax and let your body achieve its natural position. Where are you? Feet down or up? If your feet are down, you need to shift weight forward or buoyancy backwards. If you're diving a steel tank, then it follows the general rule of sliding it down the BC to get your feet to sink and up the BC to get them more floaty. If you overdo it, just back it down a bit. If you're diving an aluminum tank, then it's counterintuitive. You're actually shifting buoyancy and not weight. Down means your feet will get floaty while up means they will sink... within reason. If you get close, cool. If not attach a weight on the floaty end of your BCD. We'll figure out how to attach it permanently later. Too much weight and try a smaller one. In fact, try not to add weight if you have your weight already dialed in... just redistribute what you have. Once you're close, you're ready for the next step. Get horizontal and neutral 10-12 inches above the bottom. Are you comfy? Cool: now close your eyes and count to ten. Open them to see where you are. Redistribute weight accordingly. Once you get 10 seconds down, go for 20, then 40 and ultimately a full minute.

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Please Remember...

Your arms and legs can shift your weight/buoyancy around too. However, EP affects this, especially in the legs, so you'll have to see if extending your legs causes your butt to rise or sink. Same with your arms.

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[Bubblesong]

@The Chairman I so wanted to take your neutral bouyancy class in a Scubaboard Invasion for just this reason, but instead am taking the family to Frederickstead pier in May. The three of us will be fine tuning with just skins, then with 3mm. When we get back to Boston, We will work out trim with 7mm and then, (and this is the challenge for me) with drysuit. I am going to take notes and compare each of these experiences as I go. You may get some PM’s with specific questions, so thank you in advance!