someone please - help me trim my unit so i am flat in the water

[Trumble]

ok this is doing my noodle.

Standard AP vision 2012 - no modifications - and i dont really want to just yet - 34 hrs.

So recently i have done some dives in the sea and my trim was horrendous, on the deco stop at 6m i was starting flat but after a minute or so i would be almost vertical and finding that i had to adjust myself back to a more horizontal.

Current configs

fresh - 4Kg (2 on either side) in weight pockets, 4kg in top of unit and 0.5 kg in either top wing pocket. - i can stay reasonably flat for a good 15 mins and i dont get back ache.

sea - 5.5kg belt (2.75 on either size), 6kg in top of unit and 1kg in either wing pocket

in both i have a light for me canister on my belt, this was with Ali7 as bail out - full.

so what can i do to stop getting dragged down to a more vertical attitude in the water? best i can see is to keep moving weight from the belt area up higher up ?

what to peep think ?

T.

[dwhitlow]

you could try lighter fins?

also, that seems a lot of lead. are you sure you need that much?

[Trumble]

you could try lighter fins?

mine float ! i canna make then much lighter - but good idea !

[Digger]

Counterintuitive, but it may be that lots of weight higher up is causing you to put your feet down to stop your legs floating up. 6kg on the top of the box is a lot, nobody I've seen needs that much to trim out, even with lead around their waist.

If it isn't that, I'd suggest a metal frame, the likes of the Decoweenie stainless frame trimmed out better than the yellow box ever could for me. Reduces the overall weight, moves the weight up, when I used it I had no top weight and it trimmed the same as the AP box with 3kg in the top, so with one of those and a couple of weights near the top of it I can't imagine you'd get more head-heavy than that.

Digs.

[JPTaylor]

Try an SS back-plate instead of the AP harness (not recommended by AP!), a 3kg one should be enough. You do run the risk of trashing the case, as happened to me a few weeks ago, but large repair washers (I didn't have) should help.

Or, try removing the soft-pack on the AP harness, a friend of mine dropped 2kg of lead when they did that....

[Dave1w]

someone please - help me trim my unit so i am flat in the water

What are your lungs like? Are you running them pretty low volume or with lots of gas in them? Was watching my missus today who is trying out an evo and at one point she couldn't get flatter, then she concentrated and dumped some gas from the lungs and felt better.

[Mark Chase]

As above minimum loop is esential for good trim on the inspo as the OTS lungs are big and very OTS.

I used a 3kg SS plate and a 3kg weight on the top 4kg in the pouches with Mares Quatro fins.

When I switched to a travel frame (deco weeny) i droped 4.0kg and no longer used a top weight

The new G Box seems the perfict design for the Inspo. I had a Hurn Ali box but that didnt trim out easily. The Deco weeny was great but too fragile


ATB

Mark

[dwhitlow]

Try an SS back-plate instead of the AP harness (not recommended by AP!), a 3kg one should be enough. You do run the risk of trashing the case, as happened to me a few weeks ago, but large repair washers (I didn't have) should help.

With original harness I used 11kg for the sea

I moved to 6mm BP (5.1kg) with 3kg on belt and 1kg in either wing pocket
I remembered to use large washers either side but still found a fully inflated wing was pushing the box away from the BP.

I recently removed the 6mm plate when I went to BMCL and G-Box so I have Agir 6mm BP (with OPH and "winch") spare if anyone wants to make an offer involving a "standard width" steel backplate with deep a V (e.g. Halcyon with cinch)

With G-Box, membrane suit, arctic and xerotherm and I use 3.5kg in wing pockets 2kg on each tank (less when ali BP -> steel BP)

[Charlie]

I'm managing to stay pretty flat with a Kent Tooling frame, the thing I am struggling with though is the hose routing from the T pieces to the scrubber. The handle just seems to be in the wrong place and kinks the hoses. If they go through the handle they kink when I'm wearing the unit, if I put them over the handle, they put a lot of strain on the hoses when its on the bench. I have only ever dived it in the frame, and was thinking about trying out the yellow box to see whether it is any better.

charlie

[ebt]

Thats whats technically described as a 'shit load' of weight. I'd imagine you're not running MLV, if not, thats the first thing to fix.

to get a baseline;

1. How much weight do you need in twin 12's with the same gear/conditions etc?
2. Can you trim horizontal with twins?

[bottle maker]

It sound like you are overweighted that is a lot extra you are putting on for the sea. I suggest you do a weight check and find out what weight you need. As people get more used to CCR and maintaining minimum loop volume the find they can drop weight. You should be running the unit at minimum loop volume does adv fire or the lungs bottom if you make an extra big effort to inhale. If this is not happening you are not at minimum loop. Because of the lung position any excess gas will dry to pull your head up.

I work my weight out with no stages I just find the minimum lead I need then use the weight of the stages to make things comfortable. If I have to bale out and ascend OC looking good is the least of my worries. The adrenaline will keep me warm.

Graham

[Mark Chase]

Thats whats technically described as a 'shit load' of weight. I'd imagine you're not running MLV, if not, thats the first thing to fix.

to get a baseline;

1. How much weight do you need in twin 12's with the same gear/conditions etc?
2. Can you trim horizontal with twins?

Errrrr?

I recently did DIRF in a Weezle Extreem DUI 50/50 dry suit and Forth element base layer with twin euro 12s. I was overweighted with no lead and an Aluminium back plate no stages.


On my JJ same rig I use a SS back plate and 4kg in the tubes in the rig

On my Inspo Classic same rig but with a 03 Lycra drysuit I used 10Kg including the SS back plate



So i cant realy see the relevance.

ATB

Mark

[Trumble]

What are your lungs like? Are you running them pretty low volume or with lots of gas in them? Was watching my missus today who is trying out an evo and at one point she couldn't get flatter, then she concentrated and dumped some gas from the lungs and felt better.

well - its odd you should ask - i thought they were reasonable minimum loop, however i have a feeling they arent as the other day my buoyancy was all over the place despite being at a constant depth, i had a feeling he adv was adding some when perhaps it wasnt. so the dives i have done since have been with the adv off, so i'm pretty sure its been minimum loop. However I do see that if it wasnt then the added buoyancy of over inflated FML would pull me vertical.

Anyone know where there is a guide for swapping harness and adding BP ?

T.

[ebt]

So i cant realy see the relevance.

ATB

Mark

1. Gives an idea of his usual weighting, so you can scale it up to roughly where it should be on an inspo (since everyone is different size/shape)
2. Gives an idea of if he already has the skills/knowledge of how horizontal trim should be achieved.

dont make me tell ya to feck off on two forums

[Trumble]

Thats whats technically described as a 'shit load' of weight. I'd imagine you're not running MLV, if not, thats the first thing to fix.

to get a baseline;

1. How much weight do you need in twin 12's with the same gear/conditions etc?
2. Can you trim horizontal with twins?

1. 2-4Kg fresh (depending on undersuit), 4-6Kg sea depending on undersuits

2. Bang on flat

T.