Buoyancy vs trim vs BCD vs Wing

[Nitnab Nhoj]

The air in a jacket-style BC or a wing-style BC goes to the same place when the correctly weighted diver is horizontal ie. the highest point behind the shoulders. The flotation low down in a jacket-style BC only comes into effect when the diver is horizontal with it fully-inflated at the surface. Sounds like the OP needs to look at the position of his ballast rather than the BC.

[Mike Ward]

FWIW, if you're also diving in a shorty the bare legs will be less buoyant than legs clad in neoprene, the reverse of floaty feet in a drysuit.

[sheesh]

If you can get ankle weights is there anyone who does ankle floats?

[Mike Ward]

Some of that thick foam pipe lagging?

[o2dependant]

FWIW, if you're also diving in a shorty the bare legs will be less buoyant than legs clad in neoprene, the reverse of floaty feet in a drysuit.

Interesting. This was actually in a 3mm shortie( and a first and only). Usually I'm in a full suit. Was weighted properly I checked in and out

[Janos]

Try moving a few kg up to the camband. You can get pockets which thread on to the camband which are perfect for this, and make swapping the cylinder over much easier.

My own revelation was on a course a few years back. I put my 15l cylinder in for a fill, but someone in another group picked it up. Fortunately one of the instructors on the event had a spare cylinder which I borrowed, although it was only a 10 litre cylider.

By some pure fluke, this put the weight right in the middle of my back, and I was able to float, godlike, in horizontal trim. I put my 15l on the next day (it turned up over night) and then I was fighting the kit for the rest of the dive. I then started moving the weight around inch by inch until I was trimmed neutrally.

Fast forward a few years and I've a few more dives under my belt and now the weight distribution is less critical. I can trim most sets of kit out by moving feet arms and legs. So - I was spend a bit of time faffing with weights and improving your trim, but use the weights as a gross adjustment and fine tune with your body.

For BC vs wing, I don't think it matters that much. You're only going to have a couple of litre of air (so 2kg) in it and you need to put that into the context of whatever you have on your weightbelt. Go for whatever you like the look of and is comfy. If you can try it out a few times beforehand then so much the better.

Janos

[ootini]

If you're ever around north Wales you're welcome to have a go on my rig.

[Spirit of Guernsey]

If you're ever around north Wales you're welcome to have a go on my rig.

You are starting to sound like Jimmy Savile.

[ootini]

Jingle jangle !

[holly]

i dropped the tank down a couple inches lower when i was struggling to get horizontal and it made loads of difference, also spread the lead about so that i had more in my trim pockets at the back and less at the sides of the BCD seemed to work well. Have you tried diving with a drysuit yet? That might lift your legs up a bit but its generally a weighting problem more than BCD vs Wing . I had floaty feet tho so you may need to move your tank up. Also check you arnt overweighted

[o2dependant]

I'll remeber the offer. Thanks..

[ootini]

I'll remeber the offer. Thanks..

First thing you'll notice is the fcuking weight of it all when you try and stand up. Still makes me cry like a bitch.

[Hot Totty]

Trims trim, achievable in either BCD or wing - it's just easier in a wing

[Nitnab Nhoj]

Trims trim, achievable in either BCD or wing - it's just easier in a wing

I can honestly say that I have used virtually every buoyancy control device available between 1985 and late 2012 and can confirm that what you say is misleading!

[Hot Totty]

I can honestly say that I have used virtually every buoyancy control device available between 1985 and late 2012 and can confirm that what you say is misleading!

In what way?