| Imported post
Dave
I had the exact same problem with low back pain due to a bike smash over a year ago. I was out for around 12 months and on starting diving again had to completely rethink my kit. Nothing hurts like a weight belt around your waist!! I have no weight belt now and have moved all my weight to different places. I use the old scubapro jet fins with spring straps and they are 5 pounds alone. On the twinset I have weight pouches bolted on so the weight is evenly distributed, you can use V weights too which are ditchable or pouches clipped on either side of the belt of a wing. BCDs and weight belts are NOT the way to go with back problems and indeed can make the problem worse. I have had various diving medicals etc and was told not to dive because I was straining the lower vertebrae..so the only answer was to completely reconfigure. Never say die!
Result - now I can carry twin 15s with two stage bottles with NO back pain!! Once you move to a twinset it's infinitely easier, I promise, the weight sits properly distributed and you can drop some weight because of the added twin weight. Be careful about how much you are dropping, every 10 or 20 dives you should try dropping a few pounds of lead off. If you can float at eye level with all air dumped holding a normal breath then you are correctly weighted. If you can stay down at 3 metres with 50 bar in tanks then you are correctly weighted. It all takes time and practice and patience but it WILL come eventually and the "bouyant" feeling will go away. Mind power plays a big part too...when you are dropping down, just exhale and relax, finning and struggling is best avoided and will make you exerted and use more air on the descent..get in shallow water and use the whole time to mess about with weight..it's the only way!  |