The Great 'Ankle-weights Debate'.

[Dr Stevil]

I always recommend "manacles" for my trainees, just to get them going but tell them to treat them like stabilisers on your bike, you can bin them when you've got more confidence. Going for my first post-red sea dive on Sunday, it's looking like it's going to be  6m in Crummock Water   Oh frubious joy...

[John Gulliver]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (daz @ Nov. 20 2003,14:18)]My thoughts,  If you really need them then use them,  If you don't, then don't

As for ankle weights coming loose, my wife had this problem and there was no way she would stop using them so I modified them slightly with a bit of bungee and she has not had any problems since.

Daz

Exactly! I managed fine without ankle weights for several years, then I bought a new drysuit at LIDS this year. It was made to measure for someone else but fits me perfectly except that the boots are XXL and I take size 8 shoes. With three pairs of socks, I still feel unsafe without ankle weights, so I started using them again, seeing as it was a much cheaper solution than having the boots changed or buying new, heavier fins. Beavers' ankle weights (700 grammes per weight) have good pinch clips. They do NOT fall off. I lost a fin on one occasion but have never lost an ankle weight. Like the man said, if you don't need them, all well and good. If you do, bugger what anybody else thinks! It's got nothing to do with being a novice.

[Finless]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (dcrampt @ Nov. 20 2003,14:08)]I have a found at times air does enter the lower half of my suit but I can get round this by just pushing my legs down (vertical) and then the air rises into the suit. Our club taught us to dive at an angle just off horizontal so air stayes in the main body of the suit.

All well and good until you want to ferret about on a wreck - looking under metal sheets, down into holes etc - you just can't maintain that position all the time. I have at times been 100% inverted trying to get my head down a narrow opening to have a look see inside somewhere.

I don't care what anyone says - I need them. Without I end up with my legs in a skydiving position.

As for you people who don't need them you must have fat ankles and clod hopper feet - unless you are bigger than me that is, in which case you are all better divers than me.

[Dominic]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]OK, speaking as a novice who's just had his first drysuit dives...

On my first dive, I didn't wear them. It was a bloody nightmare.
On my second dive, I wore ankle weights. It made an enormous difference (improvement).

I intend to wear ankle weights for a while, until I lose or forget them one day and realise I don't need them after all - because I think they will make the process of learning to use a drysuit much easier and probably safer.

Good. Well done - you did it the right way round. Start without them, add them if you need them, hope to discard them later. Exactly how they SHOULD be used.

They really are the training wheels of the drysuit world. But whilst you see very few adults using training wheels on bikes, you see many experienced divers who've never tried to master the art of using a drysuit without leg irons. Go figure...

[Finless]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (John Gulliver @ Nov. 20 2003,15:36)]Like the man said, if you don't need them, all well and good. If you do, bugger what anybody else thinks! It's got nothing to do with being a novice.

John, don't prevaricate. Say what you mean.    Yeah - go John!

What he said.  

[Dominic]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]All well and good until you want to ferret about on a wreck - looking under metal sheets, down into holes etc - you just can't maintain that position all the time

Autodump wide open solves so many problems - there's just not enough air in the suit to migrate in the first place. Complete inversion? No problem!

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]unless you are bigger than me that is, in which case you are all better divers than me.

I dunno.. I'm 6'4"...  which am I?

[Finless]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Dominic @ Nov. 20 2003,15:45)]

I dunno.. I'm 6'4"...  which am I?

Much much much much much better.

Sir.

[daz]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Finless @ Nov. 20 2003,15:50)]

Much much much much much better.

Sir.

5'6".... Shall I assume I have fat ankles and clod hopper feet then  

Daz

[Lou]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Personally, I'm happy to say I'm the opposite - I'm foot-heavy, to the point that I have small trim weights at the very top of my backplate, just to keep me level..

I think that you don't need these weights....what you need is a heavier mask.  

Can I just point out a valuable difference here?  

There are a few different uses for ankle weights.  There is keeping your feet *down* whilst learning to prevent an inversion.  That is more about learning the feel of the suit and what you can, and can't, do safely.

Then there is compensating for migrating air, for which gaitors may be another solution, as might thick socks - or you may still feel better with ankle weights.  Experience has nothing to do with it really.

Finally there is trim.  Once you've done all the mucking about with your other weights and tank positions, if you are still "top heavy" a valid solution is to add weight at the "bottom" end.  This could be heavy fins (if you want that type of fin) or it could be ankle weights.  Whichever you choose is a personal decision and in function (adjusting your trim) neither one has any advantage over the other.  

So, all this "novices" and "stabilisers" talk is a bit of a red herring IMHO.  There is one case of the three where it is applicable, and those people may, or may not "grow out" of them.  They may equally find that they fall into one of the other categories.  

God, we've been here before.......where's that damn groundhog.?

Lou  

Out and Proud - I wear ankleweights!!

[Finless]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (daz @ Nov. 20 2003,15:55)]5'6".... Shall I assume I have fat ankles and clod hopper feet then  

Daz

Only just, young man, only just.

Jeez, I forgot younger and healthier than me - FFS everyone is much much much better than me.


I noticed various people mention putting extra socks on to discourage air displacement ? Ever tried breathing through clothing when it has been really smokey or midgey to stop inhaling the larger particles - yeah, it is really hard to breathe when you do that, NOT.