Weigh in on ankle weights...

[Sounder]

As I look forward to getting wet again with my back injury healing nicely, an instructor recommended to me that using ankle weights with my dry suit might be a good option. They cited the fact that as one gets used to a drysuit they will surely do a feet-first ascent at some point and that with a back injury ankle weights can help prevent re-injury in trying to compensate for floating feet.

Please note: I have not yet dived my dry suit and will be taking "Drysuit 101" from Grateful Diver the first time I get in the water with it.

I would like to know what people's experiences are with them and why , or why they don't , use ankle weights. If yes, how much weight on each foot?

Humbly yours, Sounder

[CaptnJack]

I used ankle weights for a few years or so. Then got to the point where my gear, training and styles had changed so that I didn't need them.

Cons
they tend to promote a feet down attitude - mucking up the bottom big time. Keeping your feet low all the time is not really good form at our silty sites.
they can fall off, rather easily IMO then your too light
they are a solution to the 'problem' of using your suit for buoyancy (if you don't have a big bubble in there sloshing around you'll find the risk of a feet first ascent much lower) Keeping a small bubble in your suit is a good thing all around.

Pros
they make it relatively easy to dive dry
distribute weight off your waist

I would suggest taking Bob's class and talking with him about your options before you make a decision to buy any. I have many ankle weight kicking around the garage that nowadays get little use. If you want to try some 1# or 1.5# versions for a couple dives you could even borrow my old ones.

I sometimes use them as trim weights.

[BDub]

I personally don't like em, but I know several people who use them and like them.

In addition to CaptnJack's comments, the added weight on your ankles requires more effort to kick. Not enough to get you winded of course, but enough that it could effect your air consumption.

[Tom Nic]

I don't use 'em, though I know a few folks that do. Perhaps a comment from someone that uses them and likes them would be helpful?

Cap'n Jack's comments are thorough... not much to add, except to underline not making any decision until after your dry suit orientation. You will practice (hopefully) putting air in your suit, going upside down until you start to drift up, then getting yourself out of that upleasant (especially if it's unexpected) situation. It's not hard, but it is important to practice. (My comments presuppose NOT using your dry suit as primary on your buoyancy control.)

[Joshua Smith]

I've never had an uncontrolled ascent in my drysuit....They do happen, though, I hear, but I'm not clear on how some little ankle weights would prevent one....

[dsteding]

Having gone through the drysuit thing in the last few months (I now have about 30 dives in a drysuit), I'd second the suggestion to talk to Bob about using ankle weights.

There are other options out there to deal with floaty feet, in particular, I used gaiters for the first 20 or so dives in a drysuit, but got away from them when I (a) forgot them one day and then (b) let a new drysuit diver borrow them. I will say that the gaiters did prevent air from getting into my feet, which helped with getting used to a drysuit. Now I dive without them, and actually like the floaty feeling of my feet, it seems to keep me in trim nicely, and I've got enough experience to prevent a feet-first ascent . . . all I do now on ascending is occasionally straighten my legs to get any trapped air out of my feet.

Floaty feet in general will also depend on both drysuit fit (is it really baggy around your ankles?) and the booties on your suit (more neoprene=more float).

If you want to try the gaiters at some point, let me know, I'll be repossessing them soon.

[Tom Nic]

I've never had an uncontrolled ascent in my drysuit....They do happen, though, I hear, but I'm not clear on how some little ankle weights would prevent one....

They would not. They merely help keep your feet down, getting rid of the "floaty feet" thingy if it is a problem. Too much air in the feet could cause you to turn upside down and you could get disoriented and panic and have problems. (The "uncontrolled" part that is probably too strong a statement.) It is NOT a big deal with simple and proper training.

[Sounder]

That's all great information and is along the same lines I was thinking. Most drysuit divers I've seen didn't have them, but some do. I can see how an uncontrolled ascent could be a problem, but that sounds like a training issue instead of a gear issue.

I also agree that I like having my feet up and behind me and I hate touching the bottom (although I'm sure I will a few times when I don the drysuit) for obvious reasons.

On air consumption - I can use all the help I can get, although using Bob's breathing techniques and generally becoming more comfortable underwater enabled me to do my first 60 minute dive, even while chasing crabs! - then the dumb #%$&@ who was driving 20mph over the limit, on the phone, changing her radio, in a completely unfamilar area (yes, I'm still upset ) hit me and dented my boil pot!!!

So it sounds like the general opinion is either "I've never needed them" or "I tried them and didn't like them." For whatever it's worth, they're anti-DIR as well. I would, however, like to know if someone currently uses them and likes them.

[thelawgoddess]

i think my boyfriend said he wanted some, but he's got a lot of neoprene on his feet. i think he has some 3mm neoprene socks inside his suit and then i think he's got some 7mm booties on top of that. he also doesn't have gaiters. my drysuit socks (2mm neoprene) are very tight around the ankles, and i use trek boots so haven't really had an issue with floating feet. the first day i used my drysuit, though, i used 7mm booties (on top of my 2mm socks) AND the booties were too big for me AND the fins were too big for the booties ... and i did feel like i could rather easily have some floaty feet issues ... all of which went away when i got non-neoprene rock boots and fins that fit well. i think my boyfriend also wants the ankle weights for trim purposes, but he wears a bit of weight in weight pockets on the front of his back-inflated vest bc and i think they are up high enough (towards his neck rather than his waist) that they are throwing him off balance. i'm still a total newb so it's total conjecture, but that's what i think. (we're obivously still working on getting ourselves weighted and trimmed more properly!)

[Pinkpadigal]

It depends on what dry suit you own and what kind of fins you have. If your fins float, you might want ankle weights but if you dive a dry suit with ankle valves (Apollo) then you don't need them.

Tom is correct...the ankle weights help if air gets trapped in your feet.

I wear 1.5 on each ankle because I have narrow feet and no matter what suit I dive, I get air in my feet when I dive. I now have fins that float (Atomic split fins...they are awesome!!!) I am not very strong so the ankle weights help me flip if I do get inverted.

I would work with Bob (Grateful Diver) when you take your DS class. He will make sure you are weighted properly.

As many of you have quoted before...Diving Dry Rocks!!!

[Sounder]

Yeah, that's the other agenda - weighting (which I've already discussed with Bob). Everything is new when changing from wet to dry diving. Worth it though if I don't have to wrestle with a wetsuit!

I'm currently diving jets but may make the jump to turtles if I decide to go with different rock boots that won't fit the jets. I've heard very good things about the new atomic split fins though (and their new mask too)!

[Joshua Smith]

Oh, yeah- I do use the "Fin Buddies" or "Fin Keepers", the things that go over my drysuit boots to keep air out- I forgot about them. I have dived without them, however, and there wasn't a huge difference, but I prefer to have them, given a choice.

[CaptnJack]

My offer still stands to borrow some of mine sometime. Just so you can try with and without before buying any.

You can pick them up in Ballard. Or sometime when we're both in Cove 2 I could let you have them and all you'd have to do is leave them on my porch when you're done.

Right now I'm only using some of them (in my weight belt) to get my weighting correct for Cave1 in December. I only need 3#s, so 1.5#s in each side works well for that.

[Sounder]

I would like to take you up on that, so perhaps we can set a time to meet. There isn't any urgency as I'm still dry for a while, but I will be sure to get with you once I'm cleared. It'd be nice to have them available for my drysuit orientation with Bob whether I end up using them or not. This way I don't have to go a whole day without them after I learn that I want them.

Thanks for your offer very much.

[CaptnJack]

Where are you Sounder? Anywhere near Ballard (home) or downtown Seattle by King St. Station (work)?

I'd suggest trying the 1.5# (each) ankle weights. I think I have some 1#ers, but the 1.5s will be enough to notice a difference while you're busy adjusting to the new experience at the same time.

They are pink, so you'll look just smashing too!

Richard

[Sounder]

I work in Kirkland and live on Pine Lake in Sammamish. I get over to Ballard here and there and WILL be doing a lot of diving the first few weeks after I'm cleared so perhaps we can hook up then?

Pink? Sssssuper!!! I WILL look Sssssmashing!!! it'll go with my... uh... hmmmm.

[CaptnJack]

Sure, PM anytime and we'll work it out.