Balance question

[TNdiver]

I finally got a chance to go to the lake yesterday and do some diving before i go to Hawaii later this summer. I made my weight belt my self out of a set of ankle weights and an old nylon webbing belt. All the weight is on the back of the belt. On my first dive or two i ended up doing an underwater flip and comming back to the surface. I know part of the problem is probably that i couldnt see to tell which way i was going. (surface visibality was probably about a foot and a half, i was lucky to see my hand on the rope a few inches infront of my face at 30 feet.) Im wondering if having the weight all on my back may have been a big part of the cause of that, or if it shouldnt be a problem if i was able to see where i was going.

 

[sheepeck]

Maybe, maybe not. I personally also have all my weights on my back - 2 or 3 kg and not having a flipping problem.

 

[TNdiver]

on your back as in around your shoulder area?(more like a weight harness) or around your waist on a belt, but all behind you?

 

[sheepeck]

Around my hips = I'm wearing belt very low
And yes - the weights are "behind" me

 

[TNdiver]

thanks for the help. I said what i said that way because of the weight harnesses that some people use that have the weight high on their back between their shoulders, and i wanted to clarify if thats what you were using.

 

[TNdiver]

Turns out it was just a matter of low visiblity in the river, and not getting my entry right. I just got back from my trip to hawaii, and had no problem with not going down right. I used the belt i had made a few times, but ended up getting a regular weight belt while i was there. I will switch the belt to a bike tire innertube like ive read about before i use it again. I didnt like how tight the belt had to be to not slide.

 

[sheepeck]

Put your belt as low as possible (I always put it on the hips almost about 20cm below belly buton) = then the tighting it up isn't problem as it would be if I put it around belly.
BTW - what kind of belt you have? I have a rubber one.

 

[TNdiver]

It's one of the nylon webbing ones. I read that a bike innertube works well as a rubber belt, and that rubber belts are, in most peoples oppinion, better than the cloth ones.