I think I have a flow problem through my skimmer plumbing ? The circulation pump is running and I have hot water being pumped through the 2 outlets in the tub , but I have alot of surface debrit and I just don't seem to see any flow into the skimmer. I have installed a new filter and when I crack the air bleed on top of the filter housing it is building pressure in the filter housing. Any ideas ? My tub has a top load filter and a circullation pump system. How can there be circulation through the heater and the filter plumbing yet no flow into the skimmer ? I have already covered the " safety inlet " with a plastic bag to make sure that all of the circullation was flowing through that tube .

You probably have more than one suction port in the footwell like the one you already covered up. Is the skimmer a plastic box mounted inside the tub or a hole in the wall with a basket?

I have a total of 5 suction ports in the footwell , 2 each for the two jet pumps and just the one for the circulation pump. Yes the skimmer is mounted in the side of the tub with a basket ( hole in the wall ) Should it have a " flapper " door ?

Yes, there should be some sort of a floating weir to break the surface of the water as it goes in. Also, the water level needs to be below the top of the skimmer opening for it to work. Probably not your issue, but just to cover everything.