Serious question: Farting and bouyancy :)

[JonOh]

I'm a new diver and during one of my shallow dives, I took one of the biggest farts in my life halfway through my dive. I was wearing a 3mm wetsuit, weight belt, booties and a hoodie. Immediately after that I realized I was getting really bouyant and from the trapped air in my wetsuit. The weightbelt I had on was not helping as it was trapping the air inside my wetsuit, so I went upside down to try to get the bubbles out. I think I was only able to get some out as I was still pretty bouyant after that. If you have not died from laughter yet I have these two questions:

- Why did I get bouyant after farting? I'm assuming I had that gas in me before I jumped into the water properly weighted. I was also neutrally bouyant at the bottom.
- If this were to happen again, what is the best way to overcome it?

Thanks!

 

[seattlepaul1975]

I'm a new diver and during one of my shallow dives, I took one of the biggest farts in my life halfway through my dive. I was wearing a 3mm wetsuit, weight belt, booties and a hoodie. Immediately after that I realized I was getting really bouyant and from the trapped air in my wetsuit. The weightbelt I had on was not helping as it was trapping the air inside my wetsuit, so I went upside down to try to get the bubbles out. I think I was only able to get some out as I was still pretty bouyant after that. If you have not died from laughter yet I have these two questions:

- Why did I get bouyant after farting? I'm assuming I had that gas in me before I jumped into the water properly weighted. I was also neutrally bouyant at the bottom.
- If this were to happen again, what is the best way to overcome it?

Thanks!

Well what other gear did you have on? What type of tank? I might be way off base, but when I use an AL tank I am like a balloon....I have a ton of trouble staying down once I start to get lower on air around the 1k mark. Perhaps it is something else and it is just the timing of the "release of air" that is at the same time?

 

[tech_diver]

Note to self:

New Product Idea:
3mm tropical full suit with vented butt panel...

 

[Johanan]

Haha! I guess, your "bottom gas" was less compressed outside you then inside. It expanded under your wetsuit and became an alternative source of buoyancy - in a manner of a dry suit. Perhaps you should punch a venting hole in your wetsuit?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Another recent thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/445105-passing-gas-affecting-buoyancy.html

 

[hroark2112]

As a side note...when you fart in a crowded room...say "OOOHHH!! I smell popcorn!!" and everyone will take a big sniff!




New Bean-O commercial! "Take Bean-O before diving, and there'll be no uncontrolled ascent!!" I'm a marketing genius!

 

[JonOh]

Well what other gear did you have on? What type of tank? I might be way off base, but when I use an AL tank I am like a balloon....I have a ton of trouble staying down once I start to get lower on air around the 1k mark. Perhaps it is something else and it is just the timing of the "release of air" that is at the same time?

I had an Al tank, non split fins, BCD and my gopro. I still had over 1k worth of air but I did notice I got slightly more bouyant after that but I compensated for it. It would be nice if there is an efficient way to expel the extra bodily air.

Note to self:

New Product Idea:
3mm tropical full suit with vented butt panel...

If the panel can extend all the way past the crotch, it would be nice to not have to half strip the wetsuit to pee.

---------- Post added February 19th, 2013 at 02:10 PM ----------

Another recent thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/445105-passing-gas-affecting-buoyancy.html

Yea I read them all, it was entertaining to read but most didn't think it would affect the bouyancy. I think that is true when the fart is small. But like I said, I took the biggest fart in my life. It was life changing.

 

[eelnoraa]

Another reason to switch to drysuit so that you can easily vent the air out. But I guess this is not a very repeatable experiement. by not repeatable, I don't mean the event, but the size of the event.

 

[redacted]

[h=3]Effervescence[/h]

 

[seattlepaul1975]

This thread gives a whole new meaning to "Blowing Bubbles"