Ascent/Descent Techniques

[ColinCB]

How do you ascend/descend when diving?

I was discussing this with a couple of friends and wanted to know how all of you guys do it.

Do you.....

Ascend head first or horizontal/in trim?

Descend head first, feet down, or horizontal/in trim?

 

[CuNanoTube]

Well, I have thus-far dove with a cheap jacket style BC and as of such have descended feet first and ascended head first. I now have a BP&W style BC so The horizontal/trim style Ascent is easier.

 

[Scott]

Do you.....

Ascend head first or horizontal/in trim?

Descend head first, feet down, or horizontal/in trim?

Or all of the above.
I try to descend horizontal and ascend horizontal whenever possible. There have been times where I felt another position would better.

My last choice would be a feet down descent. It restricts my vision of what is below and makes the decsent harder to control. IMO

 

[Jax]

This is an advanced topic?

 

[scubadada]

This is an advanced topic?

Right on.

Good diving, Craig

 

[Blackwood]

As an almost exclusively open water diver, most of the time I ascend and descend horizontally. Find it easier to control rates that way. It also positions me to quickly move in the plane parallel to the surface (eg to close the distance between myself and a buddy).

Some situations might cause me to opt for other orientations. Scootering down, addressing a runaway inflator, non-responsive diver rescue, environmental restriction, etc..

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

This is an advanced topic?

Perhaps in some minds?

The advanced diving answer is; depends.

The advanced age answer is; Depends.



One dive, from the surface my entire group of 6 divers could all see the pair of spotted eagle rays over 90' below us. I asked how they would feel if I made a dive bomb descent to try for a good picture. Now these pictures are for at least a few of the divers in the group, not just for me. The whole group said "go for it, we'll meet you at the bottom of the mooring line."

Trust me, my group is descending that mooring line when those pics were taken.

​

 

[dumpsterDiver]

No picture is worth your life!

You need to stay with the group and DO NOT leave the descent line!

 

[TMHeimer]

Usually I descend head first down the anchor line, loosely holding it if strong surrent. I equalize very easily, so the faster I get down the more bottom time. Head first coming up. But as others have said, in both cases it "depends".

 

[pjhansman]

So it seems that somewhere I was told that I should generally be looking up when I ascend....

How does one do that when horizontal/in trim?

In truth....I usually ascend horizontal/in trim up to the safety stop, then head first to surface.