BC Inflator Use

[Zenshift]

How often are you adjusting the air in your BC as you travel vertically through the water column (including the depth, i.e. more often deeper or shallower)? Or are you slightly negative the whole time and keeping your finger off the button, controlling only with breathing and finning? I realize I'll "suddenly" get it with experience, but control is lacking and frustrating for now.

 

[Zenshift]

I meant "perfect" control is lacking (I'm not crashing into things). It is just that I'm very competitive and hate not being skilled already.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

For ascents, I use fins only. When I get to my safety-stop depth, I bump a little air into my BC to remain neutral at that depth. Don't use your BC as a lift-bag or to propel yourself upward through the water column. (Boyle's Law)

 

[OE2X]

Except when descending I'm neutral the rest of the dive. I add just enough gas to maintain a neutral position on descent. When ascending, I vent, but should I stop and exhale I'll sink a bit. With just my breath I control +/- 5'.

Oh and yes it did take me a lot of dives to get to where I am. Sorry...

 

[Walter]

Unless I'm wearing a wet suit, I never put air in my BC.

 

[Footslogger]

I do u/w photo and tend to dive a little negative so that I can flatten out and lay still on the sandy bottom when it exists. As a result I generally use the inflator quite a bit. At the end of a dive (prior to acending for a safety stop) I typically adjust to neutral and then just fin myself to the hang bar. Depending on my buoyancy at the hang bar I generally try and re-establish neutral. Depending on the current, I often push off the bar and attempt to pharo sit in the water for my safety stop and then fin to the surface. I play a lot in that last 15 feet or so of water trying to ascend at the absolute slowest pace possible (not necessary but something I've begun to do for my ears). Once on the surface I alway inflate my BCD quite a bit to allow for a slow and leisurely swim to the boat.

'Slogger

 

[RICHinNC]

I would make a dangerous venture to say most are neutral...or trying to get that way.

As for hand position, I generally dive with my inflator hose in my left hand (I have a long 27in hose) and my right is layed in a comfortable natural position that happens to be right where I keep my pony reg.

During ascent I am def negative and use fins to ascend letting out air as needed to stay neg. Once I get at usually 20' I will go neutral and do my deco. Then, dump some air and slowly ascend the last 20'. Since I dive a bp and wing, once I break surface I only inflate enough to keep head out of water.

rich

 

[Ed Marshall]

It sort of depends on how you're weighted, I think. I weight myself so that I can barely get under the water and then only when I exhale as much air from my lungs as possible. Once I reach my desired depth I am neutral when moving forward, without adding any air to my BC. If I want to stop and hover, I do have to tap the inflator 1-2 times but, otherwise, the only time I add air is when I reach the surface.

Ed

 

[Divedoggie]

As a new diver, you should dump air before ascending, and while ascending. It is much safer.

In a controlled environment, try dumping just a little air before ascending. Hold your finger over the button and watch your depth gauge, as you ascend dump a little more air so that you are never buoyant. Stop and hover, then continue your ascent, then stop and hover. Develop precise control.

As you get even better, you will not need to hold your finger on the button, so long as you can get to it readily.

 

[boulderjohn]

Unless I'm wearing a wet suit, I never put air in my BC.

Walter's point assumes, of course, that you are properly weighted.

Most beginning divers use too much weight--by far. If you focus on using the least amount of lead you need on a dive--and you will gradually use less and less with experience--dealing with the amount of air in the BCD will become easier and easier.