Sounds like you are carrying too much lead to me. I use just enough lead to almost not let me sink. I use NO air in my BCD if I am using one to keep the dive operator happy. Then I let out all my breath to get me started down. As I descend I start clearing my ears at about 10 feet by pinching my nostrils and blowing out and keep on doing so each time the pressure starts building up. At about thirty feet or so I can clear just by swallowing. Lucky me. Since I rarely use a full wetsuit there isn't much difference with my buoyantcy from top to bottom but if I tend to sink I'll puff in a little air to stay off the coral or ship, whichever I am diving. I let this air out before ascending.
Best techniques for Open Water Descent & Ascent
- Thread starter satwar
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Bogie
Contributor
Descending is personal choice.
If you know how and can clear your ears easily descending style and speed is your choice.
On some drift dives I descend quickly to keep the diving group together during the drift. I actually swim down. You must equalize your ears quickly and equalize for mask squeeze.
Normally I let air out of my bc until I start to descend then horizontal then swim a bit.
If I have ear equalizing problems I descend very slowly in the horizontal position.
Getting into the horizontal position is the smart thing to do because your have greater control and balance. It sets you up for proper diving position for your dive and enables you to slow to a neutral buoyancy stopping your decent several feet from the bottom. Another benefit is you protect the sea floor (corral, critters, and you don't kick up debris).
Ascending is a different story and you must ascend at the appropriate rate.
If you know how and can clear your ears easily descending style and speed is your choice.
On some drift dives I descend quickly to keep the diving group together during the drift. I actually swim down. You must equalize your ears quickly and equalize for mask squeeze.
Normally I let air out of my bc until I start to descend then horizontal then swim a bit.
If I have ear equalizing problems I descend very slowly in the horizontal position.
Getting into the horizontal position is the smart thing to do because your have greater control and balance. It sets you up for proper diving position for your dive and enables you to slow to a neutral buoyancy stopping your decent several feet from the bottom. Another benefit is you protect the sea floor (corral, critters, and you don't kick up debris).
Ascending is a different story and you must ascend at the appropriate rate.
Ben_ca
Contributor
If I may add onto Bogies thoughts:
Descent should be in a controlled manner. You should have the ability to arrest the descent at anytime just in case you or your buddy is having a problem clearing. The same with the ascent. For deco/safety stops or to make sure that a boat isn't going to ruin your dive you, the diver should be in control.
I agree with the people who say you were overweighted. If you are weighted properly, you should just drift downward to begin with, or maybe even have a tiny bit of difficulty getting under the water. If you let the air out of the BC and you plummet, you're way too heavy.
That said, as you descend, you will become more negative, as the residual air in the BC compresses and your wetsuit or drysuit compresses. So your speed of descent accelerates, unless you do something about it. I use the rule that, each time I need to clear my ears, I need to put air in SOMETHING, whether that's my BC or my dry suit (and I choose which by the comfort of the suit at that point). If you're diving wet, you have only one choice.
Ben is precisely right -- Descents should be controlled just as well as ascents. Both are times when things are likely to go wrong. On descent, you or your buddy may have ear problems, or discover some piece of equipment that isn't working properly (although a good buddy check should have found that). If you plummet, you may well get separated and be unable to assist your companion. It's a great exercise to do some descents down a wall or line, and stop every ten feet for a few seconds, just for discipline.
Once you have the weighting right and the concept of adding gas down, THEN you can work on a nice horizontal position, which will allow you to see the bottom before you hit it.
That said, as you descend, you will become more negative, as the residual air in the BC compresses and your wetsuit or drysuit compresses. So your speed of descent accelerates, unless you do something about it. I use the rule that, each time I need to clear my ears, I need to put air in SOMETHING, whether that's my BC or my dry suit (and I choose which by the comfort of the suit at that point). If you're diving wet, you have only one choice.
Ben is precisely right -- Descents should be controlled just as well as ascents. Both are times when things are likely to go wrong. On descent, you or your buddy may have ear problems, or discover some piece of equipment that isn't working properly (although a good buddy check should have found that). If you plummet, you may well get separated and be unable to assist your companion. It's a great exercise to do some descents down a wall or line, and stop every ten feet for a few seconds, just for discipline.
Once you have the weighting right and the concept of adding gas down, THEN you can work on a nice horizontal position, which will allow you to see the bottom before you hit it.
Ben_ca
Contributor
If you are falling like a stone, it's possible that you are carrying too much weight. Try taking some weight off and see if you descend more slowly and in a more controlled manner.
I agree with spectrum, firefyter and mpetryk that going horizontal once you are sinking is ideal; it will slow your descent a little and give you more control. You also see where you're going so that the bottom doesn't come up at you faster than you expect.
For ascents, make sure to keep dumping air as you ascend because it expands and could make you rise in the water column faster than you intend. Use your fins to propel yourself upward. If you don't wear a dive computer that calculates ascent rates, watch your bubbles and go slower than the smallest ones.
I agree with spectrum, firefyter and mpetryk that going horizontal once you are sinking is ideal; it will slow your descent a little and give you more control. You also see where you're going so that the bottom doesn't come up at you faster than you expect.
For ascents, make sure to keep dumping air as you ascend because it expands and could make you rise in the water column faster than you intend. Use your fins to propel yourself upward. If you don't wear a dive computer that calculates ascent rates, watch your bubbles and go slower than the smallest ones.
LeadTurn_SD
Contributor
I'll add one more to the "you are carring too much weight" crowd.
When properly weighted, diving a single tank, you should only be around 5-6 lbs negative at the start of the dive, on the surface. For most folks, this makes sinking a little bit difficult until they get more experience (new divers tend to hold too much air in their lungs, fin unconciously, have trouble getting all the air out of their BC, etc.).
If you are new, and "dropping like a stone", it is almost a given that your are overweighted, possibly grossly overweighted. You should be able to easily stop your descent if you are weighted properly..... if however you let the air out of your BC and become a "human anchor", you need to do good weight check before your next dive, probably with an instuctor or experienced mentor helping you.
As others mentioned, horizontal positioning in the water will really help.... but you've got to do a good weight check and get your ballast weighting correct first.
Best wishes.
When properly weighted, diving a single tank, you should only be around 5-6 lbs negative at the start of the dive, on the surface. For most folks, this makes sinking a little bit difficult until they get more experience (new divers tend to hold too much air in their lungs, fin unconciously, have trouble getting all the air out of their BC, etc.).
If you are new, and "dropping like a stone", it is almost a given that your are overweighted, possibly grossly overweighted. You should be able to easily stop your descent if you are weighted properly..... if however you let the air out of your BC and become a "human anchor", you need to do good weight check before your next dive, probably with an instuctor or experienced mentor helping you.
As others mentioned, horizontal positioning in the water will really help.... but you've got to do a good weight check and get your ballast weighting correct first.
Best wishes.
First of all, when you are on the surface, get your feet straight below you, or even a few inches behind the vertical plane of your head and body, and point your toes and let out enough air to get your head below the water. Once your head is below the water, in a basically vertical position, if you have much air in your BCD you are probably overweighted. If your BCD is essentially empty you're probably weighted OK. If you can get your head underwater at the surface, and you are properly weighted, all you have to do is exhale and wait before you inhale and you will sink (this is assuming you are diving tropical waters as you describe yourself as a vacation diver in your profile, and not wearing tons of neoprene, lots of neoprene changes things).
Until you get a handle on things you should do a feet first descent, that means your body should be verticle, not horizontal. If your feet are directly below you, or only maybe 6-8 inches behind the vertical plane of your body, you will be able to slow or stop your descent by merely barely kicking you fins. If your fins are out in front of you, or you are horizontal, you are out of luck for slowing your descent without some quick experimenting and good body control. I see way too many people try the horizontal approach and either struggle on the surface and then spend the last 10 minutes of their dives struggling to stay down because they are underweighted, or go to the opposite extreme and sink out of control and not be able to stop themselves 'til they are scraping bottom. If you start in a verticle position, it should take all of 3-5 seconds to determine if you are overweighted or underweighted when you let your air out. At that point you can either fix the weighting issue on the spot or at least know what you do for the next dive. Once you get a handle on the descents, then you can go horizontal if you wish, 'til then you reduce your chance of being in control of your descent by going horizontal.
Until you get a handle on things you should do a feet first descent, that means your body should be verticle, not horizontal. If your feet are directly below you, or only maybe 6-8 inches behind the vertical plane of your body, you will be able to slow or stop your descent by merely barely kicking you fins. If your fins are out in front of you, or you are horizontal, you are out of luck for slowing your descent without some quick experimenting and good body control. I see way too many people try the horizontal approach and either struggle on the surface and then spend the last 10 minutes of their dives struggling to stay down because they are underweighted, or go to the opposite extreme and sink out of control and not be able to stop themselves 'til they are scraping bottom. If you start in a verticle position, it should take all of 3-5 seconds to determine if you are overweighted or underweighted when you let your air out. At that point you can either fix the weighting issue on the spot or at least know what you do for the next dive. Once you get a handle on the descents, then you can go horizontal if you wish, 'til then you reduce your chance of being in control of your descent by going horizontal.
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This should have been covered on your course... I can only add that you need to add more expirience (dives) and maybe try another instructor for your next course...
As far as ascent goes practice next to bottom (nice slopes) so you can grab something if you start going to fast... Don't do it in the blue until enough practice with the stones near by...
Good luck!
As far as ascent goes practice next to bottom (nice slopes) so you can grab something if you start going to fast... Don't do it in the blue until enough practice with the stones near by...
Good luck!
...use the anchor chain.... seawalker.... the anchor chain....
definetly the easiest way and the one suggested by agencies, ehm pardon by jedis....
then, when you have practice on boyancy control, things suggested in other posts here
definetly the easiest way and the one suggested by agencies, ehm pardon by jedis....
then, when you have practice on boyancy control, things suggested in other posts here
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