Bubble path of other divers

[Redmachine]

Odd question I know but just something I've been thinking about....

Say a group of divers are a few feet below you and you are directly in the path of the bubbles that are released from their regulators does that any affect on you? Should you avoid being above other divers bubble stream or does it really bot make an ounce of difference??!!

 

[Doubler]

The only effect it would have on you is possibly missing up some photos other than that none what so ever.

 

[RJP]

Odd question I know but just something I've been thinking about....

Say a group of divers are a few feet below you and you are directly in the path of the bubbles that are released from their regulators does that any affect on you? Should you avoid being above other divers bubble stream or does it really bot make an ounce of difference??!!

It can impact your buoyancy to a very minor extent, adversely effect visibility, etc but only momentarily. More of a nuisance. Sometimes hard to avoid if there's a bunch of you stacked up doing deco on an anchor line.

In Truk I once got a really cool picture of myself reflected in a large bubble coming up from below me. Can't seem to find it however.

 

[heavyjeffd]

I have had it make me rise slightly, but nothing really bad. It can be a little disorienting on descent sometimes.

 

[Redmachine]

Thanks everyone!

 

[dive_gorilla]

I was on a safety stop once. There were about eight other divers below me on their way up. There bubbles caused me to get a case of vertigo. I fixed it by looking at the ascent line in my hand.

It can affect your buoyancy but I don't think you'd notice it. It would make you slightly negative.

 

[knotical]

Bubbles from below can very definitely have a significant effect on your buoyancy. The more divers, the deeper below you they are (more expansion of bubbles) and the more directly they hit you, the more dramatic the effect. (Been there, experienced that.) Those who say the effect is small have been fortunate. Luckily it is usually fairly easy to avoid more than incidental contact with bubbles from below.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

What do those trains of bubbles do? I know for a fact that cooler water from below is entrained in the bubbles and moves water upward, but this is pretty mild. I assume, that the bubbles would also have a theoretical decrease in the density of the water, so what is the net effect. I never noticed ANY affect on a diver.

Interresting thing I did notice a few weeks ago was that large bubbles coming from a diver down deep will be noticably cooler (even when the water is warm on the bottom). I assume this is because of the adiabatic cooling which occurs as the air expands from a deep depth versus a shallow one.

 

[Steve50]

causes pain in the arse

 

[CamG]

Greetings Redmachine and welcome to SB! I have had fun playing in the bubble wash from below. A little vertigo a few times but I actually enjoy it. I have found it can cause a little buoyancy shift but not to big of an issue. Just make sure the divers are not rocketing toward you at light speed! I have seen some very narrow collisions that could have been serious.
Bubbles are cool silt clouds are bad! I was recently diving a local quarry following a trail of silt and what did I find? Two divers acting quite a lot like carp when feeding on the bottom. I got their attention pointed behind them and then to my inflator. The light bulb came on. It is always better to play in bubbles than silt!
Have fun and enjoy yourself diving is unbelievable. I am still like a kid in the water!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!