Buoyancy question

[maulotaur]

Provided your awareness of the "rude diver" thread, this actually sounds like it could be a god bit of fun. Learning a bit about how the bubbles affect your body and buoyancy. Have fun with it.

I am really looking forward to it. These will be the first dives without an instructor, so pretty exciting times for a noob.

 

[txgoose]

I am really looking forward to it. These will be the first dives without an instructor, so pretty exciting times for a noob.

I am a noob as well. Which is partly why every chance I get to explore/learn something new about the sport and world underwater is a good time. I am envious of your chance to experiment this weekend.

 

[Landau]

I've swam in a dive tank (platform diving, not scuba diving) equipped with an air machine to make the water softer when the divers are perfecting new dives. It hurts when you attempt at a double twisting two and a half back flip from the 10m platform turns into a belly flop.

You definitely sink with all that air in the water - but it creates a massive amount of bubbles. The surface of the pool rises 2 feet or so. The effect only lasts a couple of seconds before the air runs out, so the divers need to time it well.

I don't think any group of scuba divers could put out enough bubbles to make you sink unless they opened the valves on several tanks without regs at the same time.

But try the experiment anyway - sounds like fun.

 

[boat sju]

Yes, the problem is that the ship has a hull that does not trap bubbles underneath, a diver will collect some of the air and become more buoyant. Also, if you watched the documentary, the amount of bubbles needed to destroy the buoyancy of water is massive compared to divers exhaust.
Bob

Yeah, I guess I can't argue with that.

 

[dmaziuk]

I don't think any group of scuba divers could put out enough bubbles to make you sink unless they opened the valves on several tanks without regs at the same time.

You'd probably need to be falling down a 10m platform to really appreciate the difference, too.

 

[maulotaur]

Well, I am not sure if I was able to recreate exactly, but every chance I got I went through other divers exhalations. It had no real effect other than obscuring my vision. Since I was prepared-nothing happened with my buoyancy. The first time must have been because of me not expecting it and getting surprised and then inhaling too much. I was much more relaxed this go around. The only issue I had was in following the line of divers for our adventure night dive. The diver in front of me started to rise and I blindly followed. Once I realized that he was out of sorts, I descended again. It was a great time the entire weekend. My wife is wanting to go back again this weekend. Hopefully, we can get everything in place by then.

 

[Neilwood]

Well, I am not sure if I was able to recreate exactly, but every chance I got I went through other divers exhalations. It had no real effect other than obscuring my vision. Since I was prepared-nothing happened with my buoyancy. The first time must have been because of me not expecting it and getting surprised and then inhaling too much. I was much more relaxed this go around. The only issue I had was in following the line of divers for our adventure night dive. The diver in front of me started to rise and I blindly followed. Once I realized that he was out of sorts, I descended again. It was a great time the entire weekend. My wife is wanting to go back again this weekend. Hopefully, we can get everything in place by then.

More than likely that is what happened - the first reflex of most people underwater when something unexpected happens is to gasp and hold it. Once you know what you did it is easier to condition yourself into not doing it.

It is very easy to blindly follow other divers but not a good idea. Always watch your own depth/ course even if diving with more experienced people. My first OW dive after cert was with an AOW diver with a lot more time in the water. Only issue was that if he got task loaded (using compass etc) his buoyancy control went to hell - his depth varied by about 5m during these phases. I made the mental note not to be that diver - fine to look at the compass heading but keep an eye on the rest of the group.