Buoyancy Tips...

[paradicio]

Thanks Sparticle, I was thinking of taking about 10 off for my pool dive this Wed to see if I'd have an easier time of things.

BTW, I love that avatar. Cracks me up...

 

[scratchmyback]

I recognized myself in your post. I had the same problem, and I was overweighted.

It took me a lot of those little bursts of air to get off the pool bottom and by the time they caught up, I was sailing off to the surface. You'd be surprised how little those bursts should be and you have to give them time to work before you do the next one. At those depths, your buoyancy changes are the greatest. When you get out in deeper open water, you'll notice there isn't such a big swing. It also helps when you have your own equipment so you get to know how it works (but don't go running out to buy it just yet )

Anyway, you are well on your way to figuring out this problem, and I'm sure you'll get some more helpful posts here.

 

[String]

The most important thing for getting good buoyancy control is to be correctly weighted. If you're overweight by even a few pounds its noticeably more difficult.

After that its mainly just down to practice and diving. Add and dump in small bursts but remember theres a slight delay between doing that and any change being noticed. You'll learn to anticipate that. Then its fine tuning with lungs but again thats something you'll get used to by just diving lots. If you feel yourself rising rather than just dump from BC quickly breathe out fully, wait then dump a smaller amount and test and so on.

So its correct weighting then remember small bursts with delay, then fine tune with lungs. The best way to do it is to go diving...lots.

 

[timle]

I can lie down on the bottom of the pool with my BC completely empty, and add small amounts of air until I begin to float a bit. The problem is, once I begin to float a bit it’s off to the surface I go… I seem to go from negatively buoyant to floaty man in no time flat, I can’t seem to find the happy medium.

I think if you lay on the bottom and add enough air that you start to float - you are positively buoyant at that point - not neutral. As you rise the air in the BC expands making you more positive. Its really touchy in < 10 feet of water. You could dump a tiny amount as soon as you start to float.

You could do a fin pivot. Then get horizontal in the water and try moving up and down in the water column with your lungs - just like a fin pivot but with correct trim and not touching the bottom.

Keep on it. Being critical of yourself now will pay off greatly and will serve you well as you examine your skills for future training and dives.

 

[TekDiveGirl]

As a new diver you will absolutely need weight to keep you on the bottom. And seeing that you are in California, I am assuming that you are wearing a 7mm wetsuit. Once you get in the ocean, 30 pounds of weight might be a bit heavy, but not by much. As you progress and get more comfortable in the water, the weight will drop off.

Keep doing what you are doing and eventually buoancy control will be as easy as taking inhaling and exhaling to contol your place in the water.

 

[Teamcasa]

Welcome to SoCal Diving!

SoCal diving with a full 7mm suit, hood, gloves and boots will make you quite buoyant. For your frame size, (6&#8217;2&#8221; -208) I believe 32lbs is too much. With that extra (lead) weight, buoyancy control requires too much air in your BC. I am 6&#8217;0 and heavier than you and in a full 7mm, I wear 25 lbs. Less with a steel tank (I&#8217;ll assume you are using a aluminum 80 tank.)

As others have and will say, buoyancy control takes practice. At depth, (+45 feet sea water) your suit will compress and that weight will send you deeper, faster. Learn to control it by very short blasts into your BC while exhaling. Hover at different depths as you descend and ascend. You should feel yourself begin to ascend when inhaling and descend when you exhale. Once you have achieved this neutral state, practice by descending 10/15 more feet and gain this neutral state again.

As you begin to ascend at the end of your dive, reverse the process, letting small amounts or air out of the BC as you rise. Stop every 10/15 on the way up, hover for a while.

Remember, you will become more positive (floaty) buoyant as you use the air in your tank up. To me, perfection is achieved when the tank is at 500-600 lbs and your are at 15/20&#8217; with little or no air in my BC.

Dave

 

[String]

I dont like the "no" air in BC at 15ft with 500psi in the tank.

If for some reason (you run low or air share with buddy) you'll arrive at the stop depth with less, be too light and unable to hold the stop.

Should have a little bit of air in the BC at that depth to cater for this.

 

[scratchmyback]

Kimber, you don't know me and I don't want to hijack this thread but it's so nice to see you back

 

[Crimson Ghost]

I am 6foot 2inches tall 208lbs, and am wearing 30lbs of weight in my BC. I also have a 2lb ankle weight on each foot. I’m heavy and I know it.

34 pounds? I am 6'2" weighing in at 205lbs - in my full 3 mill I go with 4 pounds in the pool. Buoyancy goes south quickly when its rushed – make small corrections and wait several seconds before adjusting again. In the pool we tell students to drop to the bottom and then adjust yourself inches from the floor – than stay stationary and breath deep with full exhales and see how it effects you. Try this and then swim slowly and keep note of where your head is pointing – your body is going to follow your head. (SW buoyancy, imo, is much easier)

 

[Charlie99]

I dont like the "no" air in BC at 15ft with 500psi in the tank.

If for some reason (you run low or air share with buddy) you'll arrive at the stop depth with less, be too light and unable to hold the stop.

Should have a little bit of air in the BC at that depth to cater for this.

I agree with you, but state it a bit differently.

The last couple pounds either way is a bit of an art and personal preference.

For the 3mm to 5mm wetsuits I use, my preference can be expressed as "No air in BC at 15', near empty tank, AND FULL LUNGS". This adds a pound or two of lead compared to normal lung volume. This also allows me to redescend with ease with a near empty tank, and also to maintain control of my ascent over the last few feet.

Yet another way of looking at weighting, is that if you start an uncontrolled ascent once you get to 5 or 6', then you don't have enough lead. This is probably the controlling test for someone wearing a thick wetsuit.

Charlie Allen