Buoyancy

[Azel]

I finally finished my advanced open water certification about 3 weeks ago and I also finished my dry suit certification the same day.

During the orientation for AOW we were informed that buoyancy would be emphasized in extensive detail and I was looking forward to it. Sad to say after the class I still have the same issue (I am not streamlined and I still bounce about quite a bit). I have been fluctuating my weight up and down since I finished my OW class (June 2, 2013). The peak performance buoyancy was one of the dive we did for the AOW.

Can neutral-buoyancy only be gained through experience? I am contemplating on taking additional class the Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty class but part of me is worried that it would be another disappointment. I currently have 22 dives (all my dive was done with dry-suit) and have been diving once or twice a week most weeks since I got certified.

Azel

 

[Ricardo Pedraza Guido]

Don't worry, practice and practice will give you a better control of that.
Besides peak buoyancy course is also a great way to improve your skills as it is one of the most important in my humble opinion, courses.
Take care!
Ricardo

 

[Carlos Danger]

Hopefully with experience we all become better divers. I know I personally did not have my own buoyancy dialed in by my 22nd dive, but I was getting better. Neutral buoyancy, and your ability to control it, is kind of a balancing act impacted by many factors. If your issue is just simply that you're bouncing up and down, as opposed to trim or stability issues, then you may just need to reexamine your weighting and/or breathing technique. Taking more classes is probably never a bad thing, but more time spent in the water experimenting may achieve the same result at less expense.

 

[dorkito]

Check out this recent thread http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=460107

I recommend the bouyancy specialty. Made a huge difference for me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[dbulmer]

Azel,
Given your location perhaps getting some instruction from Bob (NWGratefulDiver) on this board would be a good idea.

In the short term there are 2 bits of advice I'd give you.

a) Do a weight check. At the end of a dive with 500psi in your tank - remove weight so that you can sink to about 3m (10feet). If you sink quickly to 10 feet remove a little weight so that it is a slow descent. If it takes a minute to get to 10 feet add a little weight.

b) Once you have a weight - keep this weight constant for a while as you pracice. Worst thing you can do is to constantly change your weighting.

A final tip which may run counter to what you were taught - use minimal air in your drysuit just enough to offset squeeze.I find this method more effective in controlling buoyancy swings in shallow water.

 

[Agility]

It took me about 20 dives to relearn after I swiched to my drysuit (I admit I am no natural talent at any activity requiring holding balance)

 

[sphyrnidus]

Even experienced people who never dived with a dry suit need 10-20 dives to master the buoyancy. I know, I was always diving in warm water untill a couple of years ago. Wet is easier to master than dry. So keep practicing, you'll get it

 

[herman]

Don't be too hard on yourself. I had hundreds of dives and dead on bouyancy control until I put on a dry suit, that dive was ugly. It took me few dives to get get the hang of the DS, it is a lot more challanging than just a BC. Being new it takes a while to get the hang of bouyancy but add a drysuit into the mix and you compounded the problems. My first suggestion would be to try to do some dives in without the DS (and little wetsuit if you can) to get your control down pat then add the DS to the mix.

 

[Michael Guerrero]

Bump what dbulmer said. You need to get your weighting right. You're diving cold water in Seattle, so dry suit is the most practical.

I bounced when I first got certified because I was overweighted. Even a couple pounds makes a difference.

When I dive in So Cal with a drysuit and medium undergarments I wear 10lbs on my back and 20 on my hips with a steel tank. I'm 6'3", 210lbs, so I need that much weight to sink me in salt water. My friend who's 5'8", 165, wears about 25lbs. I would expect you should be somewhere in that range.
Once you get your weighting correct, you should be able to control a good portion of your buoyancy using your drysuit. If you put in just enough air to get the squeeze out, you should be just about neutral. You may have to add a little air to your BC/wing, which is fine. You will need to manage both bubbles on ascent, but this comes pretty quickly. Once that's done, you control going up and down with breathing.

Remember that your weighting is affected by your breathing. So if you take in big breaths, you should expect to be positively buoyant, and if you exhale deeply, negatively buoyant. The basic (or AOW, can't remember) PADI book tells you how to do a proper weight check. I think you breath out half way, then see if you're forehead is below water. Salt water will require more weight than fresh (maybe 4 - 6 lbs).

I would try this in a controlled, shallow environment, before I would pay PADI more money.

After you get buoyancy squared away you should work on trim (horizontal-ness) in the water. Your breaths should be measured, not too big, not too small, and you should be horizontal in the water. that's it.

 

[TMHeimer]

All good advice above. Do a weight check and there you go. I haven't changed my weighting since PPB course. perhaps that's a good thing.