Buoyancy

[TSandM]

Azel, come out and join the Wednesday night dives at Alki. There will be folks there who can help you with your weighting and balance.

Taking a PPB class can be a great experience or a waste of money, depending on the instructor. If you would like a list of people I think you'd get a good class from, PM me.

Finally, read the journal of my open water class that's linked in my sig line, and look up some of my threads from 2005. You'll feel better.

 

[Azel]

Thank you all for the advice.

I have dove twice since I posted this and I have weigh myself properly as I can and applied most of the advice except the wetsuit (the water is freezing here in Seattle). I used my BCD as a primary versus the drysuit for the last 2 dives and it was much better.

I was in Redondo beach today and saw 5 octopi and 2 grunt sculpin! It was the best dive I ever had despite the poor visibility.

Anyway, I am 5 ft and 130 lbs (I know I need to trim some of that fat. lol...). During the OW I was given 30 lbs, I had been slowly decreasing the weight since. I have a Ladyhawk BCD, USIA drysuit and undergarment, and a HP 100 tank. I have days when 20 lbs works well and then others where I would lose control of my bouyancy, usually at the end of the dive between 8-5 ft and I could not control my ascent. So usually at the next dive I would increase my weight to 22 lbs. and then I would feel that I need to inflate my drysuit quite a bit to stay off the bottom. My trim is also very poor, most of the time I fight to keep horizontal and of course I end up using more air since I am not relaxed. The last two dives have been slightly better with this as well.

I will keep practicing and if I don't improve in a month or so I may opt for an additional class.

TSandM, what time do you meet up at Alki? Do you regularly dive at Alki every Wed? I usually join the Bubbles-N-Suds group at Mukilteo on Wed but would be interested in doing Alki on Wed sometime.

 

[swimmer_spe]

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.

Some people get neutrally buoyant naturally. Others, like me, it takes practice, and more practice, and being yanked down, and blowing my air out of my BCD, etc. I am better than before, but, drysuit diving is a whole new game when you first learned on a wetsuit.

Somethings that helped me:
1) figure out how much weight you need. Work with an experienced buddy to get enough weight to make you neutrally buoyant.
2) ankle weights. My feet always like to float, so having some weight there is good.
3) ditch the belt. Moving some of the weight to your tank and to the BCD.
4) Stop using aluminum tanks. I dive steels. No sense in having your buoyancy goes to s... at the end of your dive.
5) put only enough air in your suit to reduce the squeeze. Use your BCD for what it is for, buoyancy.
6) leave your drysuit dump valve fully open. This will aid you with having as little air in your suit as possible.

Over time you will figure out what works, and what messes you up. Over weighting yourself by a lb or 2 at first is not a horrible solution, but if you never fix what is causing the issues then you will forever be having issues.

 

[DevonDiver]

Sad to say there's a fair percentage of recreational diving instructors who don't know how to help students produce superior buoyancy and trim skills. No number of lessons with an incompetent will help your development.

Do some research about your potential instructor to see what their attitude is towards qualify training.
Get recommendations.
Ask for a 'check-out' dive - these work both ways, for the instructor to assess you...and for you to assess the instructor; before committing to training with them.
Technical diving qualified instructors typically have a far better grasp on precision buoyancy/trim etc... and how to achieve it.
Find a mentor.. a local diver with excellent skills who can tutor and role-model for you over time.
Use online resources: Youtube has many great instructional videos... there's plenty of beneficial articles online to.

 

[Phil_C]

Can't agree enough about the weighting advice - get your weights right and you will feel so much better. Especially in shallow water the volume changes to the air in your drysuit and BC/wing with minor depth changes is exaggerated the more air you have in them. With a DS you also have two volumes to think about dumping to stop you bobbing up. Get the weight right and these problems won't seem any where near as hard to manage.

Then when you have got the weight right for buoyancy spend a little time playing around with where you put the weight to affect your trim. You could try moving your tank up or down a little in on your BC to help you stay more flat in the water, or even try a change tank size, dumpy v slim and so on, or try putting some weight on the neck of the tank etc. It can all help with your trim. BUT I doubt you will have too much success with sorting your trim until you have got the buoyancy right.

For example I almost always dive steel tanks, and have 15 litre tanks myself, when I am guiding at the LDS I use abroad I often have whatever is left over once the students have all had their 12 litre tall tanks. So I often swop between 12 litre tall, 12 litre dumpy of 15's depending on what is about. 15's and 12 litre talls I can trim out easy, I absolutely hate 12 litre dumpy tanks because I can struggle to get them to sit in the right place in my wing.

If you have access to a pool somewhere go in for a half hour or so and play around with weighting and positioning. Have fun and dive safe - P

 

[Bob DBF]

. I have days when 20 lbs works well and then others where I would lose control of my bouyancy, usually at the end of the dive between 8-5 ft and I could not control my ascent. So usually at the next dive I would increase my weight to 22 lbs. and then I would feel that I need to inflate my drysuit quite a bit to stay off the bottom.

If you are "properly" weighted, neutral with 500# air @15', you will float up at less than 500# and/or less than 15' and an air bubble in the drysuit (or BC) would exacerbate the problem. I usually carry 2# more so I can maintain neutral buoyancy in a larger range near the surface. I have to use a minimal amount more air in my BC at the bottom, I dive wet, but I can see how you would notice it more when using a drysuit for a BC.

Good Luck.


Bob
-------------------------------
There is no problem that can't be solved with a liberal application of sex, tequila, money, duct tape, or high explosives, not necessarily in that order.

 

[TSandM]

The Wednesday Alki dives are at roughly 4 to 4:30, and about 6:30 (and a third dive at the Matador, into a glass of brew and some tucker). They're posted on the Northwest Dive Club forum, and if you RSVP that you are coming, we can make sure there is someone available to buddy up with you and help you out. I make as many of those dives as I can, if I'm in town and not teaching.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I think the biggest impediment to good buoyancy control is over-weighting. It results in air in the bc, sometimes a lot of air, that expands and compresses with depth changes, reuiring constant buoyancy adjustment. So be sure you are not overweighted. Secondly, when you do adjust buoyancy, remember to do so in small increments. I often observe new divers to add and subtract air in big bits, and that plays havoc with buoyancy control as well. Keep at it, all will be well.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Peter Guy]

Azel -- TSandM pushes the Wednesday night group at Alki and it is/they are a very good resource. In addition, there are other dive groups that can help (Moss Bay Dive Club, Kirkland and Emerald Sea, Everett) are just two of them.

There are many issues related to "nailing your buoyancy" -- some are gear related, some are training related, some are just practice related -- and all are intertwined.

Good luck on getting the help you need and deserve and welcome to PNW diving. (BTW, the water is WARM now -- wait until January!)

 

[corvettejoe]

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

I watched a cave dive buddy with perfect buoyancy look like a total n00b after he got his drysuit. I know hes a good diver, so I know he's just struggling with re-learning how to dive now that he's a big air bubble LOL.

to the OP... you don't have that may dives to begin with, so it takes time to get it down perfectly. The fact you are in a drysuit, or just got it, you've just completely started over again learning buoyancy...

Just practice practice practice.

My advice is find a good mentor that dives dry that would be willing to dive with you and help you out. Could be an experienced friend, an instructor, etc.