Can you help? Buoyancy Control - I know this question has been asked a million times?

[fungi3001]

i once tried to go weightless (im skinny, 6'1 and about 140 lb and had no wetsuit) i ended up using loads of air trying to stay down, spending the whole time pointed town and finning. every breath in would send me up a good few feet. trying to hold a safety stop i was upside down finning like crazy but still ended it with my feet out the water still trying to swim down.

just use the extre weight!!

Guy

 

[matt_unique]

....

Yes, with 18 lbs I have no problem with the safety stop but I just hate using that much weight. It messes everything else up at depth. I find myself fiddling with my air a lot and control at depth is a lot more difficult.
QUOTE]

The simple answer is to add weight. You need what you need. It's not a score card of skills in any way, shape, or form. As you build experience you may find you need less lead. Your lead requirements may change from one dive to the next depending upon your exposure protection, gear, salt vs. fresh, etc. You need to be able to ascend slowly from 15' to the surface and stop at any point without holding onto a line. If you can't do this you are too light. You can't get away from the buoyancy shift with neoprene and alum tanks.

--Matt

 

[DNK]

I see that you have your AOW.
Did you do peak performance bouancy during it?
If not I highly recommend it.
I just completed mine this weekend and the change in my trim and bouancy control was amazing.

I thought I was actually pretty well trimmed out, and maybe a little light at 20lbs for fresh/7mm/hood/gloves/AL80.

The instructor and DM's I had were great. The instructor was a no-nonsense cave diver.
First thing he did was move my tank weight pouches to the top strap (I have a Zeagle Brigade) and pull two pounds out of each. This got me down to 16 pounds.

He then stressed noisy exhaling (exhale until it hurts) and assuming a position with my arms crossed (I'm a bit top heavy) and legs bent up for frog kicking.
The above position helped extreamly at the end of the dive when my tank is light. It kept me from getting into an either head up or head down position which made it easier to control my bouancy.

Just my 2 psi.

 

[Diver0001]

I did a search and know this has been asked a million times but I would appreciate suggestions.

I think I add something to what has already been said.

it's about Trim, Tension and Breathing

If your trim at your safety-stop depth isn't good then you'll be finning and maybe moving your hands around to compensate. In the process you will also be holding more tension in your muscles and maybe breathing at the top of your lungs. I would expect that because of the amount of weight you're carrying and the stress you must be feeling when you get to your safety stop with the uncertainty you feel about being able to hold it. These are only guesses, of course, so correct me if I'm wrong.

My advice is three fold

1) work on your trim in shallow water until you can remain motionless in a comfortable position for as long as you want. This will help you make few adjustments that could potentially drive you up a little bit higher than you want to be.

2) concentrate of releasing all of the stress in your muscles. On your next dive just pick a random moment and let all the tension out of your muscles. You'll be amazed but releasing that tension makes you sink. In short, the more relaxed your muscles are the less weight you need.

3) concentrate on breathing deeply from your belly. It's the one area in life where letting it hang is actually a good thing . As you exhale make sure you use your belly to exhale all the air out of your lungs. You can control your buoyancy with at least a metre of depth by choosing when you inhale and exhale. Remember, when you're sinking you inhale, when you're floating you exhale. Get the rhythm of your breathing to match the rhythm of your motion in the water and it all gets easier.

R..

 

[ScubaDadMiami]

Your wetsuit is compressing at depth. That's why you can have no air in your bladder but feel perfect: your wetsuit is giving pretty much no lift. Probably, if you were diving with nothing, this would be what you could get away with all the time.

As you are ascending, the reduction in pressure is not compressing the wetsuit anymore, giving you lift and sending you to the surface. You need enough weight to hold your stop in the shallows after the suit comes back to size.

What works is what works.