Descending too fast

[Peter Guy]

If you're properly weighted then you wouldn't drop like a rock.

Why do you write this? Although we may disagree on what "dropping like a rock" is, if I'm "properly weighted" at the beginning of a dive here in Puget Sound, using an HP 130 (perhaps slightly overfilled, ahem) and a drysuit, I'm going to be at least 10 pounds negative at the beginning of my dive. IF I let all the air out of my BC and I don't have any air in my drysuit, you bet I'll drop like a rock!

Why do I think I'm properly weighted and 10 pounds negative? Well, I have about 8+ pounds of gas in my tank which I'm going to use up (well, use most of it up); and I want to be "neutral" at the very end of my dive at 20 FSW or so BUT also warm, which means I'll have some air in my drysuit. Thus at the start of my dive I'll need enough lead to offset the 8+ pounds of air I might use plus enough lead to offset the "warmth air" in my drysuit at the end of the dive -- that means I'll be AT LEAST 10 pounds negative at the beginning of my dive.

We need to be very careful about declaring what is "proper weighting" because it varies a lot depending on the circumstances.

 

[neopluredon]

day or night, i have noticed that what kept me descend faster was feet first on the ground and had struggle 2 or 3 minutes just to figure out that i would feel most comfortable with a sky diver's position. during the 3 or 4 dives when i was struggling onwards to 120ft, i was feeling that i am being drowned by the air i am breathing. i stopped and breathed slowly** until i felt my lungs are relaxed. then descended further to look for my buddy.

**perhaps, so far, one of my nightmares-came-true that i have experienced in diving: the worst visibility with the most unmindful buddy (he can't hear the tank noises i was making), feeling being drowned, can't equalise with my right ear (... i figured out equalising by diving deeper and leaned on my left until the right ear pain went away and blew my nose once i felt pressure on my left ear... [i hope you can imaging how stupid i looked at that time]. strangely though, i am having this struggling at 40-60 ft and by 90, my right ear would then pop. i will be consulting an ent specialist soon. )

 

[salub2007]

No no other problem other than descending too fast. No light-headedness, no other issues,
other than seeing the depth and descent rate, and saying, "Wow I descended too fast, Or I should slow my descent down.". But honestly there has been no other problem other than my noticing this problem.

 

[TMHeimer]

As long as you're properly weighted and can equalize OK speed doesn't matter. In the Gulf of Mex. there is usually some current, so it's go down pulling yourself on the anchor line. The faster one got down there the more air one had. Of course (especially at night) you should monitor your depth and get neutrally buoyant prior to the bottom--don't want Project Aware police after you.

 

[scubadada]

You can't descend too fast assuming you can equalize. Best not to crash land, become neutral before the bottom.

Good diving, Craig

 

[akmike907]

I'm surprised I haven't seen this yet, but here's what I do. I tend to descend feet first (when with the nazi'esque girlfriend) and just give a slight kick or two to keep pace with her usually very slow descents.

 

[Walter]

Unlike with ascents, there is no prescribed descent rate.

The US Navy disagrees with you. Their maximum recommended descent rate is 75 feet/minute. A rapid descent rate allows little time to adjust to increased narcosis. When narcosis hits me rapidly, as in a fast descent, I find it more difficult to effectively deal with it.

 

[TSandM]

Yes, I have read that narcosis is a bigger issue with rapid descents, but that's only an issue with descents to depths where narcosis is prominent. On a 60 foot dive, I think you can really go down as fast as you want.

 

[Walter]

Not according to the US Navy Dive Manual.

 

[walke121]

I've basically "rode the anchor" down to 180' when bounce diving while spearing. Its been said on here but as long as there is no issue equalizing I've never had a problem. The faster I can get to the bottom the more dives I can do in a day. Just be careful doing something like this because you can "out run" your computer and have seen a few people get slightly bent doing this.