Descent Position

[MikeFerrara]

cornfed once bubbled...


I think we've run into another situation where instructors aren't holding students up to the standards.

Cornfed

Ya think?

The standards do require a means of controling the descent on the first two dives. Control meaning a line or a sloping bottom ect. The book does suggest that a feet down position may ease equalization. Part of the 5 point ascent is to look up. However a vertical position is not required by standards.

It's funny...some insist ascents and descents must be vertical but they'll pass students who drop like rocks and bounce off the bottom. Now that's makes it hard to equalize. And then there's my favorite...the butt first plumit.

 

[Charlie99]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...
And then there's my favorite...the butt first plumit.

That's my favorite also, but it sounds more sophisticated to say "horizontal, tank down, face up".

Seriously, this position does work pretty good on a drift dive where you descend first, but want to keep an eye on others in the group that are still screwing around on the surface.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Charlie99 once bubbled...
That's my favorite also, but it sounds more sophisticated to say "horizontal, tank down, face up".

Seriously, this position does work pretty good on a drift dive where you descend first, but want to keep an eye on others in the group that are still screwing around on the surface.

LOL. You don't have the picture. It's not horizontal. In this descent the student (sometimes a student) is folded in half and drops butt first.

 

[aquagirl]

I was taught feet first but I naturally changed from feet first to horizontal once I was halfway away of my destined dive Like others, I find better control horizontal plus I can easily check on my buddy.

 

[lragsac]

MarcHall once bubbled...
At the surface, in a vertical position to easily dump the air out of the BC that has been used to provided floatation.

As I start to descend I slide into a horizontal position feet first, monitoring my buddy's progress.

It's also important to descend with your buddy. Your buddy is going to be of no use if they are 20 feet above or below you. You also risk losing any contact at all with them which would then result in having to surface to reestablish
buddy contact.

Marc Hall

Ahh, finally someone articulated *why* one would want to descend in a horizontal position. Thanks Marc. I was getting ready to add that, but you beat me to it.

 

[Curly]

Usually start off vertical, feet first, for the first few feet, then equalize and slowly plane off to a horizontal position -- makes it much easier to "arrive" at your destination with proper buoyancy.

All this talk about diving...makes me wanna go diving...

 

[jbichsel]

That way, when I break out of the water and start freefalling through the air, I'm already positioned correctly.

Was that out loud?

 

[Aquabella]

love that skydiver feeling...

 

[DennisW]

Actually, I change for situations, but I like descending head first. I can kick down pretty fast with zero problems equalizing my ears. I believe that the max descent rate for most (? is this true) agencies is 75 ft / min. I can descend much faster without any problems. Although, I usually have to wait for my best buddy because she can't descent that fast. If I'm with Walter, hell, I point my head down and kick for the bottom.

 

[diverbrian]

I dump just enough air to start sinking from feet first and then forcefully exhale. This puts me into a natural horizontal position within the first 2 ft of the descent. I stay in this position until the end of the dive when I do my final ascent and want to prevent clubbing my head on the boat or another object.

It is far easier to control that descent from a horizontal postition using the surface area that your body presents to slow you down. I have sinus issues so typically this takes care of the ear clearing as well. The slower the descent, the less pressure on the ears.