Descent rate

[DiveMaven]

I just equalize my ears with every breath as I drop down...which is usually pretty darned fast. My husband/dive buddy drops even faster than me, but I've long given up trying to keep up.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

How long did it take, if you can remember, before you were able to descend that fast without needing to focus on equalizing your ears/sinuses?

It comes, don't try and rush it. Just remember to equalize before you break the surface and often on the way down, after awhile its automatic.

 

[Puffer Fish]

I'm amazed that so many of you can equalize that fast. Wow.

Keep in mind that I'm new to diving, so my ears are still "learning" how to equalize that quickly. How long did it take, if you can remember, before you were able to descend that fast without needing to focus on equalizing your ears/sinuses?

There is some skill involved, and that can take a bunch of dives to learn, but some people just naturally clear fast, other slower.

In the old days, I used to just go down holding onto the anchor - fast, really fast, but today, I could not do that. My ears are still really quick, sinus's are a different story.

This is one of those "know your limitations" issues.

 

[fairybasslet]

This is one of those "know your limitations" issues.

Absolutely. Some dives I can clear quickly, other times I'm stuck at 30 fsw or so. I clear before I get in the water and every breath down. I usually descend feet first (it's supposed to be easier to equalize that way) but sometimes I hit a snag and the only thing that will work is to swallow. And of course, since I want to swallow, I can't. LOL. And people are waiting at the bottom, looking up and me and saying "Come on slowpoke." I hate those dives.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Couldn't you jump in without any air in your BC, fin up long enough to give the "OK" and then drop?

Nope not with all the gear. If you do not have any gas in BC..... you sink like a mofo. And that is good, you want to be down ASAP in order not to miss the target. On the way down buddies 'okay' each other, keep an eye on each other. About half way down, you start adding gas to BC to ensure that by the time you hit the target, a little bit of gas is all it takes to get neutral. (with drysuit of course you add gas as you go as well).

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Nope not with all the gear. If you do not have any gas in BC..... you sink like a mofo. And that is good, you want to be down ASAP in order not to miss the target. On the way down buddies 'okay' each other, keep an eye on each other. About half way down, you start adding gas to BC to ensure that by the time you hit the target, a little bit of gas is all it takes to get neutral. (with drysuit of course you add gas as you go as well).

Man, that sounds like a lot of fun...

 

[ChillyWaters]

I'm amazed that so many of you can equalize that fast. Wow.

As I've reported before, there are those of us who can "keep our tubes open." If I was to teach someone to dive, I'd forget to teach equalization, because it doesn't even cross my mind. I just go down.

Only rarely (every 10th dive or so), do I have to directly equalize -- and even then, it's usually a one time thing.

I can drop like a rock if I wanted, but I prefer to wait for my buddy...

- ChillyWaters

 

[boulderjohn]

I'm amazed that so many of you can equalize that fast. Wow.

Keep in mind that I'm new to diving, so my ears are still "learning" how to equalize that quickly. How long did it take, if you can remember, before you were able to descend that fast without needing to focus on equalizing your ears/sinuses?

It's all really individual. When I first started diving, my lifetime of sinus problems (etc.) made equalizing so difficult for me that an instructor told me I might not be able to dive. Seriously. On each trip, the first dive or so took me forever to get down, but the dives then got progressively easier.

I soon learned to work on it above ground over and over again before a dive vacation. When I arrived at my destination I would immediately get in the water on snorkel and free dive over and over again, giving my ears a workout. When I would do my first dive the next day, I was usually OK.

Before long, I could pretty much drop as quickly as I needed to.

Now that I am doing classes in pools with some frequency, I don't even have to prepare when I go on vacation. On most occasions, I can equalize about as fast as I can drop.

Just be patient and keep working those ears!

 

[PaulChristenson]

What is the standard (is there such a thing?) descent rate? How long do you take to get down to, say, 60'? How about 100'?

Is it important to descend slowly, or if you don't have any problem equalizing, can you sink like a rock without any problems?

Maximum descent rate 70 FSW

see page 15...http://www.scuba-doc.com/rgbmim.pdf

 

[Charlie99]

Maximum descent rate 70 FSW

see page 15...http://www.scuba-doc.com/rgbmim.pdf

The 90fsw/min maximum descent rate shown there is for a very specific table. That specific table also has a limitation of 3 hour minimum SI. I wouldn't call that table a "standard".