Descent Tecniques

[baltimoron]

hey guys, i just got certified three days ago with SSI at Bainbridge Quarry in South Central PA if any of you all know it, (got a kick out of the SSI Certification Certificate, ever feel bored you should read it.) and i was wondering

whenever i was going down the line to the platform, i was always having trouble going down feet first. it was just soo annoying! my fins would make my feet curl up and arch my back- it wasnt good. so after my second dive i just said screw with and went down head first and had absoloutley no problem (it was fun to see my buddy going down and looking him in the eye going down the line like a ninja). so my question is- is there any discrepancies (is that the right word, i am pretty new to english.) between the two?

 

[theskull]

Nope-down is down. Some people find it easier to equalize if they remain head above feet. Most of us learn to prefer a horizontal descent.

theskull

 

[Diver0001]

hey guys, i just got certified three days ago with SSI at Bainbridge Quarry in South Central PA if any of you all know it, (got a kick out of the SSI Certification Certificate, ever feel bored you should read it.) and i was wondering

whenever i was going down the line to the platform, i was always having trouble going down feet first. it was just soo annoying! my fins would make my feet curl up and arch my back- it wasnt good. so after my second dive i just said screw with and went down head first and had absoloutley no problem (it was fun to see my buddy going down and looking him in the eye going down the line like a ninja). so my question is- is there any discrepancies (is that the right word, i am pretty new to english.) between the two?

The only thing I can think off off hand is that some people have more trouble clearing their ears on a head-down descent.

R..

 

[JRScuba]

What ever makes you feel at ease and as long as it is done safely have at it. Best of luck to you.

Dive Safely
Joe

 

[Buoyant1]

My Certification is going to be at that quarry, what's it like?

 

[RICHinNC]

for what it is worth neutralizing wise.....start before you need to.... clear a couple of times before you even get in the water and once just before you go down....it will make it easier later....and equalize often.
just me 2 cents

 

[diveh3]

My Certification is going to be at that quarry, what's it like?

We dive BSC almost every Wed. night, Its a great area for training and working on your skills.

Here is the link http://www.divebsc.com/
If your ever looking for a dive buddy, let me know.

Baltimoron, I also prefer horizontal descent and ascent. Just make sure you don't slam into the platform head first! Hence I would confirm your screen name. lol

 

[seabat]

I had trouble with my legs going off on tangents when I first started diving too. Went horizontal for a while until I got use to diving and now I am back to feet first (for decents, that is). Legs stay where I want them.

After you dive more you will get use to your fins and have more control. As with alot of things, practice will make you better.

 

[vjongene]

whenever i was going down the line to the platform, i was always having trouble going down feet first. it was just soo annoying! my fins would make my feet curl up and arch my back- it wasnt good. so after my second dive i just said screw with and went down head first and had absoloutley no problem (it was fun to see my buddy going down and looking him in the eye going down the line like a ninja). so my question is- is there any discrepancies (is that the right word, i am pretty new to english.) between the two?

Going feet down is preferable when you descend in open water with a buddy in low viz conditions. You can then easily stay face to face and make sure that you are descending at the same rate and will not lose each other. If you can see your buddy 10 ft away, then it is less of a problem.

Another small point: going down head first and finning is often the sign of poor buoyancy control, and a poor substitute for the expiration and short "lungs empty" breath-hold that starts a well-controlled descent. I trust this was not the case for you...

 

[redacted]

Head first may make it a bit more difficult to build the mental maps of your dive site. Nothing a good course in topology shouldn't cure - or maybe just more practice.

I prefer the horizontal descent so the world is still right side up.