Feeling embarassed about ballast / weight

[rockystock1]

I'm a relatively new diver I'm just on my way to completing my open water.

In fresh water With a 3mm wetsuit and a steel 12ltr tank I drop like a stone with no weights at all

I'm a big and tall 6ft2 and 19stone but not overly fat

Is this normal??

 

[fire_diver]

Every move should push the diver forwards as they should be horizontal not vertical!

He was talking about when being on the surface and trying to descend by venting the BC, like 90% of divers do. In this vertical position, if you are moving your feet you are keeping yourself afloat.

 

[rockystock1]

Hello

 

[AfterDark]

I'm a relatively new diver I'm just on my way to completing my open water.

In fresh water With a 3mm wetsuit and a steel 12ltr tank I drop like a stone with no weights at all

I'm a big and tall 6ft2 and 19stone but not overly fat

Is this normal??

Could be. With my 94cuft LP steel a 7mm farmer john wet suit and a SS backplate I only use 6lbs of lead.

 

[AJ]

I'm a relatively new diver I'm just on my way to completing my open water.

In fresh water With a 3mm wetsuit and a steel 12ltr tank I drop like a stone with no weights at all

I'm a big and tall 6ft2 and 19stone but not overly fat

Is this normal??

Normal? What's Normal? If it does the trick foryou it's fine. I started out with 8 kg lead with 7+5 mm wetsuit and SS Backplate/Wing in fresh water. I dropped like a stone too. Now I'am on 6 kg and I my trim is very easy to maintain. Is this normal? Don't care, it works for me and that's what counts

 

[Imla]

I am sorry if I am just repeating what others have said, but I just skimmed through and couldn't find anyone to have commented on PROPER descent technique.
Try this for a change:

1. Calm down! Float. Enjoy floating.
2. INHALE and HOLD. (Remember, you are still at the surface, no harm done!)
3. Start to empty your BCD. (Keep that breath hold. Full lungs!) (Oh, and keep your regs in your mouth)
4. When BCD is empty (or close to), cross your legs so you stop finning. (Yes, you are finning! You need to to keep your balance...) and lean forward a bit.
5. Exhale good and proper. Hold your exhale for as long as you can, and preferably untill you are at about 6-9 feet.
6. Slowly inhale, and continue breathing.

Most new divers start to exhale at the time, or slightly before they start to empty their BCD, so by the time the BCD is empty and you start sinking, your deperately need to breathe in... Bobbing you right back up again!

(Oh, and different ppl, different weights... Whatever "floats yer boat"... (Or sinks it... ))

 

[Searcaigh]

He was talking about when being on the surface and trying to descend by venting the BC, like 90% of divers do. In this vertical position, if you are moving your feet you are keeping yourself afloat.

A very bad practice IMHO

I was trained to descend horizontally after dumping the air from my BCD on the surface and once my head was underwater.

[RANT]
This vertical descent method appears to lead a lot of new divers into a habit of swimming in a vertical position in order to control their buoyancy, and in some cases without sufficient air in their BCD, swimming horizontally then moving to a vertical position and finning in order to maintain their position in the water column resulting in messing up the visibility especially when near the bottom, or landing on top of other divers, coral etc as they have absolutely no spacial awareness.[/RANT]

 

[Corlett]

Great tip..

Thanks..

``you hold your inflator up, push the exhaust button, and exhale. Well, if you do that, about the time your head goes underwater, you are going to want to take a breath, which will bounce you back up. Instead, push the button and INHALE. If you are properly weighted, you will begin to sink -- when your head gets to eye level in the water, exhale sharply and exhale some more. The exhalation will finish bringing you under the water.

The above won't work unless your feet are still, though.´´

 

[videofly]

For me, I tend to use more weight than others, but I think it is partly because I carry more natural ballast in my belly. I try to trim down, but my wife insists on keeping Oreo cookies in the house for the grandkids and I just can't resist. Also, being kind of new to the use of a BCD after a long break from diving, I find that while I think I have emptied the air from my BCD when descending, there is still more air in it. I find that rocking my body helps to get trapped pockets of air up to where my dump valve is and emptying the bladder is more thorough. Also, I need to make a conscious effort to exhale the final air in my lungs after I think I have exhaled. There is often almost half a lung full of air still in me that I forget to release. Finally, I have a habit of exhaling through my nose, which sends air up from the top of my mask and into my hood. A firm press on my hood usually empties it. I apply similar pressure around my wetsuit and slightly unzip the top and find that a little more air escapes. More practice and relaxation should help me drop some needed weight. As for the cookies, I have no enjoyable solution.

 

[mrdre]

A very bad practice IMHO

I was trained to descend horizontally after dumping the air from my BCD on the surface and once my head was underwater.

I'm talking about being on the surface and first few feet (or 1 meter) under. I was not talking about "descend".