Going in for my final OW cert dive

[k374]

As I posted earlier I completed my first 3 OW dives for my cert and unfortunately ruptured my right eardrum on my 3rd dive, this was 3 wks ago and I am finally healed up now and scheduled my final dive in 2 wks.

The critical mistake I made last time was not being able to control my descent properly without the aid of a line...

I seem to be weighted correctly, eye level with full breath and when I exhale I do go down but then I just languish there 2-3 ft below the surface bobbing up and down as I breathe. If I had a grip on the line I used that to descend slowly but in the absence of the line my instructor had to forcefully push me to go down, something that I don't want to repeat.

Due to my ears being ultra sensitive to pressure I need to go down VERY slowly, about 1ft/sec with a minute stop every 10ft seems to agree with my ears since that is the rate I descended without issues holding on to the line on my first 2 OW dives. Once I am at the bottom I am fine.

So my question is descending without the line... after I initially exhale to go down what do I need to do exactly to descend at a very slow rate? Should I be exhaling a lot more than I am inhaling? And if I want to come to a complete stop how do I achieve that?

 

[tlt]

I am far from an expert on the subject, I am sure you will get some good information here. Don't think of equalizing in 10ft increments. Think of equalizing early and often, and constantly as needed as you descend, and ascend or change depths as needed. For me, I have a purge mask, and periodic small "puffs" out of my nose before you have too much pressure is enough.

Do not be pressured into ascending or descending faster than is right and comfortable for you. As far as controlling descent and ascent without a line as a guide, will be easier after much practice and being able to watch your gauge and control your bouyancy. Being able to dive with good visibility helps, and having some "point of reference" helped me as well. That might mean using a dive flag/float and line is a good way to monitor what is going on and practicing when a descent line/anchor line is not available.

As you descend, you will likely need to be adding air to your BC to maintain a reasonable descent rate. Also, as you mentioned, the ears are a good guide. If you feel pressure/squeeze and are not able to equalize, ascend or descend back to where you did not have pressure and resume from there. I hope this unprofessional opinion helps...

 

[iztok]

Different things work for different people.

What works for me is that I go horizontal as soon as I am few feet below the surface. This helps me have better control over descent. How do you stop? Ideally you try to be close to neutrally buoyant all the time so when you arrive at the bottom or depth you desire you are neutrally buoyant (which means you need to inflate your BC a bit at the time as you descent).

 

[rstofer]

Are you diving from a beach? If so, don't just swim way out and drop, swim out underwater and let your depth follow the ground contour.

Are you diving from a boat? There will almost certainly be an anchor line.

Most of your equalization problems will occur in the first half of the depth. The top 15' will probably be the worst. Take it easy, keep swallowing (jacking your jaw) and clear constantly. Don't wait until you feel anything. Equalize constantly.

I don't see any reason to stop every so many feet to equalize. Equalize constantly. Every few seconds isn't too often. Just jack your jaw. Every time you take a breath would be about the right interval.

Richard

 

[Web Monkey]

As I posted earlier I completed my first 3 OW dives for my cert and unfortunately ruptured my right eardrum on my 3rd dive, this was 3 wks ago and I am finally healed up now and scheduled my final dive in 2 wks.

The critical mistake I made last time was not being able to control my descent properly without the aid of a line...

I seem to be weighted correctly, eye level with full breath and when I exhale I do go down but then I just languish there 2-3 ft below the surface bobbing up and down as I breathe. If I had a grip on the line I used that to descend slowly but in the absence of the line my instructor had to forcefully push me to go down, something that I don't want to repeat.

Due to my ears being ultra sensitive to pressure I need to go down VERY slowly, about 1ft/sec with a minute stop every 10ft seems to agree with my ears since that is the rate I descended without issues holding on to the line on my first 2 OW dives. Once I am at the bottom I am fine.

So my question is descending without the line... after I initially exhale to go down what do I need to do exactly to descend at a very slow rate? Should I be exhaling a lot more than I am inhaling? And if I want to come to a complete stop how do I achieve that?

Check this out for tips on equalizing:

Doc's Diving Medicine Home Page

Terry

 

[k374]

thanks, I'm looking more for info on how to control my rate of descent rather than how to equalize going down horizontally seems like a better idea for control but most suggest to descent feet first.

 

[ligersandtions]

When I first started diving, I had some issues with my descents as well. I was properly weighted for my safety stop at the end of the dive, but I could not descend at the beginning. Looking back on it now, I think it was that I had my weights distributed in a non-optimal way (too much weight in my trim pockets toward my head). This made it such that I wanted to be pulled down backwards / head-first....so I sub-consciously finned to keep myself upright, and thus was not descending.

One option you have is to descend in a skydiver position (horizontal on your stomach, the way you will swim when you're diving). In this position, if you fin, it will push you horizontal, rather than up toward the surface.

Another trick that I found very useful and still use it to this day -- when you are ready to make your descent and you are dumping air from your BC, inhale! That way, when the air from your wing is gone, you will exhale and begin your descent (rather than inhale and work against the descent).

And, as people have said above, equalize early and often. Start when you're on land....do it again on your surface swim, again right before you descend, and right after your head goes under water. Do it maybe every other breath on your descent (and on non-equalizing breaths, add a little air to your BC to keep yourself from rocketing to the bottom....this will keep you close to neutral / slightly negative).

 

[iztok]

thanks, I'm looking more for info on how to control my rate of descent rather than how to equalize going down horizontally seems like a better idea for control but most suggest to descent feet first.

Feet first is ok if you make sure you don't fin around

I do mostly shore dives (local quarry) and interesting things start soon enough in few feet of water so going horizontal and slowly descend as you swim is best for me.

This also worked for my ocean dives. Granted I do not have a problem with equalization (knock on wood) but being horizontal helps me control ascent so I stand better chance to arrive at my target depth close to neutrally buoyant.

 

[k374]

Thanks for the tips! Yes, this is going to be a beach dive, I will try descending horizontally and see how that works out.

 

[k ellis]

You know thats how I do when I dive off a boat in the ocean. I usually start off decending ok and stop at about 5 feet. Mine is my bcd air pressure in that I release it slowly and leave enough in it to bob at about 5 feet. Once there I usually do all final checks to be at a shallow enough depth to be able to resurface without problems. Once I am sure everything is ok. Air supply is good what not then I release all the air and descend.