Help for a friend w/ neg buoancy

[LI Diver]

Ok guys heres one for ya, a friend of mine just left my office and I was boring him w/some of my u/w photo's. He told me that he would love to dive but he never really learned how to swim.He is 50 years old. Of course I askeed him why. He told me and I believe him that he can't float.He has to one of those people with BMI most of us would like to have. Extremely muscular and very large boned. Can palm a basket ball and probably pop it.OK now I asked him if he is comfortable in the water and he replied absolutely. I told him that he needed to get very slightly negative w/gear on to dive anyways and explained how a bcd works. Now one can he possibly be neg? and two is there any hope for him to dive? How would he pass the swimming test? He did admit that in salt water w/ a full lung he sank a bit slower. Has anybody had similar experience with this??:06:

 

[adurso]

I am negative, but learned to swim well, it just took more work....

 

[m3830431]

How negative is negative? With a lungs fill does he still sink? I am slightly negative you have to swim a little harder to stay on the surface (constantly swimming slightly up and forward) but it can be done without any problems. Treading water isn't that much more dificult either.

When it comes to diving negative will be a blessing because he will need less weight to drag around on the dive.

 

[PJP]

We see this in the dive industry quiet often, one of my friends who is an instructor skills even will a wet suit on. Your friend just needs some swimming lessons and a bit of confidence.......he will be fine, you know what divings like he will love it.

If he intends to do his Padi open water, there is a option for a snorkel, mask, fins swim rather than the swim. This was introduced for people that where poor swimmers

All the best

 

[wheelietaco]

with a full set of lungs I will sink. never have been able to float on my back like most. I will just sink feat first and eventually be completly submerged. It will take a little more work and knowlegde to what will happen if he stops swimming. I think he can do it. He will love it once he starts.

 

[LI Diver]

Thanks Guys! I will forward these responses to him. I suggested he try wearing a wet suit and told him he could use snorkel,mask and fins and that the fins would give him so much more momentum that he would be able to swim fine.I wish I knew about this option when I took my test! I nearly had a coronary. I actually mentioned it to the instructor afterwards and he said oh yeh you coulda done that.AGGGHHH! Anyways back to my friend I just hope it's not a case of teaching a old dog new tricks thats all. As far as the swimming not the diving.

 

[ItsBruce]

I'm negative. My son (a product of the Grow Your Own Dive Buddy program) can walk down the beach into the surf and just keep walking (funny as can be), until he needs to come up for air. No problem diving, however. In fact, its nice that we don't need as much weight. (I'm 5'10" and weigh 160, but wear 18 lbs with a 7mm wet suit and aluminum 80.)

Tell your friend to take some swim lessons and then learn to dive.

 

[CameronMartz]

As others have alluded to, sinking only happens when you stop swimming. <g> Full breath of air, I sink like a stone, but that didn't keep me from learning to swim at 27 years old so I could compete in triathlons. Basic swim skills (without the assistance of equipment you might not have should you end up overboard) should be required for anyone who intends to spend time on or in the water, anyway.

Check out http://www.usms.org/ to contact a Masters Swim team near you. They should be able to hook him up with adult-appropriate swim instruction. They will work on his trim so that he doesn't require buoyancy to stay on top of the water.

Besides, I have always had a hard time believing that someone with any sense can truly be comfortable in the water without knowing how to surface swim. <g>

Cameron

 

[Xanthro]

Being negative can be an aid in diving. I'm negative still, and used to be very very negative. (Sucks when you get older). It means less belt weight.

Very few people are negative in a 7mm wetsuit.

It wasn't until I learned to dive that I ever experienced floating on the surface. For positive people the feeling is normal, but it feels really weird to me. I'm just there on the surface, and I don't have to swim to stay up or hold huge amounts of air in my lungs. Very relaxing to float on one's back!! A side benefit of diving.

 

[LI Diver]

Besides, I have always had a hard time believing that someone with any sense can truly be comfortable in the water without knowing how to surface swim. <g>

My thoughts exactly!