How do you descend/ head up or down?

[DougK]

Newbie question: On all my dives to date, I have used a descent line in which I went down feet first/head up. I do have one ear that is slow to equalize, so this slow decsent is helpful.

Now I am thinking of going to dive in Cozumel and at least one dive company I have spoken with says they don't use decsent lines.

In this fashion, what is the best way to descent: head down swimming? or feet down and just float down via weight. (Funny thing I don't remember any one in my OW course saying much about it. In the quarry cert. dives we used lines.)

Is it even possible to just float down feet first from the surface?

 

[DS1]

Horizontal Always For Me

 

[String]

Depends on conditions, if descending in low visibility onto a wreck with sharp bits of metal i stay vertical until i can see the bottom THEN move horizontal to avoid getting skewered.

Otherwise i just descend about 2m then flip to horizontal and stay there.

Its rare i actively go upside down and swim down, just dumping air, exhailing should start a descent and just add squirts of air on the way down to control rate.

Shot lines are rarely used on our dives here so im used to it.

 

[jhelmuth]

Horizontal more than 90% of the time (never feet first for me). On a rare occassion, I'll turn head-down and "swim" down (and I really don't know why, but it does happen on occassion).

 

[RIDIVER501]

Depends:

When I am instructing I will descend head up kicking slightly to "swim" down in control for the benefits of the students so they can see proper descent technique to control their ascents and prevent ear squeeze.

But when I am diving for myself it is more of a skydiver free fall position, but my rate of descent is still slow and controlled.

 

[JDostal]

Definitely horizontal. If I'm in a hurry to get down (like on a shipwreck....) I'll go head first and kicking my way down. But otherwise, horizontal.

 

[SueMermaid]

Totally depends on the conditions, my buddy, and my mood. If I am diving with someone new, I will go down feet first so we can watch each other. If I am diving with a regular buddy and there is no current, I usually go head first. It's more zen that way or something.

 

[The Kraken]

Predicated on visibility:
Low visibility / obstructed descent = foot first
Good visibility / clear descent = horizontal, maybe slightly head down

 

[Mako Mark]

feet first with students, freefall position otherwise.

Headfirst descents causes a lot of equalisation problems in beginners as it increases blood pressure to the head.

 

[Charlie99]

..... On all my dives to date, I have used a descent line in which I went down feet first/head up. I do have one ear that is slow to equalize, so this slow decsent is helpful.

Now I am thinking of going to dive in Cozumel and at least one dive company I have spoken with says they don't use decsent lines.

In this fashion, what is the best way to descent: head down swimming? or feet down and just float down via weight.

......Is it even possible to just float down feet first from the surface?

Most people that have trouble equalizing find a feet first descent best.

If you are properly weighted, you should be able to dump the air from your BC, and then descend feet first by just exhaling strongly. Just make sure you keep your feet absolutely still, or you will tend to fin yourself back up to the surface.

Mention your slow ears to the DM. He will probably just recommend that you take your time descending, while finning as needed to stay above the rest of the group. (The currents may differ at different depths.)