How to Master Buoyancy?

[TSandM]

Although I don't like the "fin pivot" exercise for other reasons, it WAS a great way to introduce the concept of breathing rhythm to students. Basically, what you will learn is a pattern of breathing where you inhale slowly, and as soon as you really begin to rise, you are already exhaling and stopping that motion. It is possible to hone this to where your deviations during the breathing cycle are measured in inches -- and when you want or need to make it smaller than that, you can.

Especially for bigger people, the advice to use a slower, much deeper breathing pattern than normal can result in the kind of buoyancy issues you are describing. If you're six feet tall, you simply cannot breathe by completely filling your lungs and then completely emptying them. What you will find is a breathing pattern that cycles around a comfortable midpoint, and is relatively slow and maybe slightly deeper than you would use sitting on the couch.

Like learning to ride a two-wheeled bicycle, this is something you WILL figure out simply by doing a lot of diving with the desire to get it. But spending a little time thinking about the mechanics and specifically experimenting with your breathing pattern can help shorten the process.

 

[t-mac]

Lots of good advice here:
1. Practice, doing a number of dives in succession.
2. Get weighted right. You want as little air in your bcd as possible. You will go up and down a little with breathing anyway, but if you have a big bubble in your bcd, it will exaggerate this. That air volume, and thus your buoyancy, changes exponentially. That's why new divers pop.
3. Get relaxed. Slow, steady breathing will help you control the slight changes in depth and if you are relaxed you are more situationally aware and so you will be able to use your breathing to your advantage in keeping a constant depth. Once at depth you should not need to keep pumping your bcd. You should be able to use your breathing in most circumstances until you start to surface and need to vent.

Good luck and good diving!

 

[DivemasterDennis]

So here's the list of things to do/ practice to achieve peak buoyancy control:
1. be properly weighted. 2. add and vent air in tiny little bursts. 3. use quality equipment with which you are familiar. 4. dive a lot- be active. 5. Be relaxed on dives- don't rush around doing things that make you breath faster or deeper than normal.
Rental tanks are not the issue. But your posts suggest to me you may be overweighted. Anyway, practice makes perfect. Be an active diver.
DivemasterDennis

 

[azhar]

Can I practice and experiment weighting and breathing cycles in pool/confined water? or sea is must?

 

[TSandM]

Oh, you can ABSOLUTELY practice this in a pool! Breathing rhythm isn't any different in different kinds of water.

 

[phoenix31tt]

weighting would be different in a pool though right?...

i considered doing my initial weight checks/configurations in a pool but decided to use a confined spot instead to get my weighting absolutely right in sea water.... figured i'd be using less weight in the pool

 

[TSandM]

Yes, whatever weighting you use in the pool, assuming you use the same exposure protection in salt water, you have to add 2.5% of the total weight of you and your gear, or approximately five pounds. But the skill is precisely the same.

 

[tdtaylor]

Great advice so far, but to a lesser degree the proper trim will assist in achieving the proper buoyancy. Once you are properly weighted, then take some time to understand where on you body weight works best to achieve a horizontal swimming posture. I have seen many who had their weight correct, but were inclined at 45 degrees when they were swimming. When neutrally buoyant in this position, one obvious heads up as one moves forward, as well as using more air because of more drag.

As many have said, practice makes perfect. It is often hard to find the time when diving to play/practice with weighting/trim. After I purchase new equipment, I will often spend a dedicated 15-20 minutes playing with weights and locations before the rest of the crew joins me (of course letting them know what I am up to so they can keep an eye on me or they just "float" around me while I go through my exercise. Never had a buddy complain). While not salt water, pools are great for this, and most convenient, especially for figuring out trim.

 

[o2dependant]

Sound like your pretty determined to get your buoyancy correct.

I think a pool would be a wise choice if your that way inclined, no distractions etc.

But I would just chill out a bit and enjoy the diving more. Try and get an idea of how your posture is in the water by talking to your buddy. Adjust your weights to get streamlined. By the time you have got that far you will already be noticing improvements I would guess

a Pool is not really going to get around objects or give you any natural variables to challenge you!

 

[Peter Guy]

One thing I found very useful for practicing buoyancy control was to put my camera/housing in the pool (just put a heavy weight on it and put it on the bottom), start the video and then practice in range of the camera. I'd do something (flood/clear mask for example), go pick up the camera and review it. I'd see how I'd done and then repeat and repeat. Having an almost immediate video feedback is very helpful.