I look awful when I'm diving.

[BluOrchid2]

egads. I look like a floundering ....something awful ...when I'm diving. I want to look graceful, composed, and fully in complete control of everything while I'm diving....arms down by my sides. Instead, my arms flail in front of me, dog paddling the water. It's a natural movement, after all I am sort of swimming, but it looks godawful on tape. I think part of it is buoyancy control, too. I have only been diving twice since being certified last October, and still don't have that down as well as I need to have.

Any pointers?

 

[pasley]

If you are dog paddling, then you most likely are over weighted. Try loosing a few pounds. You should not drop like a rock, but more like a graseful leaf, at least for the first few feet (10 or so). Check you weights. Example: Male, AL80 tank, weight 148-150 pounds, 7 mil wet suit with 7/3 mil hooded vest, gloves and boots, and 20 pounds of lead.

Getting properly weighted and learning bouancy control is on of the challenges for beginning divers and contributes significantly to your air consumption. It takes practice, practice, practice and yes, more practice to get it right. Hang in there and dive the local waters, lakes and rivers.

 

[one90proof]

I'm a new diver too and I know the feeling. I think the answer is to keep diving and get as much experience as possible. The more you do it the better you'll get at it. I find myself watching more experienced divers closely when underwater and I try to mimic their actions.

-Craig

 

[teknitroxdiver]

I have only been diving twice since being certified last October, and still don't have that down as well as I need to have.

Any pointers?

Ah, and you shouldn't be perfect after only 2 dives. Check your weighting: you should be neutral at 5 feet at the end of the dive, with no air in your BC.

Fold your hands, hook them in your weight belt, or put them under the bottom end of your tank. Resist the urge to flail around. Think slippery. Kick without bending your knees too much.

Hope that helps.

 

[jbd]

As the others have noted proper weighting is important. Also having that weight in the right place to keep you horizontal in the water is important. Relaxation is also very important and will come with time and experience.

Switch to using a frog kick and learn the helicopter turn and you will find you have no need to use your hands. Practice making descents and ascents horizontal in the water with a down line for visual reference and no motion with the arms and legs. Pasley is right that it takes practice, practice and more practice.

 

[RobinG]

Any pointers?

We probably all started off flailing to some degree. Several people have given you good ideas about weighting and tucking or folding your hands (I often use them to cradle my gauges against my stomach--the gauges are clipped to my BC and don't need it but it's a technique I used when first I learned to stop flailing!)

The other best thing I did for myself was subscribe to Dive Training magazine. They have lots of tips and techniques each issue and I learned a LOT from that mag.

Robin

 

[saltwater taffy]

Really, really you'll get better with every dive. If you haven't done so, consider taking a buoyancy control class. This will really help to get your weighting down to a science. Try taking slow breathes, fully inhaling and fully exhaling. The other thing is to get your equipment fully streamlined. Have all of your gauges neatly tucked in place. The neatest tool I've found to do that is the Cetacea products.

Good luck to you. We've all been where you are at. Just keep jumping back in the pond.

SWT

 

[Wildcard]

Look at where your weights are too. See which way your tipping that makes you want to dog paddle, then move weights/tank around some and try it again. Just started my DM class and I had to change my weight possition becouse I was fighting the stay upright, then had to move them back to hold my attitude for taking pics. Good luck!

 

[ScubaDadMiami]

First thing's first. Make sure you have the right equipment and have it configured properly. Then practice skills until mastered. It will come.

 

[Quarrior]

Since you have an UW video available, here's an idea. Try putting your thumbs in you weight belt or cumberbund of your BC. Close your eyes, relax, and just float. Don't concentrate on doing anything, just let it be. Then when you get back to the shore, look at the video and see what you did while you were doing that. If you were turning/rolling one side or the other, then you are out of balance on your weighting. If you were head down, then slide the tank further down in the bad on your BC next time and try it again. If you were feet down, then move the tank up a bit.

Basically, just relax. One more thing. If you've only done a few dives, you really don't have much to worry about. I've got 49 in 3 months and still working on my bouyancy. Remember, every change you make to your gear, adding something, taking something off, changes your bouyancy.