Neutral Boyancy

[The Natural]

So I'm at the point where I get level, and when I breathe in I rise up and when I exhale I drop. Am I breathing too heavily? My air consumption is rather good, I just can't seem to hang in one spot motionless.

 

[hermosadive]

Stop thinking about it and just keep diving, it will take care of itself.

 

[TeddyDiver]

So I'm at the point where I get level, and when I breathe in I rise up and when I exhale I drop. Am I breathing too heavily? My air consumption is rather good, I just can't seem to hang in one spot motionless.

It's about the rhytm.. Like Tango. Inhale totally and exhale abit, a pause (or slowly), total exhale and inhale a bit, a pause, and again.. When you get the rhytm you can "improvice" few feet's up an' down without readjusting your boyancy to follow the curves of your dancing partner...

 

[Marek K]

"...follow the curves of your dancing partner"? *whew*

Actually, doing what you're doing, you are neutrally buoyant.

Your buoyancy will have to change a tiny bit when you inhale and exhale... right? And if you rise a bit when you inhale, and sink a bit when you exhale (allowing for a couple seconds' delay each time), that means you're right where you want to be... for that particular depth, wearing the particular suit you're wearing.

Congratulations!! You can now call yourself "The Neutral."

And welcome to ScubaBoard.

--Marek

 

[m3830431]

What you are doing is right

It all depends on what depth your at how much you rise and fall. The shallower you are the more the rise and fall especially less than 30fsw.

 

[herman]

Sounds like you have neutral buoyancy down. I will add that excessive weight will make the condition you describe a lot worse. You can be neutral but overweighted at the same time which requires more air in your BC. As you rise and fall as you breath, the expanding and contracting of that air in the BC will cause the effect to be a lot greater. If you have not done so, I would suggest doing a good weight check as your next step.

 

[spectrum]

So I'm at the point where I get level, and when I breathe in I rise up and when I exhale I drop. Am I breathing too heavily? My air consumption is rather good, I just can't seem to hang in one spot motionless.

Sounds like you're right on target.

You're looking for more so I'll ask what you mean by " I just can't seem to hang in one spot motionless" ?

When I started I was soon neutral but my trim was off (light in the chest) and needed to keep fidgeting with my fins. A minor weight movement made all the difference.

Pete

 

[Marek K]

A minor weight movement made all the difference.

For me, the trim (and backache) problem was solved when I switched from a weight belt, to a weight-integrated BC.

 

[The Natural]

Thanks guys, its been a few years since I dove and I'm just getting back into the swing of things this summer. I use the rising and falling with my breathing to actually help get myself over objects etc. Guess I'm not doing so bad for my 2nd dive in 3yrs huh? lol

 

[Blackwood]

When divers say "neutral buoyancy" they don't really mean "neutral buoyancy." They mean the buoyant force on your body is equal to the gravitational force on your body (buoyancy = weight).

Say you're "neutral" with empty lungs. When you breathe in, you're making the above equation an inequality (buoyancy > weight). You are increasing your volume but not substantially increasing your weight (one breath of air is pretty light, even at diving pressures). As such, the buoyant force (which I'll call "positive") will overcome the gravitational force (which I'll call "negative"), so you'll move in the positive direction: up.

Thanks guys, its been a few years since I dove and I'm just getting back into the swing of things this summer. I use the rising and falling with my breathing to actually help get myself over objects etc. Guess I'm not doing so bad for my 2nd dive in 3yrs huh? lol

Not bat at all. That's what it's all about.

Congrats. It takes some people ages to master their breathing.