Okay to pull yourself down?

[N2Baja]

Hi, I need some advice on weighting and descending properly.

I went diving recently with a group of friends who had just finished their training. I haven't dived in over a year, and haven't done a cold water dive in over four years. The dive was to be to about 80 feet.

The DM asked everyone how much weight we were carrying and told me I was way over weighted so, ignoring the little voice in the back of my head, I took some weight out. Too much I think.

We got into the water and grouped at the surface by the anchor line to start our descent but I couldn't go down! The others used the chain to pull themselves down, but I tried everything I'd been taught: breathing easy, crossing my ankles so I wouldn't accidently fin, etc. but still just hovered.

My buddy came back to see what was up and suggested that I pull myself down by the chain also. I know that if I got down to a certain depth I'd be able to descend, but I didn't want to do this because I thought, If I'm underweighted, how will that affect me at depth?

I wasn't comfortable with that so, I aborted the dive. Was this the right thing to do or would I have been ok to use the chain to descend?

Thanks.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

When I'm just diving for fun I tend to be a little "under" weighted. As soon as I get a few feet below the surface I'm able to sink all I want. The only concern would be can I stay down to do my safety stop. If not I'd use the anchor line. I wouldn't have aborted myself.

 

[do it easy]

I think you did the right thing! If you have any reservations, then listen to them.

The lack of weight won't be bad at the bottom, but it might give you problems on the ascent. You were planning an 80ft dive where maintaining a safety stop is much more important. If the dive was planned to 25ft, then it might not be as dangerous to cork up after the dive. What if you accidently overstayed your planned time and had to do a stop?

I think it takes more experience and maturity for a diver to call a dive then to "get through" it. Nice work!

 

[mongoose]

N2Baja, you did precisely the right thing. When the little safety voice in the back of your head speaks, you should listen.

Much better to be on the boat wishing you were downstairs, than downstairs wishing you were on the boat.

 

[booth22]

i'm new to diving myself, but from what you said, i'd have aborted too. better safe than sorry

 

[TSandM]

Having had lots of descent and weighting problems, it's been my experience that, if I really make sure I have all the air out of my BC and suit and still can't go down, what that means is that, at the end of the dive, I can't STAY down -- no safety stop, and sometimes just corking. I think you did the right thing, especially given how deep you were planning to go.

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

If you couldn't get down with a full tank, then you wouldn't be able to do a safety stop with an empty (lighter) tank. Sounds like you did the right thing.

Myself, I might have worked at it to get down and then grabbed a rock or something, but I'm not sure that's the "right thing"

 

[jamiep3]

What thickness suit were you wearing?

 

[dbulmer]

One thing - when you descend make sure that you exhale fully. I've had dives where I failed to do this and could not get down but was able to hold my stop. Don't forget your lungs are a source of buoyancy too.

 

[redacted]

Wasn't the boat and more weight on the other end of that chain?