Peak Buoyancy Specialty Course

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I've hired instructors for just coaching. I don't know what people are doing to have to worry about liability. I have no problem teaching a workshop, in which I am recording. If I did have a fatality while training someone, I believe the video will exonerate me. People get really concerned about earning a GUE rec/tec pass, and one way to address that is to hire instructors for workshops to prepare. There isn't a formal course, and the concern for liability is a non issue.

 

[VikingDives]

I've hired instructors for just coaching. I don't know what people are doing to have to worry about liability. I have no problem teaching a workshop, in which I am recording. If I did have a fatality while training someone, I believe the video will exonerate me. People get really concerned about earning a GUE rec/tec pass, and one way to address that is to hire instructors for workshops to prepare. There isn't a formal course, and the concern for liability is a non issue.

I agree. I've got two students coming in next month for coaching on buoyancy. I asked them if they wanted a card and told them I'd charge them more if they did, but my instruction is going to be the same regardless.

If you're going to be sued, you're going to be sued. Having an approved curriculum might give your attorney an argument, but it won't stop you from being sued any more than a waiver of liability will.

 

[60plus]

I had a look at the Andy Davis article and whilst he says what you should be able to do he does not explain how to achieve good buoyancy. I have very big lungs - partially because I am built that way but also because for many years did strenuously long distance running on hills and underwater swimming. Even relatively steady breathing probably changes my long volume by about 3 litres. Having said that if I am diving with just a T shirt and trunks my buoyancy remains effectively unchanged from 3 to 30m and remaining neutral is effortless. However in a drysuit with a few thermal garments, adjustments have to be made every few meters to maintain neutral buoyancy, because the entrapped air volume would change so much without adjustments.

 

[Wibble]

However in a drysuit with a few thermal garments, adjustments have to be made every few meters to maintain neutral buoyancy, because the entrapped air volume would change so much without adjustments.

That's correct. It does depend how much gas you've got in your suit, the type of suit (membrane or neoprene), the underclothes and how compressable the undersuit is.

It needs a bit of practice, but it eventually becomes second nature to twist your left shoulder up to dump some gas.

When you're diving, the general idea is to be calm and relaxed, so you're not far off of resting, so you won't be taking in great amounts of air in each breath; if you are, you're working way too hard (or exceedingly stressed).

 

[mac66]

Bouyancy is my biggest problem. I have 7 dives in. My last dive was about 3 weeks ago and I worked on using breathing to control bouyancy. I did better than the dive I did in December and better on the second tank than on the first. I do a little better on each dive. I have a cruise coming up, 7 islands in 12 days. Diving on 3 of them so 3 two tank dives. I'll continue to work on it.

 

[inquis]

I worked on using breathing to control bouyancy

That's great to initiate depth changes, but if you expect to be at a given depth for a bit, I'd recommend adjusting the amount of air in the BC to offload your lungs back to their nominal point (normal exhalation/inhalation range). One obviously doesn't HAVE to do this, but a habit of not doing this will have to be unlearned when you start to do dives where task loading increases. (You revert to the nominal breathing range when task loaded.)

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

That's great to initiate depth changes, but if you expect to be at a given depth for a bit, I'd recommend adjusting the amount of air in the BC to offload your lungs back to their nominal point (normal exhalation/inhalation range). One obviously doesn't HAVE to do this, but a habit of not doing this will have to be unlearned when you start to do dives where task loading increases. (You revert to the nominal breathing range when task loaded.)

When I tried to emulate @The Chairman and really dialed in my weighting, I was able to descend to the bottom of a 12-foot pool and return to the surface using just my lungs.

It is amazing what you can do with your lungs if you dial in your weighting. I haven't experimented with how far I can do this, as I'm a wimp when it comes to cold temperature (love heat), so I have to deal with exposure protection compression (both dry and wet suits).

I think @mac66 is on the right path to see how far he can go with just his lungs. If he is properly weighted (including weight distribution to be horizontal effortlessly), I suspect with a little bit of practice, he'll develop the sixth sense needed to use lungs/additional gas spaces without thinking about it.

 

[Belzelbub]

I haven't experimented with how far I can do this, as I'm a wimp when it comes to cold temperature (love heat), so I have to deal with exposure protection compression (both dry and wet suits).

I think I found the solution to your problem. Change what is circled.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I think I found the solution to your problem. Change what is circled.

I was just in Belize, diving in 80 degree water. Diving in a 5 mil and hood in 80 degree water.

I got cold after 50 minutes lol. Yes I wasnt exaggerating when I said I'm a real wimp when it comes to temperature.

With my heated vest, undergarments, dry gloves, K-01 hood,.I'm more comfortable in the Puget Sound after 50 minutes

 

[Belzelbub]

I was just in Belize, diving in 80 degree water. Diving in a 5 mil and hood in 80 degree water.

I got cold after 50 minutes lol. Yes I wasnt exaggerating when I said I'm a real wimp when it comes to temperature.

Holy crap. I would have been shocked to see that in water that warm.

Definitely goes to show how much personal tolerances differ, and that they are not always geographically distributed. Despite living almost my entire life south of the 28th parallel, I can comfortably do 60+ minute dives in mid 70s water wearing a 3 mil wetsuit.