SCUBASailor
Contributor
My history: 10 official dives under my belt, with a lot of time in my swimming pool. All my dives have been warm water boat dives. I am feeling very good in the water, and those instructors with whom I have dived have commented that my skills are good for such a new diver.
I was reading an article in Dive Training Mag that says the correct way to descend is to vent air a the surface so that a slow descent rate is achieved, then slowly add air on the way down to maintain a constant, slow descent rate.
I realized that when I descend, I dump all the air at the surface, kick down until the wetsuit compresses, then let the descent commence at a pretty fast rate, in a nearly horizontal or even head down position, clearing every few feet. When I'm near the bottom, I start adding air in bursts. I stop a few feet above the bottom, then make any final adjustments to get neutrally bouyant.
The difference between my method and Dive Training's method seems significant. Is my way a poorer way to descend, or is it just a different way to descend? For me, it works fine and just seems a natural way to do it. It's also more fun.
Thanks for any advice.
I was reading an article in Dive Training Mag that says the correct way to descend is to vent air a the surface so that a slow descent rate is achieved, then slowly add air on the way down to maintain a constant, slow descent rate.
I realized that when I descend, I dump all the air at the surface, kick down until the wetsuit compresses, then let the descent commence at a pretty fast rate, in a nearly horizontal or even head down position, clearing every few feet. When I'm near the bottom, I start adding air in bursts. I stop a few feet above the bottom, then make any final adjustments to get neutrally bouyant.
The difference between my method and Dive Training's method seems significant. Is my way a poorer way to descend, or is it just a different way to descend? For me, it works fine and just seems a natural way to do it. It's also more fun.
Thanks for any advice.