Lessons Anyone have buoyancy tips for currents/up surges around rock outcroppings?

[MacDuyver]

Been getting into drifts lately, and am loving them. I have noticed my buoyancy gets randomly wonky when I’m near larger outcroppings.

I’m typically very steady maintaining depth so assume these are updrafts because of the current or surge bouncing up the face of the wall. I’ve been handling them by dumping some air, then adding air back into my BC when I’m out of it and start sinking again.

Is there a more efficient way of dealing with this?

 

[Still Kicking]

You can use breath control and finning to mitigate buoyancy shifts to some extent but if the depth change is large enough you have to adjust the air in the BC.

Stay further away from the wall/outcropping if you can and you might feel less surge.

 

[MacDuyver]

You can use breath control and finning to mitigate buoyancy shifts to some extent but if the depth change is large enough you have to adjust the air in the BC.

Stay further away from the wall/outcropping if you can and you might feel less surge.

I've noticed on my last few that I'm rolling slightly to my left in the water, and even out if I shift my tank over closer to my right shoulder. This seemed to be consistent with the current, but I also recently moved my DSMB from being clipped to a ring over my butt to a pouch on the left side of my BC belt (diving a BPW with 10lbs of lead).

I'm considering moving my weights so instead of 5lbs per side, I'm diving 6lbs on the right and 4 on the left to even out the weight from the DSMB. Does that pass the common sense test, or do you think it might be unnecessary and I just have to shift around to accommodate the current?

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

how big is your dsmb? it really shouldn't be effecting your trim, at all.

 

[MacDuyver]

how big is your dsmb? it really shouldn't be effecting your trim, at all.

It’s a standard 6’ DSMB with as finger spool and 60’ of line. Nothing crazy. Weighs about a pound or so.

I was kinda surprised I started listing left. I didn’t notice a list before, but I’ve also been much more mindful of my body position lately.

 

[inquis]

Weighs about a pound or so

In the water?

 

[ontdiver]

Like everything to do with buoyancy, it takes some time to anticipate and adjust with changing conditions such as you have described. This may get a bit trickier towards the end of a dive depending on whether you are diving aluminum or steel.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

its not the dsmb. current can twist you and will behave different based on the topography. Don't overthink it.

Literally, just go with the flow.