Bouyancy control while ascending - What are the best practices?

[Paladin]

I guess I'm supposed to be impressed with all of that but personally I just consider you an old dino who's too smart to bother learning new tricks.

Why do you even care how I dive? I am comfortable with my style and it suits me. I just happen to like the minimalist style. If you have read the equipment list in my profile, then you know that I have some contemporary equipment that I use when necessary.

I honestly don't care what techniques you like to use. That is your choice. The OP was seeking knowledge and I merely offered my personal style as an option. Personally, I think your attitude needs a little work. What purpose is served by insulting someone you have never met simply because he or she does not share your ideas on diving style?

Besides, my post asking why one cannot swim up from 80 feet without air in a BC was not even directed to you. It was directed at gcarter.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I am a strong advocate of trying to stay ever so slightly negative and gently finning up on the ascent and maintaining a more or less vertical position. This is the best and safest and easiest way to learn bouyancy control on ascent. After the diver has mastered this, they can eventually do it with minimal (or zero really) swimming.

You don't dump air to begin an ascent and you don't add air either. You just take a few gentle kicks and start the ascent, vent air only as necessary.

As divers get better and better at maintaining trim and control they can begin to develop the ability to ascend in a horizontal position and ride a tiny bit of bouyancy up. However, to ascend in a horizontal position.. by definition you must be positively buoyant, and this is NOT the way to begin to teach people to ascend...

I myself generally stay vertical for ascent and can control the ascent by spreading my fins and breath control and use negligible upward kicking...

 

[stevensamler]

I am a strong advocate of trying to stay ever so slightly negative and gently finning up on the ascent and maintaining a more or less vertical position. This is the best and safest and easiest way to learn bouyancy control on ascent. After the diver has mastered this, they can eventually do it with minimal (or zero really) swimming.

You don't dump air to begin an ascent and you don't add air either. You just take a few gentle kicks and start the ascent, vent air only as necessary.

As divers get better and better at maintaining trim and control they can begin to develop the ability to ascend in a horizontal position and ride a tiny bit of bouyancy up. However, to ascend in a horizontal position.. by definition you must be positively buoyant, and this is NOT the way to begin to teach people to ascend...

I myself generally stay vertical for ascent and can control the ascent by spreading my fins and breath control and use negligible upward kicking...

That is the way i make my ascent , start neutral , vent on the way up , monitor your rate , no problem.

 

[Paladin]

I am a strong advocate of trying to stay ever so slightly negative and gently finning up on the ascent and maintaining a more or less vertical position. This is the best and safest and easiest way to learn bouyancy control on ascent. After the diver has mastered this, they can eventually do it with minimal (or zero really) swimming.

You don't dump air to begin an ascent and you don't add air either. You just take a few gentle kicks and start the ascent, vent air only as necessary.

As divers get better and better at maintaining trim and control they can begin to develop the ability to ascend in a horizontal position and ride a tiny bit of bouyancy up. However, to ascend in a horizontal position.. by definition you must be positively buoyant, and this is NOT the way to begin to teach people to ascend...

Well said, DD.

I, personally, do not understand the attraction of staying horizontal all the time, especially during ascent. But, hey, whatever floats your boat. When I'm underwater, my positioning is all over the place. I might be horizontal, vertical, inverted, on my side, whatever does it for me at any particular time. It isn't because I'm not trimmed correctly. I just point my mask in the direction I want to go and start kicking. I guess old habits die hard. Once I'm beneath the surface, I forget all about my BC (if I happen to be wearing one). I'm just having too much fun swimming around with the fishes. Maybe I am a dinosaur, but I'm a happy dinosaur and I'm not alone. There's a bunch of us on the VED forum.

 

[cuyler]

There are more than a few divers who still don't use BCs, prefer double hose regulators and (gasp) service their own regulators and gear. That's why SB has the Vintage Equipment Divers forum.

Excellent point - and this wasn't posted in the VED. This was posted in the new divers form looking for help. Your original post also didn't mention to the new diver that you used different equipment that had different buoyancy characteristics and they might be interested in changing their style because that could be a benefit to them. Instead, all you said was effectively "I'm awesome, I don't need a BC. Since you're having troubles you obviously suck". Really helpful there - I'm sure that elitism is super welcoming to new divers.

 

[DukeAMO]

It took me a good 8-10 dives to get the hang of controlling my ascent rate. My computer's pretty conservative (30 ft per minute), and it sounds like yours is too. I also try to stay slightly negative and fin gently up; that works the best for me right now. Watching the numbers on the computer makes it easier to monitor your ascent rate than watching a dial, so you'll get the hang of it before long. I still have to watch the numbers all of the way up to avoid accelerating, but it should get more subconscious with time. Getting horizontal on ascents is a good goal for a few dives down the road, but it's tricky for a newbie like me to use the butt dumps. (Horizontal descents, on the other hand, are easy for newbies too, and I find them fun.)

BTW, ascending with your buddy helps too. If one of you gets above the other, there's a good chance the person higher up needs to dump some air.

 

[00wabbit]

Your contribution here doesn't help the OP learn how to better dive at all.

Sorry but as the OP I disagree on this point. Knowing where the sport came from and how the divers of the past dealt with situations as well as why the gear has evolved to the point it has today is helpful. I'm not going to jump off a boat without my BC and I'm not going to carry a rock to the surface to slow my ascent but it is interesting to note.

Just because the technique isn't directly connected to my beginner status doesn't mean that I can't learn something from it. I read stories about wreck and cave divers. Obviously I'm not qualified and that knowledge may not be directly related to my open water training, but reading the stories helps me to understand why I'm not qualified and that I shouldn't try to swim through a wreck even if it seems easy.

 

[Paladin]

Sorry but as the OP I disagree on this point. Knowing where the sport came from and how the divers of the past dealt with situations as well as why the gear has evolved to the point it has today is helpful. I'm not going to jump off a boat without my BC and I'm not going to carry a rock to the surface to slow my ascent but it is interesting to note.

Just because the technique isn't directly connected to my beginner status doesn't mean that I can't learn something from it. I read stories about wreck and cave divers. Obviously I'm not qualified and that knowledge may not be directly related to my open water training, but reading the stories helps me to understand why I'm not qualified and that I shouldn't try to swim through a wreck even if it seems easy.

Thank you, OOwabbit. I'm glad you understood what I was trying to accomplish. Something can be learned by studying all the various styles and types of diving. Take a little skill from here, a little idea from there, and put it all together to synthesize your own, unique style that works best for you.

Have you read Jacques Cousteau's Silent World? It is a fascinating read and will give you a solid foundation on the early history of SCUBA.

I do apologize if I came off as being "elitist." This was not my intention. I merely wanted to express the idea that ascents can be made without the use of a BC. I do feel that this is something useful to know in the off chance of a BC failure.

I wish you many safe and enjoyable hours in your new world.

 

[00wabbit]

Have you read Jacques Cousteau's Silent World? It is a fascinating read and will give you a solid foundation on the early history of SCUBA.

I just found this video complete on Youtube. IT's crazy to see them diving with almost nothing. I dont think I could stand being in that tiny recompression chamber.

The Silent World, 1956 / Jacques-Yves Cousteau / HD 720p - YouTube

 

[Paladin]

I just found this video complete on Youtube. IT's crazy to see them diving with almost nothing. I dont think I could stand being in that tiny recompression chamber.

The Silent World, 1956 / Jacques-Yves Cousteau / HD 720p - YouTube

I know I couldn't take that little chamber. I'm claustrophobic. I have to be sedated for an MRI.

If you liked the film, see if you can get a copy of the book. It details the development of SCUBA and Cousteau's early adventures exploring the underwater world.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0792267966