BoyaControlncy

[Scubakevdm]

It sounds like you had too much wieght on to begin with, and then they made the situation even worse by adding more. This is one of the most common problems that I see in referal students down here. The instructor doesn't wan't to take the time, or isn't capable of determining the correct weight that the student needs, they just keep piling it on until the student eventually sinks... regardless of whether or not their lungs are full or empty. This causes trim to be almost vertical, and severely complicates bouyancy control by requiring a larger airmass to be carried in the bcd to effect neutral bouyancy, and therefore greater changes in volume of the mass due to depthj changes.

 

[Michael Schlink]

It doesn't sound like the class is to big, 14 students 3 instructors. It sounds like the instructors need help, on how to teach
To the OP-first understand that what you're going through is VERY commmon. Many, Many new divers have trouble with their buoyancy, some pick it up quicker than others. You will need to improve your buoyancy skill BEFORE you are ready to go to OW training. The best advice is to either change instructors, or change shops.
DO NOT go to OW water training unprepared, if you aren't confident and comfortable you won't have a enjoyable positive experience. Two things usually result, a poorly trained new diver that makes a few dives and then gives up all together or a student that decides " This isn't for me" before they were really able to experience scuba diving for what it is.
Make sure your training is complete and thorough before you move on to OW and you'll be glad you did.

 

[diverdown247]

Never mind, found what I was after.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

That would be an extremely good ratio for most schools, but you have to remember that schoolsa re in session for 9 months of the year, 5 days a week, maye 7 hours a day. Padi classes are "in class" for, what, 20 hours? And actually diving for maybe 3 hours.

It sounds good until you realized how accelerated the learning is.

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

I wasn't comfortable during the pool sessions either... the bc didn't fit right, the wetsuit was a XL and I need a XXXL, so I couldn't move, I was overweighted and turtled on my back constantly. My solution was 1) to buy all my own equipment immediately and 2) to retake the pool sessions a second time with this equipment before going to the OW dives. Because I had "passed" the dive skills the first time around, I used the pool dives the second time doing repeated buoyancy checks and hovering exercises. Having well-fitted, comfortable equipment that was higher quality than the rental stuff, plus the extra time in the pool, made me more confident for the OW dives. I still struggle occasionally, but if every dive were like those first pool dives, I would have quit long ago.

There is no race to certification --- you have a year to do the OW dives and you have to be comfortable for those dives because you are either going to an ocean, where viz and temp may be good, but you will have surge and current (and salt water buoyancy issues), or to a lake/quarry where you will be freezing in a thick wetsuit and will be lucky to see your hand in front of your face.

Not to worry, though. Buoyancy issues are actually tougher in a pool diving at 12 ft or less because the pressure variations are great and your wet suit keeps expanding and contracting (which also affects the fit of your tank/bc). It's actually easier to adjust your buoyancy at 70 ft than 10 ft. And the key, as others have noted, is weight. fear floats and every new diver needs too much weight to get under and end up having to blow up their bcs like puffer fish to keep off the floor.

One tip --- if you are wearing a wetsuit of any thickness and have trouble with the tank shifting, descend to the pool floor (or the ocean bottom) where your wetsuit is maximally compressed and retighten the waist, chest and shoulder straps again to keep the bc and tank from shifting. Another tip: remember that there is a little time delay between when you pump air into the bc and when you begin to feel lift. And another tip --- remember to flood your wetsuit, fully vent your bc and fully EXHALE to get down. Many students use more weight when they only need to exhale fully. And finally, make sure to EMPTY your bc after a dive. Students in the pool are constantly dumping air or holding the deflator button down as they go under, allowing water to enter the bc. By the second dive of the day, if they don't dump their bc, they have added another pound or more of pool water to their weighting and wonder why they lay on the pool floor like the Titanic.

In the worst case scenario, check out if your LDS has a one-on-one option... many do, but it usually runs about 100 or 200 dollars more than a group class and I don't know what your budget is. Given the cost of diving in the long haul --- equipment, charter fees, airline travel, future courses --- an extra bit of money spent now may make a world of difference for you.

 

[Sideband]

Are your 3 "instructors" actually all certified instructors or are 2 of them AIs or DMs? Just curious.

Joe

 

[Maria25]

Wonderful wonderful advice.
1. First to stand a bit on my defense the person who dropped the regulator was in the shallow end and we were not underwater.
2. I am not getting a bikini, the weight belt chafes
3. I am 5'10" and 150# how much weight should I carry? I am fine at the bottom hanging out. It is ascending and descending.
4. So if I get to the bottom this is where I should play around with ascending and gliding?
5. I am going to class early on Tuesday and meet with the instructor. I suspect she must be equally as frustrated.
6. Thank you again for all your support.
7.No I won't be posting the other gals pictures....they annoy me enough ... !
Maria

 

[diverdown247]

7.No I won't be posting the other gals pictures....they annoy me enough ... !
Maria

You know, for a nominal fee I'm sure that a bunch of the UW camera buffs would gladly offer up that service just for you.


Ok, I've beat myself silly over Maria's issue here. As luck would have it, I DO have a PADI Divemaster manual in my library. According to the manual, PADI does not allow the primary instructor to exceed an 8 to 1 ratio increasing to a maximum 12 students in the pool when using 1 or more certified assistants (regardless of certified assistants being DM or instructor) or 8 to 1 ratio increasing to a maximum of 10 students in the open water dives when using one or more certified assistants (regardless of certified assistants being DM or instructor). SSI does not allow instructors to exceed the maximum of 12 students either. And since both of these should be derived from the RSTC, they are not supposed to be compromised.


Sounds like she's got a genuine issue if the information she provided is accurate. We (dive leaders) are here to make safe divers so they can have fun aren't we?

 

[Penguinboy]

Wonderful wonderful advice.
2. I am not getting a bikini, the weight belt chafes

Hehe I had the opposite problem. On my complete lack of hips it just kept sliding off my drysuit on the OW dives (Ooops!). Its a devil to correct in 5mm gloves too

Glad to see your problems so far answered Maria - best of luck with the class and keep diving!

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

Wonderful wonderful advice.
1. First to stand a bit on my defense the person who dropped the regulator was in the shallow end and we were not underwater.
2. I am not getting a bikini, the weight belt chafes
3. I am 5'10" and 150# how much weight should I carry? I am fine at the bottom hanging out. It is ascending and descending.
4. So if I get to the bottom this is where I should play around with ascending and gliding?
5. I am going to class early on Tuesday and meet with the instructor. I suspect she must be equally as frustrated.
6. Thank you again for all your support.
7.No I won't be posting the other gals pictures....they annoy me enough ... !
Maria

What sort of wetsuit are you wearing? Long or short, 3mil? And how much time is spent doing buoyancy checks? And have you done any buoyancy checks with the tanks empty (500 psi)? Finally, and this may throw you for a loop, do you use steel or aluminum tanks? Steel adds weight because the tanks are usually 4 to 6 pounds negative while aluminum is either neutral or, as it empties, negative. Any figure someone comes up with is just a starting point and must be verified by checking it in the water. The usual recommendation for steel tanks in salt water with a 3 mil suit is 5% of body weight, or about eight pounds. In a pool, because fresh water is less buoyant than salt, the PADI manual says subtract 5 pounds for a 150 lb person, so that leaves 3 lbs. If you use aluminum tanks, add 5 pounds, to a total of 8 pounds. For a 5 mil wet suit, add another 8 pounds.

Thus 3 mil suit, steel tank 3 pounds aluminum tank 8 pounds
5 mil suit " 11 pounds " 16 pounds

Thus, the use of 14 pounds might not be far off if you are using a 5 mil full suit, but if you are using a 3 mil suit, shorty or no wetsuit (which sounds like the case, since the weight belt is chafing your skin) it is way too much weight.