Buoyancy AHHH!!

[scubadiveilat]

Bouyancy!!!

Is an art some master it quick some take time other strive.

But everyone masters it eventually.

you start the dive it may be alright. When you get to the 1500 PSI the tank is half empty. Where divers experience a deterioration in buoyancy.

Solution

You must experiment! do one or two dive only as an experiment. Shift weights and practice buoyancy. When you enter the water to a depth where you can float and stand if needed.

With your BCD deflated completely and insure that no air in your wetsuit or dry suit. While breathing normal (continuously) your eye leveled with the weights you have on. Make necessary attempts until you get it.​

Being balanced means being properly weighted. Which leads to having good buoyancy. To compensate for the time when your tanks reached 1500PSI. take with you another 2LBS. 4LBS if your over 60KG. More if wearing a 7mm wetsuit.

Next!

Enter the water go to about 1m deep. deflate BCD completely ensure no air bubbles in the wetsuit. Breath normally. Your start to rise and fall a little. Good sign!!!

There practice balancing your buoyancy. By inflating(pressing 1 interval at a time) As you rise when you get to a foot off the ground. Stop inflating and start using some fin. Move forward and don't inflate anymore. Breath continuously. Deep breath and slow If you rise too fast, breath slower.

Practice this a dozen times conduct this through one or two dives and every time you dive. You'll master this by the fifth dive.

Don't forget!!!! Have fun & enjoy

 

[JTH2711]

Thanks man, sometimes i lose perspective I guess

 

[ozzydamo]

Okay so maybe I need you guys more info. Here is the deal, long and drawn out. I dive a 7/5 wetsuit typically with hood and gloves when I go deeper than 35 feet (i dive quarries mostly for experience and proximity) I rent a BC typically Back inflate(Zeagle Scout). The best dives have been when I used AL80 tanks but I always burn though my air. Recently I started using a Steel LP 112 and I shave off 5 pounds of what I carry when I use that tank. I usually wear 21-24 pounds with the above configuration (The 21 is for when I don't wear a hood and Gloves). I carry 8 pounds on the back pockets and the rest on the front.

You don't look overweight physically from your photo in your avatar~ You dive in freshwater using a 7mm wetty and 21lb- I believe you are over-weighted- I use a al80, 7mm wetty with hood in SALTwater and use 18lbs, I could drop half of that in freshwater.
Slow your breath rate down by relaxing(probably why your having issues towards the end of the tank, your getting anxious about the ascent procedure) and practice more without being so self critical, go easy on yourself it isn't the Olympic games gold medal finals in buoyancy control(now thats an Idea!).
Rome wasn't built in a day!

 

[ozzydamo]

Bouyancy!!!
[/I][/B] But everyone masters it eventually.

you start the dive it may be alright. When you get to the 1500 PSI the tank is half empty. Where divers experience a deterioration in buoyancy.

Solution

You must experiment! do one or two dive only as an experiment. Shift weights and practice buoyancy. When you enter the water to a depth where you can float and stand if needed.

With your BCD deflated completely and insure that no air in your wetsuit or dry suit. While breathing normal (continuously) your eye leveled with the weights you have on. Make necessary attempts until you get it.​

Being balanced means being properly weighted. Which leads to having good buoyancy. To compensate for the time when your tanks reached 1500PSI. take with you another 2LBS. 4LBS if your over 60KG. More if wearing a 7mm wetsuit.

Next!

Enter the water go to about 1m deep. deflate BCD completely ensure no air bubbles in the wetsuit. Breath normally. Your start to rise and fall a little. Good sign!!!

There practice balancing your buoyancy. By inflating(pressing 1 interval at a time) As you rise when you get to a foot off the ground. Stop inflating and start using some fin. Move forward and don't inflate anymore. Breath continuously. Deep breath and slow If you rise too fast, breath slower.

Practice this a dozen times conduct this through one or two dives and every time you dive. You'll master this by the fifth dive.

Don't forget!!!! Have fun & enjoy

Its high time you got a real job, one that you hate yourself for being there!

 

[herman]

Hey bud.
Here's my take on it from observation.
1.You haven't dove the same set up enough to get the "feel" right yet.You dove the same BC a couple of times but also switched from AL80s to 112s in the process.(If I recall correctly)
2.Don't let your air consumption rate bother you.It WILL drop with more dives and it really isn't that bad for the #of dives you have.
3.Use small adjustments when adding or venting air from your BC.When you get movement up or down you have already gone too far.
4.Last week was a shallow dive which makes control more difficult.So cut yourself a little slack.
I think you're doing pretty good so far.Next dive we can spend some time on weighting and trim if you like.

You diving with this guy?? That is half your problem right there.
I heard he was at the quarry recently (Sgt Davis ratted him out)

It sounds like you have a weighting problem and most likely a trim problem as well. Catch me some time at the quarry and I'll see if I can help you out, I am guessing you were at Rolesville. I am in town over the 4th, odds are I will be at the quarry at least one day between fri and Monday.

 

[mainedvr]

JTH, my wife and I are also new to diving and over the winter we took some instruction to work on our boyancy. First your on the right track by practicing and asking questions (basically already been hit by other responses) also do a proper weight check with the gear you typically dive and remember as your gear ages it will also change in its characteristics in boyancy. I would take a peack performance boyancy or equivalent course or just get someone that knows the physics so to speak of boyancy and have them give you some pointers.

I am still working on my boyancy of course but a few things I will pass on that may help. First, dont get overly worried about it while your diving cause this is going to cause you anxiety thus making you fight with your boyancy even more. Relax, is the first word our instructor said to us in class.
Next, air in your bc (IMHO) is a waste of air unless you absolutely need it, first as stated as your depth changes so does the air in your bc so as you know you go from 50ft to 45 the air expands thus making you more boyant then you have to let air out changing your plane in the water and so on. My last 5 dives since the course I have other than when I needed to for safety not put air in my bc.
Let your lungs be your bc, I will not go into depth on technique and all that but there are techniques and they work. Your doing the right thing by going out and practicing and diving more it all comes with time so I am told. My wife and I will go on a fairly shallow shore dive and put a weight bag just off shore under our flag and mess around with weighting (how much and position we put it on our body) all this seems to be helping,,
BUT do not worry about it so much that all your doing is that, as it could get old. Go out, dive, have fun, and evaluate each dive for how you feel it went, AFTER the dive so your not worry about everything...

Hope I did not overstate this but it drove us crazy too so we feel the fustration.

Good luck and have fun

 

[101recon]

You diving with this guy?? That is half your problem right there.
I heard he was at the quarry recently (Sgt Davis ratted him out)

Careful JT! Herman will have you in a vintage double-hose with no BC,no suit at all,and you'll have to find the right size rock to carry around with you!

 

[JTH2711]

"You don't look overweight physically from your photo in your avatar~ You dive in freshwater using a 7mm wetty and 21lb- I believe you are over-weighted- I use a al80, 7mm wetty with hood in SALTwater and use 18lbs, I could drop half of that in freshwater.
Slow your breath rate down by relaxing(probably why your having issues towards the end of the tank, your getting anxious about the ascent procedure) and practice more without being so self critical, go easy on yourself it isn't the Olympic games gold medal finals in buoyancy control(now thats an Idea!).
Rome wasn't built in a day! "

Yeah dude thats not a picture of me. That's Bill Hicks. And I weigh at 250 lbs and I'm 5'11". I know for a fact I'm not as overweighted as you are insinuating.

 

[JTH2711]

Well That would suck in a quarry. I'll just keep working at my configuration till I get some head way. I've good strides since OW. So it should only get better.

 

[Bob DBF]

I'd take Herman up on his offer, and there is nothing wrong with vintage double-hose with no BC and no suit unless you can't find the right size rock.

I do my final weight check on the way in. At 500# in the tank, find a spot at 15', empty the BC, and adjust your weight by putting the excess on the bottom, in a game bag you can grab if you are nervous. I have various size weights in a pocket weight belt and can get within a pound. Breathe normally, with a 1/2 your lungs full is neutral, inhale you rise, exhale you settle to the bottom. It may take a few times but it works well. I do it and record it because I dive a number of different rigs and its hard to keep the numbers straight in my head.


Bob
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vintage double-hose with no BC,no suit