Buoyancy problem

[TSandM]

The problem is that you can only hover and be motionless if your static weighting is in perfect balance. If you are wearing little or no exposure protection and no lead, and using a tank that cycles around neutral, you can hover any old which-way and it will work.

Our students use HP72 steels in the pool. They are often in bathing suits and carrying no lead. The tank is VERY negative in fresh water, and a Buddha hover is quite literally impossible. If the student gets into a perfectly vertical position, the tank WILL pull them over backwards unless they scull. It is unavoidable.

I cannot do the Buddha hover in my dry suit, my 31 pounds of ballast, and my steel HP100. The relationship of lift from my suit and wing to drag downward from my tank and weights just isn't right; to maintain any kind of vertical position, I MUST kick or scull. On the other hand, I can maintain a horizontal hover without moving a muscle very easily, and for quite a long time.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the Buddha hover as a diving exercise, but if the OP is using steel tanks in fresh water, it may really be impossible for her.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I have some short video clips on my website that will show what others are talking about regarding more useful diving buoyancy and body position on this page: Coaching

 

[NAM001]

Sadie from the first post i was wondering about what tank you are using. Now you have confirmed it is a steel tank. I and my other half have both had this problem. Let me describe it and see if it is familiar. As long as you are horizontal you are ok but when you stop and get out of trim you roll to your back. to fix this we had to put on more weight to force the use of more air in the wing. so long as you have air in the wing you stay belly down. with out air in the wing you are top heavy and it will naturally seek to be on the bottom. I suspect that you are not neutral at 4-500 psi at safety stop. Another factor is too buoyant of a wet suit. (your lift is under the tank and the weight is over the lift.) Another factor is how snug your rig is on your body. If it is too loose the tank moves from one side of your back to the other and combined with being top heavy you end on your back.

Hmmm ... well, I am in a class, I am supposed to do what I am told



I have a steel tank, but so is everybody, I am the only one rolling backwards. But, I am also the only woman and the one who weights less.

Ok, so I will just keep practising it horizontaly, thank you !



At first, rolling on my back was making me very nervous. But not anymore, now it's really the pain. I will keep practising, no doubt ... I will talk to my instructor about the weights.

 

[Corlett]

I am the other side, Algarve, Lagos and it has been terrible, hope to get a couple of dives in though next week, unfortunately a shore dive, boat is out of water...

The pain starts underwater, and stops whem I go up for a while (I'm in a swimming pool). But in the days afterwards it becomes very painfull to the touch.

---------- Post added November 23rd, 2014 at 11:07 PM ----------



lol ... :d

---------- Post added November 23rd, 2014 at 11:13 PM ----------



Hi !

Well, the weather has been good for diving for most days in Sesimbra ...

 

[Bob DBF]

Chatting about the Buddha position is fine, but I would say helping with alleviating the ear pain it is, or may be, causing is a much more important issue to solve.



Bob
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The clue is in my previous post. You'll have to read it, though. Reading can be bit like listening. Some people listen only to hear the pauses where they can jump in and start blathering again. Others listen to hear what is being said.
Diver0001

 

[Michael Guerrero]

I assume they did a thorough check of your ears to make sure there weren't any other problems. You may need a referral to an ENT.

 

[RJP]

I find that many students dislike the way that excessive water works its way into their ears when they roll around too much. I myself find that even 40min into a dive, if I rol lover to look up at the surface I can feel it wash around in my ears in a different way..

Add to that the percentage pressure change on your ear in shallow depth plus a new student's lack of proper clearing technique and frequency. Imagine that you're starting out in the Buddha position in a pool with your head, say 3ft below surface without having adequately cleared your ears... if at all. Now roll inverted and sink a bit. If your head is now at 6ft... the water pressure has doubled.

 

[TSandM]

RJP, that's my theory, too. When I was trying to learn to perfect my buoyancy while lying on my back, I was not very stable at the beginning, and would usually sink. I'm assuming this is happening to the OP and she simply isn't aware of it.

 

[RJP]

RJP, that's my theory, too. When I was trying to learn to perfect my buoyancy while lying on my back, I was not very stable at the beginning, and would usually sink. I'm assuming this is happening to the OP and she simply isn't aware of it.

Even if you merely rotate around center-mass - without sinking - your head still ends up 100% deeper than when you were upright.

 

[Sandie7]

RJP, that's my theory, too. When I was trying to learn to perfect my buoyancy while lying on my back, I was not very stable at the beginning, and would usually sink. I'm assuming this is happening to the OP and she simply isn't aware of it.

TSandM ... ok, now I am confused ... can you explain, please ?