Ricky B
Contributor
Some people have better plumbing than others. Me, I start equalizing on the surface and do it more or less continuously down to a depth of about 15 or 20 feet.
how to ascend/ descend
- Thread starter TatianaSilva
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Becca65
Contributor
Yeah that's what I'll try next time - who knew this would be so hard - it gets frustrating at times but it is what it is
DukeAMO
Contributor
Becca, I also have to equalize for a couple of minutes to get past 15-20 feet of depth, then it's easy after that. For that very reason I'll descend feet-first for the first 15-20 feet, so I can kick up a little if my ears need it. Then I'll level out to horizontal for the rest of the descent, so I can see where I'm going. Unless, as Dr. Bill says, the visibility is horrible and I can't see 5 feet; in that case I'll usually descend feet first and level out at the bottom.
You'll find what works for you too.
There are a few things that can make it hard to descend other than being underweighted, and I did all of these at first: kicking with your fins below you (usually subconscious); holding too much air in your lungs even while you're breathing / "breathing off the top" (also subconscious); and having a lot of air trapped in your BCD or wetsuit at the beginning of the dive. The first two tend to improve with practice. The third one can be remedied by letting some water into your wetsuit while you're at the surface, and also by grabbing onto a hang line or anchor line and pulling yourself down just a few feet from the surface if you're diving from a boat. Once underwater, you can wiggle around a bit and use a couple of different dump valves to get the extra air out of your BCD and wetsuit. Once the extra air is out of your gear, you should be able to descend the rest of the way easily. If you know you have the right amount of lead from doing a weight check at the end of a dive in the same conditions/gear, you can try those tricks instead of adding more weight than you really need.
You'll find what works for you too.
There are a few things that can make it hard to descend other than being underweighted, and I did all of these at first: kicking with your fins below you (usually subconscious); holding too much air in your lungs even while you're breathing / "breathing off the top" (also subconscious); and having a lot of air trapped in your BCD or wetsuit at the beginning of the dive. The first two tend to improve with practice. The third one can be remedied by letting some water into your wetsuit while you're at the surface, and also by grabbing onto a hang line or anchor line and pulling yourself down just a few feet from the surface if you're diving from a boat. Once underwater, you can wiggle around a bit and use a couple of different dump valves to get the extra air out of your BCD and wetsuit. Once the extra air is out of your gear, you should be able to descend the rest of the way easily. If you know you have the right amount of lead from doing a weight check at the end of a dive in the same conditions/gear, you can try those tricks instead of adding more weight than you really need.
Why do people descend feet first when the viz is low? That's the time I really DON'T want my feet under me, because I may not see the bottom until I kick it, and that's only going to make the viz worse. If I'm not going to see the bottom until I'm closer than my height, I want to be horizontal and as still as possible when I get close to it.
DukeAMO
Contributor
I suppose if you dive like some folks on this board, in six inches or less of viz, you might want your feet to hit whatever is below you first. When I can't see the bottom until I hit it, I seriously think about going out to lunch instead 
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