Trouble decending for first few feet.... please help!

[Rick Inman]

Here's my suggestion ... try these things first, then once you've got the technique, work on shedding some of that lead.

When you're ready to descend, as you raise your BCD inflator hose take a big deep breath in. Don't start to breathe out until you start to sink to about eye level. Then start a looooong, deep exhale ... take about five or six seconds to let all the air out of your lungs. Then, just when you've finished exhaling ... exhale some more. I'd betchya you've still got some air in there. Push it all out. By the time you've completed your exhale, you'll be a few feet under the surface ... where compression is your friend.

Now, what about your feet? A lot of divers will be kicking and not realizing it ... it's an instinctive reflex. So try crossing your feet at the ankles ... that way you'll be aware of it if you get the urge to kick and can tell that instictive part of your brain to stop doing that.

Finally, relax ... people tend to get "floaty" when they tense up. Think about why you're going down there, and let your mind help your body stay calm ...

... before you know it, you'll be down near the bottom, having fun ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I am privileged to dive with new divers almost every week, lately. The above advise I stole for NWGD many moons ago, and when applied, works every time.

I am thinking of laminating this quote and passing it out at the dive sites, except that NWGD might sew me for copyright infringement.

 

[Divingguy]

The concerns that you have expressed, and the anxiety that you feel, are very real, and very common. The advice that you have been given is also right-on, and very good. However, I have found that there is often an additional complication involved in people who are having weighting or buoyancy issues - namely, that they become so concerned about their ability to get underwater, that they get scared about their ability to "hold" a safety stop. Again, this is a very real concern, as holding a stop is truly critical, and being able to stay down is harder as your aluminum tank becomes positively buoyant at the end of the dive. It is all a matter of practice, and confidence. To me the key is making sure that you have enough weight and KNOW that you have enough weight to hold your stop at the end of the dive. That will relieve some of the anxiety, which will in turn make it easier to relax as you enter.
Remember, this is all supposed to be fun!
Tom

 

[trucker girl]

I dove with erparamedic two times- 3 dives each time- and just so everyone knows- she is a very competent diver. Aside from the first few feet... her buoyancy control is excellent (IMO- and quit saying otherwise- I WATCHED you!).

We dove together twice. The first time, one suit (the thicker one) was brand, brand new. We did a buoyancy check at the surface and her weight was good- but trouble getting down. She ended up adding- what was it? 4 lbs? to get down- not too ridiculously much.

The second time we dove together, we were down on the armored car at Blue Springs. There was a current (I don't care what you BS people who say there is no current say- THERE IS ONE!) and we were playing Uno. I kept having to reposition myself since the current was pushing me west. And erparamedic couldn't stay down on the roof- she wasn't kicking or anything- just sorta hanging there a few feet up- and I had to give her the 2 extra lbs I had put in my weight belt and all was well.

So it's a confusing situation. I, personally, think she's an air head (don't hit me!) .

Also- I went from wearing 18 or 20 lbs last year (when I thought the weight was good) to wearing 14 or 16 lbs this year. With 14 I have a real hard time getting down but with 16 I have to add more air.

Oh- and LESS NEOPRENE IN A QUARRY DURING THE SUMMER! ARE YOU NUTS! I wear a 7-6-5 and either a neoprene beanie or a full hood. And gloves. I am sure there are some people who can stand less insulation but I'm not dropping below 15 feet without it!

T.G. PS Thanks for posting this thread- I think a lot of us can use these tips- I hadn't thought about trapped air in my BC- I just cheat, flip over, and kick down!

 

[erparamedic]

Thank you for the kind words, TG!! I've had such a fun time diving with you! I can't wait to do it all again. You know I'm quite tough on myself when things aren't "just right". LOL Maybe I AM an "airhead". LOL Although, I get "floaty feet" when I flip over to swim down.

Anway, I've received very good tips from this thread... thanks to all!

 

[scubatexastony]

You can't possibly say that sight unseen. What was described is exactly what happens when you dive aluminum tanks and neoprene. You will ALWAYS be 'heavy' at depth diving neoprene if you are properly weighted to sink from the surface. We all know the buoyancy shift as the alum tank depletes as well. If you can't sink from the surface on a full tank, you will be under weighted for the most important part of the dive. This is of course assuming all air out of BC, drysuit (if applicable), exhale, etc., etc.

--Matt

I agree the wet suit will compress, but have to call BS on the Tank idea. You'll have weight either in lead, steel or aluminum to get you down. Gas used will be the same buoyancy shift reguardless if its housed in alum. or steel, @ about 1 lb. per 13ft3. (Vapor Density: .07493 lb./cu ft (1.2 kg/CuM), At 70°F (21.1°C) @ 1 atm] YOU GET LIGHTER USING YOUR GAS, NOT BECAUSE YOU ARE USING AN ALUMINUM TANK.

Obtaining good trim is a bit easier with steel as the weight at center of gravity is more, i.e. less on the weight belt, one reason so many divers here praise the b/p. It is also a reason many folks here caution diving steel with neoprene as in you have less (or no) ditchable weight due to the added weight of steel tank(s).

Erparamedic, I can't add more to the advice of purging the suit and bc, deep exhale and RELAXING, other than be sure to equalize early and often as you learn to decend faster.

 

[Meister481]

If you're interested, there are going to be a bunch of instructors, divemasters and Indy Dive Club members going to Gilboa the 9th and 10th. I know most of them and they are more than happy to coach divers thru a problem.

It's the first annual U/W picnic and there are going to be a ton of Indy divers there.

PM me if you want more info.

 

[rhyz]

So it's a confusing situation. I, personally, think she's an air head (don't hit me!)

That is a bouyancy issue isn't it? :11:

I learned alot from this thread when I was doing my OW, just finished my AOW with 19 logged so far. And I pass on the info here to some of the people diving for the first time. As a result of this thread, I've now gotten my weight down to 12lbs and am much more comfortable diving even at my safety stops. God I love this boars, a wealth of information here all the time!

 

[fubari]

Thank you for the kind words, TG!! I've had such a fun time diving with you! I can't wait to do it all again. You know I'm quite tough on myself when things aren't "just right". LOL Maybe I AM an "airhead". LOL Although, I get "floaty feet" when I flip over to swim down.

Anway, I've received very good tips from this thread... thanks to all!

Concerning your initial descent, my guess is that you've got a little extra air inside the BC's bladder. Try "mouthing" it down (don't just suck out a big inhalation, that may get infectious stuff in your lungs), but close your jaw, make a seal around th e manual-inflater w/lips, push the deflate-button to open the air-path to the bladder, open jaw (should draw out a mouthful of air out of the bladder), release the deflate-button to seal off the bc's bladder, break seal w/lips & close jaw to expel air. Repeat. After a few times you should have drawn a vacum (e.g. it gets hard to suck out any more air).

note: If you do this on the surface (e.g. you've already jumped into the water), keep your other hand on your 2nd-stage (just in case if you do start to drop under, you'll have ready access to air - if you do start dropping, it will be nice to know exactly where your 2nd-stage is).

On the flip-side, coming back up:
From a weighting point of view, what is it like holding your safety stop on the way back up? Can you easilly maintain 20 ft for a minute (free floating, as in not holding a line or smth)? Ok, how about 10 ft for a minute?

I'd like to know how well that works when your tank is down to 500 psi. That will be about the lightest you're going to be. Holding a (fairly) steady stop at shallow depths is something I find hard to do, so don't be surprised if it is tricky.

If find yourself corking up to the surface at the end of your dive, I would say you need another pound (or three) of lead. Maybe more.

Good luck!
It sounds like you are very close.