Looking up towards the surface

Deefstes · Apr 6, 2009

I find that when I look up towards the surface, two things happen. I seem to lose my sense of orientation to some degree and may start feeling a little queazy. The other thing is that I tend to lose control of my buoyancy, also to some degree and sometimes not as bad as other times.

When I'm on the reef I seem not to really have a problem with being in all sorts of positions and I hang hang inverted with my face peeking under an overhang without problems. But when I look up towards the surface my head goes into a bit of a spin.

Is this common? I'm really hoping it will pass with more experience as it can be quite annoying. Sometimes I like to get a picture of something between me and the surface as it often provides a nice backdrop.

Are other divers also experiencing this?

scubamama5 · Apr 6, 2009

What you've experienced sounds normal..you could get that feeling looking up at the surface in a pool too..a visual thing...the surface moves....when your body is horizontal and face up you can gain better control of staying at depth...practice, practice, practice...an be sure not to run into anything, you'll be moving backwards..in a vertical posture, when you look up for a while, you'll inhale of course, thus the buoyancy change...and with a little movement of you fins..up you go.. When you're going inverted..you mostly inhale to stop the drop..as for visual, the seafloor wont move.
If you experience a slight reverse block when you go vertical, that can cause a dizzy feeling as well..Stay safe...
just my 2cnts

Joe-Diver · Apr 6, 2009

A sure way to induce vertigo, for me, is to look up as I surface. The lessening of pressure in my ears, coupled with the shimmering surface and bubbles, triggers it almost every time.

Steve50 · Apr 6, 2009

Common for me - I limit it to quick looks.

bluebubble1995 · Apr 6, 2009

Joe-Diver:
A sure way to induce vertigo, for me, is to look up as I surface. The lessening of pressure in my ears, coupled with the shimmering surface and bubbles, triggers it almost every time.

Me too...I do it on purpose though just for fun. It goes away as soon as I roll over.

Walter · Apr 6, 2009

I wondered why very few of us ever look up.

don Francisco · Apr 6, 2009

Old, old, joke (Hippocrates probably told it)

Patient to Doctor, "Doctor, I get this painful twinge whenever I move my arm like this. (demostrates) Ouch, ooh!
Doctor, "well stop doing that."

Seriously - While mechanisms in the ear are important parts of our sense of balance, visual cues are equally, if not more, important. When you look at the reef or objects in the water, you get cues which help your brain determine your orientation. Low visibility, or not having good visual cues make the brain depend on the ears alone, which as you are finding out, don't work as well as advertised.

It's similar to motion sickness, with some more susceptible than others. You'll probably adapt to it over time, but some people never do.

PToone · Apr 6, 2009

bluebubble1995:
Me too...I do it on purpose though just for fun. It goes away as soon as I roll over.

Haha, me too.

Whenever I'm on a tuneup dive or a equipment check I usually roll over and look to the surface. Over time I feel like I have gotten better and it doesn't bother me as much. It applies to seeing something swim over you and you wanting to take a look...you don't want to get sick just by being inverted looking up!

Garrobo · Apr 6, 2009

I always sit in the back of the boat so I won't have so far to shuffle to jump off. If we're on a shallow reef like around 30 or 40 feet I sink to the bottom and lay in the sand and watch the rest of the divers hitting the water while waiting for my dive partner or DM. It's hilarious sometimes seeing them struggle to get squared away to sink and pieces of gear falling off of their body. I've never noticed any of the things described by other posters. In fact it feels good and relaxing to me.

blues · Apr 6, 2009

good to hear that I'm not alone in my feeling of dizziness. I like it though

it gives me a greater feeling of flying. Plus, I also blow some air and watch they ascend to the surface. good especially when there is nothing to see on the bottom

Looking up towards the surface

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