Need advice to maintaining level buoyancy while breathing hard

[Texasguy]

I think I have a rather ok buoyancy but there are a specific times when I freaking lose it. When happens it drives me mad as I lose fine control.

It occurs when I am being active and need to stay in one spot and on the same level while working together with a buddy. One example is holding still (horizontal) and tying a line while slightly adjusting to my buddy's position, not to run into each other. After a while of doing something similar my pulse goes up and breathing rate increases, I lose ability to fine tune my buoyancy with my breathing. As breathing rate increases I start to have more air in my lungs, I start to slowly but certainly to assent. Here I cannot do a big exhale because body demands oxygen, if I do a big exhale it screws with the breathing pattern even worse. Thus, first I try to use fins to push myself down a bit but, I guess, it adds to the problem as I start to shift around more and more on all axis, start to run into my buddy. If I try to release some air from a BC, it does not completely solve the problem as breathing rate is not steady, I start to sink, rise, run into my buddy, etc. In either case a fine buoyancy control is gone totally.

Overall, how to hold still and level while breathing hard? I probably should take it easy during these moments but time to time it just happens. I don't think it due to physical workout that makes me breath faster but actually the adrenaline that makes my heart go faster and breath fuller and more often.

PS: In addition, evidently when I am suddenly stressed or scared - automatically, without much thought I start to breath deeper and it makes me slowly accent. How to train myself not to do it?

 

[flots am]

IOverall, how to hold still and level while breathing hard? I probably should take it easy during these moments but time to time it just happens. I don't think it due to physical workout that makes me breath faster but actually the adrenaline that makes my heart go faster and breath fuller and more often.

PS: In addition, evidently when I am suddenly stressed or scared - automatically, without much thought I start to breath deeper and it makes me slowly accent. How to train myself not to do it?

Physics is a harsh mistress. The only way to not start rising is to maintain neutral buoyancy.

The "trick" is to be aware that it's happening. Once you figure out that you're losing buoyancy control, you can dump a little air from your BC or, or preferably relax and get your breathing under control. Even better would be to practice enough that these situations don't provoke anxiety.

Sorry, there's no magic here, aside from sharpening your situational awareness and having a definite plan for "what to do"

flots.

 

[redacted]

Primary is go after the cause. Stop working hard. Also, if you have a little current to work with, face it and take a slight heads down attitude. What the "wing" effect does not do, a little kicking should correct.

 

[aprivetera]

Short answer: Mind over matter

Long Answer:

Ran into a similiar problem when facing the underwater equipment exchange for the DM training. When I got stressed during the exercise, I started to breathe harder. The extra air in my lungs created additional buoyancy and stressed me out more. Vicious cycle.

I ended up overcoming this problem by being aware that the desire to breathe is only that. A desire. You can go for much longer without taking a breath than you think while underwater. I constantly prep for this sort of mental emergency when I have long, boring car rides, where I have discovered I can hold my breathe comfortably for 20 seconds and take a controlled breath in afterwards.

After mentally programming this into my brain on the surface, it becomes only an effort to be aware of this little fact when I start to stress underwater with the buoyancy-breathing issue. I just tell my self to slow down, there is no rush, and to start doing everything a touch more slowly because obviously something is stressing me out.

Once you recover that peace, it's gravy.

Hope that helped!

A

 

[birdwrasse]

breath control starts with being centered, calm, and in control. everything else will fall into place.

 

[fnfalman]

Be one with the sea.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Get your breathing into a rhythm that does not change no matter what you are doing. Swimming hard? Don't do it. Slow down. Afraid? Stay away from situations that cause fear and anxiety. If you can't get your breathing under control no matter what you are doing your buoyancy will not get better.

 

[bracko]

how fit are you?

also try some meditation techniques when you start to get stressed.

 

[Shasta_man]

aprivetera: please no "how long before I pass out" games while driving.

 

[Diving Dubai]

The short answer as others have said, is too relax and chill.

The reason you become buoyant is your bodies genetically programmed Fight or Flee reaction. By your own admission your adrenaline levels increase when you're engaged in time activities that cause you stress. Your bodies automatic reaction to this as well as producing adrenaline is that your diaphragm drops so as to allow your lungs greater expansion, and thus more oxygen for your brain's perceived "emergency"

Suddenly you have a greater lung capacity thus are more buoyant - a deep exhale still won't clear the air volume. Because you will be correctly weighted - you may not have much air in the BCD before this and so dumping it won't help much correcting your sudden gain in buoyancy

The cure... Don't concentrate on one task. keep checking your computer for depth (eyes can lie) , take a moment to look about during the task. It's task fixation, which can cause you to "forget" to be relaxed which causes this reaction by your body - its different from person to person, and is the reason why newbies get all floaty , and the main reason that with experience you reduce your weighting.

I occasionally have the same issue - less frequent now - the last two have been when i had a serious mask flood and I had a minor inward panic constantly clearing at the safety stop - another time just recently having a tangle on my smb while deploying - fortunately I recognised the issue both times and corrected my trim and forced myself to relax, whereas when I had less experience I'd have been heading to the surface with my ass upwards franticly dumping air

Hoep that helps

Martin