Bouyancy???!!!! PROBLEM!!!!???

[JayMoScuba]

What up??? New to Scuba!!!! I am having a problem with bouyancy???!!!!!! It seems i either sink like a rock or i am flying back up to the surface! My dive master says once i master bouyancy i will really appriciate and love scuba, but right now i am very frustrated! Can anyone give me a little advice!!! I have tried to make small (psst psst) adjustments, in either direction (up or down), and like i said, i will sink or fly back upward??!!!!! A little advice would greatly be appriacted!!!!!
Thanks... JayMo

 

[Diver Dennis]

Might be a good idea to go back to your instructor and let him know. You should have come out of the class with at least some control.

 

[The Kraken]

Having access to a pool can help greatly.

Get a pool and just practice in the deep end. Your buoyancy is most volatile in the first 15 or so feet of water.

If you can, work with a tank that is relatively low on gas; by doing this you can replicate, more closely, the conditions you'll experience at your safety stop.

First practice getting neutrally buoyant. When you get this down start moderating your buoyancy with your breathing. Allow the changes in your breathing a little bit of time to take effect upon your buoyancy.

After you've got a good grip on this, move on along to playing with your inflator.

The main thing is to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE . . . .

the K

 

[birdwrasse]

neutral first is the biggie! and in the pool helps. you can float a foot off the bottom and watch how your breath changes your depth.

check your weighting, too. especially in the beginning, not being properly weighted will affect your bouyancy too. make sure the weight is properly distributed, too.

get rid of all the danglies, too. tuck or bungee everthing close to keep your trim tight.

move slowly and breath smoothly. relax. i like to stop or float on the surface with my eyes closed before i start the dive. kind of like meditating and visualization. if you are breathing smoothly and regularly, your buoyancy will be tighter.

good luck!



--c

 

[JayMoScuba]

I guess i should have explained myself better... I am still working on my certification. I have my next weekend class 4/26/2008 & 4/27/2008. I have completed half and i was hoping someone could help me out a little before i go back to class. I like to be prepared!!!! I spoke with the dive instructor and he made recommendations on how to correct but i was still having problems!!!
Thanks anyway!

 

[JayMoScuba]

Thanks for the advice, I will keep these tips in mind when i return to class. I really hope it helps.

 

[Ed Hatfield]

Welcome to diving and welcome to ScubaBoard.

Don't expect an instant respose when you inflate. This common mistake can cause people to overinflate and give you that 'rocket' effect. Another common mistake is that the variation at depth (amount of air) to cause a reaction is different due to the pressure. I know you are taught this in class but it doesn't really sink in until you are in the water. Fogetting to vent during an ascent - once again 'rocket'. Your instructor should have already taken care of your weighting issues on dive number 1. The rest is just practice. Take your time and work with smalll inflate/deflate variables until you get a feel for the response. As mentioned before, if you an handle 1 to 15 feet, the rest will follow.

 

[birdwrasse]

sure. starting now, rather than after you've learned a certain way or perhaps learned bad habbits is a good way to go. a big thing is time, but not just the number of dives, but take your time. sometimes its easy to stay neutral by swimming, but that takes a lot of energy, effort, uses more gas, and reduces bottom time. truly, go, s l o w l y . . .

let us know how you do! congrats on taking the first step.



cheers.




--c

 

[TSandM]

You aren't alone! You might get a kick out of reading the journal linked in my signature line . . . I had a horrible time mastering buoyancy in the pool. (It took me a while in OW, too )

A few tips . . . Being close to the proper amount of weight makes it easier, because you need to carry less total air in your BC. If you tend to float around feet down, move your tank up some, or move some weight into trim pockets in your BC, if it has them. If you can float more or less horizontal, it will be MUCH easier to stay at one depth. If you're floating feet down, then every time you kick, you'll go UP. Try for the skydiver posture -- body flat, arms out in front of you, head back a little. If your feet are heavy, try bending your knees a bit.

As has already been said, try VERY small "puffs" of air into the BC -- Hit the inflator button and let go of it in almost the same motion. Then WAIT and see what happens. You have inertia in the water and it takes time to see the effect of any change in BC volume. Remember that your lungs hold a lot of air, too -- taking a deep breath will make you float, so if you're concerned about your buoyancy and breathing fast, you're going to be more buoyant.

Finally, try to relax. It will come. And buoyancy control is the key to enjoying diving and diving safely, so it's worth the work.

 

[Captain Walt]

I am sure somebody has already mentioned it (haven't read all the posts). I will bet you are grossly over waited. Over waiting is the most common problem among new divers.