My body twists

[twicetwins]

I did my first in the pool lesson yesterday. While the other people were able to stay vertical, feet down, looking relaxed, my feet kept moving off to the left and rising. In order to get them back down, I had to roll over them and force them down. Obviously, I am doing something wrong. I could use a little help, thanks!

[RJP]

I did my first in the pool lesson yesterday. While the other people were able to stay vertical, feet down, looking relaxed, my feet kept moving off to the left and rising. In order to get them back down, I had to roll over them and force them down. Obviously, I am doing something wrong. I could use a little help, thanks!

It takes some getting used to. You could try spreading your feet apart a bit, should help a little. Also, make sure your BCD is tight enough...you might have your tank shifting THE OTHER WAY, thus causing your feet to rotate out from under you.

[Tortuga68]

Well, I wouldn't worry about it too much after just one lesson...

Maybe your BCD is too big? Or the weight on your belt isn't distibuted evenly?

But really you should ask your instructor, he's there and we're not. Plus that's what you're paying him for

[twicetwins]

Thanks, those are a few things I didn't think of. This also occurs when we kneel on the bottom. I tip to the right. I felt like I was exerting too much energy to stay in place. I will definitely talk to my instructor tomorrow. These are things I'm thinking of as I talked to my buddy who said he didn't have any issures staying in place.

[roturner]

Usually the source of the rotation you're describing comes from one of these in the order I see them:

1) The BCD is too large and the tank is rolling on your back causing you to tilt off to one side which has the effect of your feet going the other way.

2) If you're fairly big then your body may just be "floaty" in places that cause your legs to want to rise.

3) If you are moving around a lot and breathing at the top of your lungs (see that as "nervous" breathing), then you can be causing it yourself.

In the first case, the trick is to either use a smaller BCD and/or tighten the arm bands and the waist band so the BCD stays put and doen'st move around independently of your body.

In the second and third cases the approach is the same: Relax your breathing and spread your legs out to shoulder width and lean forward a bit to create a "tripod" stance if you are either on your knees or in a fin-pivot. Whatever you do, don't keep your knees together or your tendency to tip over is pronounced. If you float up off of the bottom with your jacket empty of all air then you might need a couple of kg of weight on a weightbelt.

R..

[Jerzi]

I did my first in the pool lesson yesterday. While the other people were able to stay vertical, feet down, looking relaxed, my feet kept moving off to the left and rising. In order to get them back down, I had to roll over them and force them down. Obviously, I am doing something wrong. I could use a little help, thanks!

I had the same issue on my first pool lesson, it was because I was light. It was really frustrating. I felt the BC moving, could barely stay on the bottom, felt like it was trying to roll me and i had to keep balancing.

Bring a few extra pounds with you to see if it helps and make sure your shoulder straps are pulled down tight, I noticed the bc bouncing around a lot more when they aren't.

Also when you are under try to relax and breathe normally, don't be finicky, it's hard to balance when you are.


Edit: I haven't been in the open water or have any dive exp., but please ask your instructors any question that is on your mind even if you might think it is stupid and let them know if you are having difficulties with anything, that's what they are there for.

When I go diving I want my buddy to let me know of anything that might impact the dive and with their skill level in the conditions we are diving. The thing I dont want from a dive buddy is to keep his mouth shut for some sense of pride...because that's the last person I would want to dive with.

I personally ask my instructors every question on my mind when everyone else stands there quiet and I will ask the same question to different instructors. I've learned that they all have variations of the way they do things or can add to the knowledge you already have.

[twicetwins]

Roturner, I was just going to go search for your avatar. I was reading another thread about fins and kicking and somenoe mentioned your avatar was a great visual. I agree! I also agree with the shallow nervous breathing and being floaty in unhelpful places. I was anxious with having to fight to stay in position, which I suppose caused a viscious circle. Now I can't wait to get back in the pool. I was starting to dread fighting all over again, especially once I knew everyone wasn't having the same issues. I don't like being the problem student.

[roturner]

Just cut yourself some slack and it will all fall in place. Don't worry about being the slow one. Even if you are, who cares? Every group has faster and slower students. Your instructor isn't going to worry about it, and neither should you.

I hope that you won't spend the whole course sitting on your knees anyway. Within a short time you'll be swimming around and free of the bottom and of this problem.

Thanks for the compliment about my avatar. I created it one afternoon when my daughter (then 3 or 4) wanted a colouring picture of a diver. I couldn't find one she liked on Google so I drew that one for her and scanned it into the computer. Then I ran it through some OCR software on a whim that tried to recognise it as text and it put the little boxes and lines everywhere. It thought it looked cool so I used it for my avatar

R..

[CamG]

Greetings twicetwins and welcome to Scuba Board! Your question has been answered very well and I am very confident that your instructor can help you overcome this issue. If it persists once you have checked the previously mentioned ideas, BCD fit, weight placement, tank roll, etc. Just relax and focus on the problem with some help from a DM or Instructor. As roturner has said all OW students are going to have trimming issues. It is just part of the getting used to underwater environment and relaxing is a major part of it. It will amaze you how much air we hold in our lungs when we are anxious. I have witnessed students who are holding so much air they can not inhale. This is when you just slow down and relax, get used to the water and breathing normally, slow deep and steady.
No worries this will pass and you will be on your way! Enjoy the experience and use the confidence that comes from overcoming issues to empower you for future challenges.
That is the coolest thing about diving it encourages a healthy life style that can and will impact our everyday lives if we allow it to.
Enjoy and keep us posted on your progress.
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

[fnfalman]

Besides the obvious such as too large of a BC, or a BC not worn properly, the fact is that you're not used to wearing this whole setup in the water. Even in swimming pools, there are water movements generated from the water pumps or from people splashing around. I remembered my first day, I couldn't even stand still but kept tilting this way and that way because I wasn't used to wearing a BC and a tank.