Problem Descending

[htatton]

New diver with OW certification. My question is the proper way to descend. When I test my buoyance on the surface it seems fine. Normal breath, eye level, exhale start to descend.

Here is my problem. On an dive I empty my BCD, exhale and I start down. As soon as I take a breath I pop back to the surface. I have found that if I fin down to about 7 to 10 feet I then can descend normally. Is this an acceptable procedure. Are there any problems or should I continue to practice this method.

Thanks for the advice. Anxious to learn
Hyrum

 

[Michael Guerrero]

Have your buddy make sure your BC is really empty. Sometimes air will be trapped that will prevent a diver from descending.

If the BC is truly empty, you give a full exhale, and you don't continue to descend, you could add a pound or two and see if that fixes it.

You want to make sure you can hold a safety stop with a near empty tank, so having to fin down at the beginning of the dive is only going to make it worse when trying to hold a stop at the end of a dive and the weight of the air in the tank is gone.

 

[Keith.M]

As you are letting the air out of the BC, inhale. Then as you get down to your chin or nose, exhale and keep exhaling for 5 -10 seconds. Make sure your legs are still. It may help to cross your ankles to guarantee that you are not using your fins to keep you from descending.

the fact that you can get started down, tells me you are probably doing something that is interfering with your descent. When you do take those first few breaths, make them very shallow. Once you are past the zone where you would return to the surface, you can then start breathing normally.

 

[the_dragon_no1]

Maybe you aren't emptying long enough ? You might have to continue for abit while you go under to squeeze all the air out.

 

[Imla]

Seems you are doing things in the wrong order.

Try this:

1. Take a deep breath IN (YES...) and HOLD... (YES...)
2. WHILE holding your breath, empty bcd (and drysuit) of any air. (You will start to sink, but still be at the surface)
3. Cross your legs (Yes... you are probably finning)
4. NOW... you breath out...
5. at 3-5m breathe in again...

This should make sure that you a) do not fin your way up. b) are able to exhale for long enought to actually sink c) stay down without popping.

Good luck!

 

[flyin01]

I think Keith.M has the key. Hold the exhale as long as you can if you take a big inhale then big exhale and hold it out until you are down 10 ft then you should be fine. If that is not working then look at your weights.

 

[ScubaSteve_SoCal]

Hyrum - welcome to diving! Rest assured this is a problem many novice divers have, for a handful of different reasons.

As has been stated above:

a) long, deep exhale. Far deeper than perhaps you think is possible. If you remember back to the effects of pressure on air spaces, this is why you can exhale for long durations while descending...
b) be sure you are not finning up. Just relax and let yourself descend; finning isn't a good solution and is ultimately counterproductive during descent.
c) if the above don't work, add a pound or two of weight. The buoyancy check isn't an exact science; you want to be able to get down. I don't advocate overweighting, but as you gain better breath and overall control you'll need less and less weight (varying based on conditions).

 

[PRO-FOUND]

Also many divers extend their right arm while descending, in shallow water this just has the effect of lifting you back to the surface. Use your left hand /arm to let air out of your BCD keep your right hand/arm against your stomach/chest, do not fin at all, continue to exhale slowly and continuously, use your right hand to equalize then place it back against your chest/stomach. Once you have around a metre to a metre and a half of water above you, you should be fine. Remember when exhaling as you are descending to exhale completely and when you need to breathe in only breathe in a very small amount, enough to stay alive, just a shallow breath to the mouth as it were. Practice a few times and it will begin to come naturally.

 

[DENLASCUBA]

You should not have to kick down to descend you should be able to descend with proper weighting, do not continue with this method as it is not the proper way to descend.

1. Perform the weight check. Deflate your BCD while inhaling holding that breath, and you should float about eye level. If not add/ remove weight until you are eye level. This is not for every diver as I have had some divers that were to heavy when at eye level. As mentioned this is not exact but a good place to start

2. Ensure you actually have let all the air out of your BCD, try your dump valves as well.

3. What type of exposure suit are you wearing? if it is a wetsuit then is it the same as the one you used in your training? You will find with different wet suits that you will need to adjust your weighting, thickness, full length vs shorties, age as they will become compressed and loose buoyancy over time, and also the manufactures or custom shops as the quality of the neoprene may vary.

4. Your breathing may be affecting this as well, I have had divers that would exhale extremely slowly while descending and would keep them a bit buoyant until they fully exhaled.

5. If you are at your safety stop and start to ascend and you are not fining or exhaling extremely slowly causing you to become buoyant and ascend you will need to add some weight. Ask you buddy to watch you you may not realize you are fining or exhaling extremely slowly while you try to focus on your buoyancy.
With this case I would start with 1 - 2 kg, normally I have found 1kg to solve the issue but have had some need 2kg, if you start with 2 kg put one kg in your BCD pocket and tell your buddy before you enter the water you may ask him to hold that 1kg while you check your buoyancy during your safety stop and determine your weighting.

I am not suggesting over weighting as this can lead to safety problems, inability to stay buoyant at the surface creating a possible panic diver, harder to swim at the surface, buoyancy problems under water, and rapid descents; so if you are not sure you should speak with your instructor so they can evaluate you further in water or he can talk to you about any issues he may have seen during your course, or consider taking a peak performance buoyancy course.

 

[Allen Herron]

If this only happens at the beginning of your dive, and if you are wearing a wet suit, make sure you let water inside and that no air is trapped.