Tipping over while on the bottom

[CT Sean]

My weights are distributed,
Phil

I'm using 43 pounds of weights right now
Phil

That's a fair amount of weight to distribute. I read in another of your threads that you were using a weight integrated BC - how was it distributed?

For the record, I also was "tippy" in my OW checkout dives (also with 7mm suit) - due entirely to the fact that I had all my weight in my weight integrated BC (28 lbs if i remember correctly)

 

[diver 85]

"How can I prevent this in the future?"......short answer, more practice(experience)....

 

[Walter]

How can I prevent this in the future?

Don't kneel on the bottom. I can't remember the last time I kneeled on the bottom.

 

[tomboyy]

I certified this past weekend at Beach 8, in Far Rockaway, NYC. As there is no delicate coral on the bottom, we spent time kneeling in the sand. For some reason, I can't do this for long before I'm tipping over. Struggling to regain my balance using up a lot of air, thus shortening my dive.

How can I prevent this in the future? Swimming is not a problem; not swimming is. My weights are distributed, so what could be causing this?


Phil

Thanks for giving me a laugh at lunch... i really needed it. I did the same thing first couplea dives in.

I hope you never have to do any work on the bottom. Ita a bit hard to use a hammer or a wrench in the horizontal.

Yep.. prolly someone could find a few other things where a knee on a muddy or sandy bottom might happen.

Dogglebe... there more "pros" per square in here on SB than anywhere else... never EVER mention knees on the bottom again lest you wanna be tracked down and verbally assaulted within a square inch of your internet life

 

[Walter]

I hope you never have to do any work on the bottom. Ita a bit hard to use a hammer or a wrench in the horizontal.

I'm sorry, I didn't realize we were in the commercial diver forum. My mistake, I thought we were in Basic SCUBA answering a question for someone just starting out diving for fun.

 

[Gilldiver]

I'm sorry, I didn't realize we were in the commercial diver forum. My mistake, I thought we were in Basic SCUBA answering a question for someone just starting out diving for fun.

An absolute statement was made that

"In your future diving you should never have to be kneeling or for that matter be vertical in the water."

This is a shortsighted statement at best. The OP is training in Far Rockaway NYC, if he continues diving in the US North East there is a very high likelihood that he will eventually do either some wreck dives or go after lobsters. As such, he will most defiantly be on the bottom and many times vertical.

BTY, using a wrench or hammer is quite common up here for setting up a mooring, doing a tie in, and retrieving an artifact. That is part of wreck diving, not commercial diving up here.

 

[natalieinca]

If you aren't using one already, you might want to switch to a steel tank. I find they are easier in cold water as they reduce the amount of additional lead you need to carry.

 

[Walter]

You made an absolute statement of

"In your future diving you should never have to be kneeling or for that matter be vertical in the water."

I did? Where?

 

[boulderjohn]

BTY, using a wrench or hammer is quite common up here for ...retrieving an artifact. That is part of wreck diving, not commercial diving up here.

Well, will this lead to a revival of old threads on differing attitudes toward wreck diving?

I guess the problem is that a lot of wreck divers around the world, and divers in general, did not realize that some people consider wrenches, hammers, chisels, crowbars, etc. to be normal equipment for diving a wreck and are pretty much stunned by people who think it is perfectly normal. Hence the confusion.

 

[idocsteve]

If you always fall to one side maybe mount a pony bottle on that side with the valve pointed out and no hose. Then when you start to tip, open the valve and blow yourself back upright.

At least until you get the weighting issue straightened out.