animian2002
Contributor
Wat is good bouyancy control 
and how to achieve/develop good bouyancy control
and how to achieve/develop good bouyancy control 
Good Buoyancy Control - How ???
- Thread starter animian2002
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In my own experience, buoyancy is something which comes overnight, with some experience behind.
You struggle for a number of dives and then suddenly you find you've got it.
When I started my AOW, it was a total disaster, then it became better in a surprisingly small time.
Of course it started all over again when I began using a dry-suit.
You struggle for a number of dives and then suddenly you find you've got it.
When I started my AOW, it was a total disaster, then it became better in a surprisingly small time.
Of course it started all over again when I began using a dry-suit.
JimC
Contributor
Boyancy controll is:
- the abbility to hover in the water without moving up or down more than a few feet without moving your hands or feet
- the abbility to move up and down in the water column stoping close to the desiered depth without moving your hands or feet
The better you are the less you will move up and down, and the more task loading you can handle and the more acuratly you will be able to hit and stick a depth.
The only way to get good boyancy is to practice. Its not an easy skill to master, and will take constant practice to maintain. There are all sorts of oportunities to practice. Whenever your not moveing underwater, try hovering without using your fins or hands to keep position. Whenever your doing an accent or decent, do it without pulling along a line or using your hands/fins. Whenever your at a safty stop don't hold the accent line, just hover.
Boyancy is not to be confused with trim, which is your body position under water.
- the abbility to hover in the water without moving up or down more than a few feet without moving your hands or feet
- the abbility to move up and down in the water column stoping close to the desiered depth without moving your hands or feet
The better you are the less you will move up and down, and the more task loading you can handle and the more acuratly you will be able to hit and stick a depth.
The only way to get good boyancy is to practice. Its not an easy skill to master, and will take constant practice to maintain. There are all sorts of oportunities to practice. Whenever your not moveing underwater, try hovering without using your fins or hands to keep position. Whenever your doing an accent or decent, do it without pulling along a line or using your hands/fins. Whenever your at a safty stop don't hold the accent line, just hover.
Boyancy is not to be confused with trim, which is your body position under water.
The principles of good bouyancy control.
The ability to hover motionless in a parallel position and change depth using breath control. Drop a golf ball into the bottom of a pool and pick it up touching only the golf ball and not kicking.
I don't agree chiara. Yes, it takes much practice and experience, but it doesn't come overnight.
Weighting plays a huge role in proper bouyancy. Position of the wieght and not being over or under weighted is very important. The ability to move wieght up on the body, down on the body, and change the center of gravity. Changes in gear configuration and thermal protection change bouyancy characteristics. It takes time, effort, and practice to get it right. The payoff is reduced air comsumption and great comfort in the water.
I really enjoy sinking flat until I am clost to the depth I want to be, putting air into my BC in short bursts to slow descent and stopping to hover at the desired depth. I only touch bottom if I want to.
Best wishes to ya,
TwoBit
The ability to hover motionless in a parallel position and change depth using breath control. Drop a golf ball into the bottom of a pool and pick it up touching only the golf ball and not kicking.
I don't agree chiara. Yes, it takes much practice and experience, but it doesn't come overnight.
Weighting plays a huge role in proper bouyancy. Position of the wieght and not being over or under weighted is very important. The ability to move wieght up on the body, down on the body, and change the center of gravity. Changes in gear configuration and thermal protection change bouyancy characteristics. It takes time, effort, and practice to get it right. The payoff is reduced air comsumption and great comfort in the water.
I really enjoy sinking flat until I am clost to the depth I want to be, putting air into my BC in short bursts to slow descent and stopping to hover at the desired depth. I only touch bottom if I want to.
Best wishes to ya,
TwoBit
Diverl
Guest
I had a lot of problems with bouyancy at first just like everyone else. Fortunitly the people I was diving with had a lot of experience and gave me the following drill to practice with.
Float a lift bag or surface marker in about 50 feet of water and tie it off. then in a horizontal position begin ascending stopping every ten feet. At first I found this very difficult and usually blew by the desired stop depth but after a few tries I saw rapid improvement.
I dont know if you have the gear or know someone who can help you, worked really well for me.
Good Luck!
Float a lift bag or surface marker in about 50 feet of water and tie it off. then in a horizontal position begin ascending stopping every ten feet. At first I found this very difficult and usually blew by the desired stop depth but after a few tries I saw rapid improvement.
I dont know if you have the gear or know someone who can help you, worked really well for me.
Good Luck!
landlocked
Contributor
The dynamics here is how much air you have in your lungs and diaphram. Alot of air, you go up. Less air, you go down. I think of it as breathing on the top of my lung capacity or on the bottom. You are always breathing but variying how much you are holding in. You can think of it as breathing with your lungs but variying how much is in your diaphram.
Next point. I have heard that the big tanker ships have to start a course correction 20 minutes before they actually want the ship to respond. Boyancy is similar. There is a delay between holding in more residual air and starting to rise, or vice versa. That is why it takes practice. If you are acending and want to level off at a certain depth. You have to vary your breathing before you get there.
Hope this helps.
Next point. I have heard that the big tanker ships have to start a course correction 20 minutes before they actually want the ship to respond. Boyancy is similar. There is a delay between holding in more residual air and starting to rise, or vice versa. That is why it takes practice. If you are acending and want to level off at a certain depth. You have to vary your breathing before you get there.
Hope this helps.
Welshman
senior member
TwoBit is, I think, right.
Getting the right weighting to start with is key. If you are either over or underweighted it will be difficult to hover at your selected depth using only breath control to stay there. Although trim is not the same as buoyancy, it will be easier to practice if you are trimmed so that you float horizontally, so practice the two together. I also found that the Peak Performance Buoyancy module in my AOW course was very helpful, that and watching my instructor.
Don't be deterred if it takes time to get it right - it took me 20+ dives before I noticed some real improvement and I still have much room for improvement.
Regards
Getting the right weighting to start with is key. If you are either over or underweighted it will be difficult to hover at your selected depth using only breath control to stay there. Although trim is not the same as buoyancy, it will be easier to practice if you are trimmed so that you float horizontally, so practice the two together. I also found that the Peak Performance Buoyancy module in my AOW course was very helpful, that and watching my instructor.
Don't be deterred if it takes time to get it right - it took me 20+ dives before I noticed some real improvement and I still have much room for improvement.
Regards
OP
animian2002
Contributor
Wat is peak performance Bouyancy??? sorry I just completed my OW oredi and I notice that most pple agreed that weights aso plays a part so how do one test whether they got the correct weight on ???
Peark Performance Buoyancy is a course you can take that will help you to learn more about things like:
- how to more acurately/easily determine your weighting
- what kinds of weighting systems are available
- how to trim your weighting system
- more trips and practice in buoyancy control
etc.
Many people scoff at it initially.... until they actually take the course and see the improvement in their understanding of buoyancy and, more importantly, in their BUOYANCY CONTROL.
The things you learn in this course you will use on EVERY dive! Not only will it help you keep off the bottom or other sensitive aquatic areas, but it is especially useful for people who want to get into u/w photo or video.
Best of all, you can take it anywhere & anytime!
~SubMariner~
- how to more acurately/easily determine your weighting
- what kinds of weighting systems are available
- how to trim your weighting system
- more trips and practice in buoyancy control
etc.
Many people scoff at it initially.... until they actually take the course and see the improvement in their understanding of buoyancy and, more importantly, in their BUOYANCY CONTROL.
The things you learn in this course you will use on EVERY dive! Not only will it help you keep off the bottom or other sensitive aquatic areas, but it is especially useful for people who want to get into u/w photo or video.
Best of all, you can take it anywhere & anytime!
~SubMariner~
mtdivegirl
Contributor
out of curiosity which agency did you do your OW with? I am in the process of doing mine through PADI. Proper weighting is something they cover in their text and class modules. I am new at all this but from what I can recall from that section off the top of my head..proper weighting is when you have all your gear on...and your estimated weight...and you float at about eye level with the water with a breath in your lungs.
Is that right? I think it is.. you are supposed to drop or add weight to hit that target.
Is that right? I think it is.. you are supposed to drop or add weight to hit that target.
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