25 dives later...

[creamofwheat]

It's quite amazing to look back on my first dives and see how much I have improved. I mean, originally, I couldnt even descend with 39 lbs of led!! (and now I wear 32) So yes, I have definitely improved. a lot. I've got 25 dives now and have loved every one.

My buoyancy has improved in leaps and bounds. Instead of pulling myself along walls with a couple fingers and constantly finning because I was negative, I barely even touch the walls and can stay neutral. I can stay about 1ft off the bottom and not silt anything up, where as with my first couple dives, i was followed by a sand cloud. So I am pleased to annouce that my skills are definitely improving.

However, I still havent sorted everything out yet. My buoyancy may be great...but only if I am deeper than about 30ft. Given, I have JUST switched to a BP/W setup (I have 3 dives with it so far) and it feels very different from the jacket style set up, and it probably has something to do with my bad buoyancy in the shallows, until i get used to it. But still, no excuse! My buoyancy, well, it sucks if I am at 30ft or shallower. Not so much at the beginning of a dive, but at the end of a dive when my tank is lighter. Does anybody have any fun little buoyancy exercizes or something that will help my buoyancy in the shallows? It bothers me that I havent got it mastered yet. Grr. So any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[wreckchick]

The best advice I've even taken was to jump on a pool and use the tiles on the side as markers learn to ascend and descend one inch at a time. Nothing will fine tune your buoyancy like setting a goal like that. You're going to feel really, really BAD the first couple times you try it, but trust me, it can be done. The mere exercise of trying will help you in open water.

Good luck!

Rachel

 

[spectrum]

Sounds like attentive progress, good work.

* Make sure you are not too light, you may unknowingly be fussing to stay down.
* Are you in the surf zone at the end? Surge can challenge anyone's buoyancy.
* Is your trim as good at the end of the dive as at the beginning? Weight placement may be optimized for a heavy tank. A light tank may be lifting your chest and dropping your fins.
*Many wings can be placed in different locations along the plate, another optimization item.
*3 dives is not a lot to optimize set-up and technique so keep it up and enjoy your dives. Your attitude of continuous improvement will carry you a long ways.

Pete

 

[Damselfish]

It sounds like you may have dropped a bit too much weight, since you say you are having the most trouble at the end of a dive when your tank is lighter, and at shallow depths (when your suit is less compressed assuming wetsuit.) Sure you don't want to be overweighted, but you need what you need, can't argue with physics.

 

[TSandM]

If you're wearing too little weight, no amount of buoyancy practice will help. Have you done a formal weight check at the end of a dive yet? My Fundies instructor had me do it in a very simple way. I bled the tank down to 500 psi and then tried to lie on the bottom in about four feet of water. Then we took weight off until I couldn't do it any more, then added enough so I could (breath exhaled, of course!) A pretty easy exercise and it will tell you a lot.

Buoyancy is certainly harder above 30 feet, because of the proportional pressure changes. Are you using the dry suit or the wing for primary buoyancy? I have found that what works for me is to make sure that, as I come up, the air in the dry suit is the FIRST air I vent, so that as I get shallower, the only air left to cope with is what's in my wing. Of course, you can't totally do that, because the residual air in the dry suit keeps expanding and you eventually have to vent it again, but getting the dry suit as empty as I can before I get into that 30 feet to the surface region has made it a lot easier to stay stable.

 

[DandyDon]

I find that I need more lead in the shollows than at depth as the gases in my wet suit are more buoyant - I'm sure this is even more true in a dry suit. Quit worrying about it and wear what you need. After you become more relaxed, then maybe shed a couple of pounds, but don't rush it.

Have fun...!!

​

 

[creamofwheat]

Thanks for the quick responses.

TSandM...I have done a weight check similar to what you did. We were at 13ft to do the check. Bled the tank to 500psi. I was wearing 32lbs to start with. Buddy unclipped 2 lbs. I could still stay down. He unclipped another 2 lbs. I could still stay down. Barely. I inhaled with the 28lbs and rose about 5 ft. I added 2 lbs back. Inhaled again, rose about 3 ft. I decided I preferred the 32 as i wasnt fighting to stay down, like I was with both 28 and 30lbs, so I've stuck to 32lbs ever since. I am sure it is enough weight. I just suck at buoyancy in the shallows. I am determined to overcome this, however. More practice, I guess.

 

[DandyDon]

Barely. I inhaled with the 28lbs and rose about 5 ft. I added 2 lbs back. Inhaled again, rose about 3 ft. I decided I preferred the 32 as i wasnt fighting to stay down, like I was with both 28 and 30lbs, so I've stuck to 32lbs ever since.

Stick with 32 so you can get down without a proble when you want or need to. I've had to dodge a jet ski and pleasure boat before. :11: