Buoyancy Question...

[Northeastwrecks]

Originally posted by O-ring

I am finding it somewhat hard to just "hover" and not move my fins at all...but when I move my fins some, they create some forward movement....any words of wisdom?

My tech instructors and dive buddies (also DIR divers, just like UP) can hover lwithout any discernable movement. I swear that one of them could fall asleep and maintain his position.

I'm also interested in the answer. So far, I can manage without much finning, but I need to adjust the position of my hands (closer and farther away from my body) and my legs (also back and forth) fairly regularly.

 

[O-ring]

My tech instructors and dive buddies (also DIR divers, just like UP) can hover lwithout any discernable movement.

I guess I need a lot of work in that area. I mean, I can hover horizontally for a while, but there's no way I could do it completely motionless for 15 mins+.

Oh well, something to work on in the quarry this weekend before the class...my trim must be off...I think I am a little light in the feet then...maybe I will scoot my tank down a bit..although, I wonder if jetfins would be more negative than my Mares...

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by O-ring
How much fin movement do you have while holding these stops? Are you moving around in a circle type of thing, gradually moving forward, or really not moving at all/hovering?

I am trying to eliminate all movement but that is tough... especially with current & surge ect. Yesterday I wasn't really moving around much other that sloshing back and forth with surge and then current from an incoming ferry. I was doing this while within visual of the bottom so I could see if I was drifting across the bottom or not... and I pretty much just stayed in the same place.

I keep practicing because I know that if I can hold at stop without too many +/- one foot excursions when things are easy then I might have a chance to hold a decent deco stop when things are difficult. Shane and I have had our share of *ups & downs*... btw all of our ascents are free without holding a line.

My point is that you should use the end of your dive to practice holding stops. This is valuable time well spent IMO.

 

[O-ring]

btw all of our ascents are free without holding a line.

My buddies and I do the same..there aren't too many lines to hold around here either...will see how they go when I get back in the ocean in a couple weeks and have to contend with current, surge, etc. again (haven't dove in salt since March )

 

[Uncle Pug]

The last deco dive Shane and I did we were drifting around our stops +/- 3 feet and even though that really didn't hurt the deco it certainly wasn't anything to be proud of... very sloppy... so I decided to discipline myself a little

 

[SCUBAKristey]

I WILL GET GOOD AT THIS! OK, so I've only two non-class dives under my belt, and I'm really not that bad considering the number of dives I have BUT....

I cannot seem to even move forward more than two feet before my depth changes! Much less hover...tried it a couple times yesterday when we went out diving- but wasn't all that great. (And I'm talking more than a foot of difference! AHHH! I DO NOT want to be one of those divers who cannot seem to stay off the bottom, or the reef, or the....etc ect ect.)

Anyway, I will keep trying what y'all have suggested. Thanks for the hints!


Kristey