Neutral Buoyancy Hovering

[gargoyle999]

Wondering if you have any tips for the neutral buoyancy hover for the OW cert dive? Doing them this coming weekend.

I struggled with it in the pool as I want to tip over and not just sit there upright and float. Any suggestions for being able to hover and stay "sitting" upright?

 

[Walter]

Practice will get you there, but it's a useless skill. If you want a useful skill, learn to hover while horizontal.

 

[oreocookie]

Do you actually have to be upright? I remember I tilted over when asked to hover during my checkout dives. It felt a little awkward but I was pretty much in the same place.

 

[tbone1004]

Headd down is where you should be if you're vertical... I can Buddha hover pretty easily, but it's all about learning to control your breathing...
Learn how to do it horizontal since vertical hovering is good for hang lines and that's about it... Which if you're in OWT you probably won't be doing any time soon. Watch videos on youtube of cave divers etc, and monkey see monkey do. Then practice. a LOT

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I don't know if it's the "rule" (that is, would they pass you if you hovered in a different position), but they (PADI at least) do want you to hover in the seated "buddha" position during the OW checkout/tests. That said, I'm not sure why they do that instead of a more useful position (?)

 

[Walter]

I'm pretty sure PADI has no requirement that the hover be in a seated position. They require a hover, but it can be in a more logical position.

 

[flots am]

Wondering if you have any tips for the neutral buoyancy hover for the OW cert dive? Doing them this coming weekend.

I struggled with it in the pool as I want to tip over and not just sit there upright and float. Any suggestions for being able to hover and stay "sitting" upright?

Of course you struggled with it. It has nothing to do with desire or "trying" and everything to do with physics and I find it hard to believe it's actually a requirement for OW dives.

Whether or not you can do this depends entirely on your center of gravity and how your positively and negatively buoyant equipment is arranged.

Ask your instructor if you can do a horizontal hover. It's much easier and is actually useful.

flots.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I don't know if it's the "rule" (that is, would they pass you if you hovered in a different position), but they (PADI at least) do want you to hover in the seated "buddha" position during the OW checkout/tests. That said, I'm not sure why they do that instead of a more useful position (?)

@Blue Sparkle: Actually, it's my understanding that PADI standards do not specify body position while hovering. Hovering upside down, sitting, horizontal, on your back will all pass the hovering requirement. Walter is correct, though. Hovering horizontal is the most useful position. Learning how to do this takes practice. So long as weighting is symmetric (left and right), the OP should be able to balance without tipping over/back or left/right.

@gargoyle999: I'd recommend that you ask your instructor to help ensure that your static weighting makes it easy for you to maintain a horizontal position in the water column. I see a great deal of novice divers here in SoCal who place too much of their lead weight on their hips (in the form of a weightbelt or weight-integrated BCD pockets). This generates head-up/feet-down trim which might make it easier to stay upright...but makes it very difficult to move forward/backward through the water efficiently while maintaining depth. Be horizontal.

Good luck on your OW certification dives...

 

[Blue Sparkle]

@Blue Sparkle: Actually, it's my understanding that PADI standards do not specify body position while hovering. Hovering upside down, sitting, horizontal, on your back will all pass the hovering requirement.

Thanks for clarifying, Bubbletrubble, I wasn't sure about that.

On the other hand, all of my instructors did show the "buddha" hover, and indicate that we should try to do that. And when one is new and just learning, it's easy to assume that that is what you are supposed to do (of course now the OP knows more). It does seem to be a shame that it's not used as a good time to check out trim for a position you will use when actually diving.

 

[Hawkwood]

I'm pretty sure PADI has no requirement that the hover be in a seated position. They require a hover, but it can be in a more logical position.

Walter, you are correct. There is no requirement as to position - sideways, upside down, horizontal - whatever works.

Half the difficulty with students doing this "skill" is having an instructor who inisists on demonstrating the skill in the "lotus" position with fins tucked up underneath. Some students spend a lot of effort skulling and kicking to try to emulate that position.