Overweighting

[aowdan]

I know I'll get ripped for this...


I dive a lot. My wife does not dive often because of ear issues. I took her on a "refresher" dive. I try to take her as often as possible to keep the comfort level up. I won't say where we were. I grabbed a weight belt that I thought had 4 pounders on it (turned out to be fivers) even a few pound can make a BIG difference. I had her do a bouyancy check and down she went. I had to chase her down. She just kept going. Not fast like out of control, but with her ears she went down fast. She inflated to compensate and get neutral. we had to up and down several times so she could equalize. Finally got it right and continued the dive.
As a Rescue Diver in training, I look back and think how dumb this was to continue without adjusting the weights. I was just happy she was diving. Hey, I'm a Rescue Diver, right? (EGO) Nothing else happened on this dive. Her ears were fine and we saw some really cool stuff.

Just wanted to know other peoples take on these type of errors (if you can admit them) Like I said, I know I'll get ripped. It seems to be the way when someone ADMITS a mistake.

Oh well.

 

[GulfDiver77]

I jumped in one time without my mask

 

[Blackwood]

Hmm... a few pounds shouldn't make THAT much of a difference.

Tell her to let air out slowly to control her descent rather than the oft-taught "dump everything in your BC and re-inflate to slow yourself."

 

[aowdan]

During our first rescue scenerio, I was in full gear and jumped in without fins.

 

[aowdan]

Hmm... a few pounds shouldn't make THAT much of a difference.

Tell her to let air out slowly to control her descent rather than the oft-taught "dump everything in your BC and re-inflate to slow yourself."

Thanks. We'll try that and different weighting. Like I said she doesn't dive that much and wetsuits and nervousness... I'm 6'2" 160 lbs (on a fat day) and use 16 lbs. depends on what suit(s) I'm using, normally a 1mm and a 3mm sometimes a hooded vest.
dan

 

[spectrum]

Hmm... a few pounds shouldn't make THAT much of a difference.

Tell her to let air out slowly to control her descent rather than the oft-taught "dump everything in your BC and re-inflate to slow yourself."

I agree. It's her infrequent diving and fear of an ear injury. Enter the water buoyant and vent just enough to start the drop then add air in short bursts to control the rate. Equalize on every breath. Let there be no thought about when to equalize, just do it on every breath.

Pete

 

[aowdan]

I agree. It's her infrequent diving and fear of an ear injury. Enter the water buoyant and vent just enough to start the drop then add air in short bursts to control the rate. Equalize on every breath. Let the be no thought about when to equalize, just do it on every breath.

Pete

again...Thanks

 

[ZzzKing]

Hmm... a few pounds shouldn't make THAT much of a difference.

Tell her to let air out slowly to control her descent rather than the oft-taught "dump everything in your BC and re-inflate to slow yourself."

That's good advice. Short burps either inflating or deflating works well. Saves air too.

 

[ZzzKing]

Thanks. We'll try that and different weighting. Like I said she doesn't dive that much and wetsuits and nervousness... I'm 6'2" 160 lbs (on a fat day) and use 16 lbs. depends on what suit(s) I'm using, normally a 1mm and a 3mm sometimes a hooded vest.
dan

Sounds like a lot of weight on you also. Maybe you should both take a Peak Performance Buoyancy course to get it really dialed in.

 

[HowieDean]

In a skin in salt water I am dead on "Neutral with an AL80 at 1200psi" with 4lbs.
Being a DM and having to grab "Floaties" I never carry less then 12 lbs and at the begining of the week I'll usually carry 16 to 20 lbs so I can get my dive group dialed in...

I use a travel wing that has 26 lbs of lift - I really HONESTLY can tell you I don't notice any difference with the amount of wieght I have - other then I have to put more air in my BC to get nuetral - All the little clues are still there to tell me if I need more or less air - I still do most of my intermidate bouncey adjustments with how much air volume I have in my lungs.

I don't notice that I have to work harder to swim - I think most of this wieght thing is kind of like my mother used to be about her shoe size.... I think you should try to get close but I would always recomend staying a couple pounds negetive just for safety sake................

I agree fully that most divers need to work on their bounecy skills - once you can control your bouncey after you get enough wieght to sink you won't have any trouble what ever weight you've got.

That's just my opion I could be wrong