Safety stop - loosing my buoyancy

[diver0008]

The biggest key in licking it is learning to stay horizontal

Not so sure about that in terms of the safety stop. I do mine vertical and limp, as do many people.

Having just returned from a dive trip, the safety stops resembled unattended marionettes.

Vertical or horizontal, it's micro-inflation adjustments at the beginning of the stop to get the buoyancy locked in that is required. This I suppose involves experience with your BCD to a certain degree.

I do suspect that the OP is not properly weighted, even though as a new diver, he might think so.

 

[Pkishino]

Yeah.. Even safety stops I make sure all of our customers are horizontal. Why go vertical just then? Horizontal diving, from splash to exit

 

[diver0008]

Yeah.. Even safety stops I make sure all of our customers are horizontal. Why go vertical just then? Horizontal diving, from splash to exit

I go vertical often. Out in the blue a bit looking at a wall, drifting along, inverted getting in real close to look at something, or just stopping to look around. It's really quite nice and relaxing.

 

[rongoodman]

I also haven't been using the dump valve to get rid of air just my low pressure inflator

I never use anything but the rear dump once I leave the surface. Not only does it require you to be flat or a little head down in order to work, but you can easily feel the bubble around it and get a good idea of how much air is in the wing. If it's larger than a fist or so on your last stop, you're probably carrying too much weight.

 

[GlennL]

I have never used a dump valve except in an emergency. And that emergency was doing some ill trained lift bag ops. Buoyancy is something that is fine tuned. Dumping a bunch of air is not fine tuning anything hence "dump valve". The lpi hose is efficient enough.

 

[Pkishino]

I have never used a dump valve except in an emergency. And that emergency was doing some ill trained lift bag ops. Buoyancy is something that is fine tuned. Dumping a bunch of air is not fine tuning anything hence "dump valve". The lpi hose is efficient enough.

Considering the body position for using either I also prefer just using my left bottom valve, can easily reach it with my hand while taking a shot /checking computer /handling reel etc.. Also there is no chance of blinding a buddy with hand torch which I see happen all the time with people using their inflator..
Plus I have better control as I can better feel with the dump valve how much etc.. Practice I guess

 

[tomfcrist]

Glenn, that's one of the most misinformed statements I have read on here in a long time

 

[diver0008]

Glenn, that's one of the most misinformed statements I have read on here in a long time

Please elaborate.

 

[tomfcrist]

Dumping a bunch of air is not fine tuning anything hence "dump valve". The lpi hose is efficient enough.

"Dump valves" are no less efficient than the LPI hose. Both are capable of venting gas, both can be used with finesse.

It's not like a dump valve dumps all of the air out of the bladder. It can be used extremely efficiently, and while staying in trim...which is important in quite a few environments.

 

[GlennL]

Glenn, that's one of the most misinformed statements I have read on here in a long time

Misinformed? It's just what I have have experienced. I think to say that my experience is one of the most misinformed statements on SB is a stretch.

Practice I guess

Perhaps