safety stops

[Okc_diver]

I did a week of diving in Cozumel last month and I missed a few of my stops I am still new at diving so I would like some advice on what the best way to stay at the 15 foot mark for 3 minutes. When I started my accent I had my computer in one hand the other hand on the bcd inflator. I made it to 15 feet then I looked at my computer I was at 8 feet dumped air then was at 30 feet.

I guess I was lucky I did not have and problems other than missing the stops.

any help please!

[CompuDude]

Slow down. Practice buoyancy. Remember that there is a delayed reaction from the time you add/subtract gas until the the change starts taking effect. Ditto for when you're ascending... you need to stay just ahead of the curve, since the gas in your BC is steadily expanding (a lot) during the last moments of your ascent. The expansion from 30' to 15' is a lot more than the expansion from 45' to 30' ... and the expansion from 15' to 0' is greater still, and requires the most attention.

Practice practice practice. If you can get access to a pool that will help as well. See how well you can control your buoyancy using just your lungs.

[Okc_diver]

would using a spool/reel and a smb work for leveling at 15 feet? When I start to surface I do go slow I think my problem is staying at the 15 foot level. If I had a reference like a spool and smb measure the line and mark it at 15 feet then when I deploy the smb I would have some type of visual reference.

[Jack Hammer]

Go ssllloooowwwww and take your time. Just make small changes to your bc, keep venting little bits of air on the way up before you feel that sudden jet turbine feeling kicking in. Also it helps to have a visual reference, something to look at to help you be aware of your depth. Try using the line or if none is available the boat or the surface. If the water isn't too deep you can look at something beneath you. Take your time and practice.

HTH

Jack

[WaScubaDude]

A couple thoughts. To start your Safety Stop, shoot for 20ft and inch your way up to 16ft. Try at first just to stay between 16 & 20. Sometimes swimming around in a small circle helps instead of trying to stay right in one place. Look at your gauge almost 90% of the time when you are above 20 and trying to dial 15 in.
Notice how your breath effects your position. Try a really big inhale... and a really big exhale.
Remember to only ad air to your bc in a very short burst. breathe thru a couple cycles and see where you are at. Ad a little air as needed till you can get your breathing down to normal while holding a position within about 4ft up and down.
Also, check your kicking tequnique. Sometimes divers will bicycle kick in the vertical position which does not provide the lift desired and tires you out in the process. Some nice big slow scissor kicks can help you maintain position better until you have the air in the bc dialed in just right.
It take practice, just keep at it and soon you will hold a depth within about 2ft without much effort.
Also, use similar tequniques while diving to learn and keep your bouyancy right on.

[jugglematt]

when im diving i find i have just about dumped all of my air from my bc by the time im at the safety stop , so i am just slowly! swimming as i make my way up .
also review how much weight your carrying , it can be harder to control your buoyancy if your over weighted.

you can try doing your safety stop on a patch of shallow reef so you have a point of reference. also u can do your safety stop a bit deeper.

im shure you are aware but it is really really important that you do safety stops,it helps as a extra magin of safety, also why not include extra safety stops of 3 minuites at half of you maximum depth.

i have been bent while diving to the tables and doing safety stops , so anything to inprove your safety margin is good.

Regards
Matt

[obrules15]

Originally Posted by Okc_diver

I did a week of diving in Cozumel last month and I missed a few of my stops I am still new at diving so I would like some advice on what the best way to stay at the 15 foot mark for 3 minutes. When I started my accent I had my computer in one hand the other hand on the bcd inflator. I made it to 15 feet then I looked at my computer I was at 8 feet dumped air then was at 30 feet.

I guess I was lucky I did not have and problems other than missing the stops.

any help please!

The thing to remember is that safety stops in Cozumel are REALLY, REALLY difficult due to the current. Every breath you take and every move you make will take you up. If you look at the DM they are perfectly totally still. To this day I dump ALL air and swim up, it is better to be negative and keep swimming up to your safety stop (I scissor up like an underwater treading water) than to be neutral.

[cbope]

Bingo. I was just about to suggest that it's likely that you have too much air in your BC during the ascent and when you reach your safety stop. If you are using your BC to lift you during ascent, it will be really hard to stop and maintain your position when you reach the safety stop depth. As obrules suggests, it is easier to be slightly negative when ascending and swim up by kicking. Vent your BC as needed during your ascent and don't let yourself become buoyant on the way up. Keep an eye on your depth gauge or computer as you approach the safety stop depth. I usually prefer to use small kicks to maintain my depth at safety stops, rather than trying to hover using only my BC to maintain depth. Not only is it easier in my opinion, but it gives you something to do during the safety stop rather than just hang there in the water.

Originally Posted by obrules15

The thing to remember is that safety stops in Cozumel are REALLY, REALLY difficult due to the current. Every breath you take and every move you make will take you up. If you look at the DM they are perfectly totally still. To this day I dump ALL air and swim up, it is better to be negative and keep swimming up to your safety stop (I scissor up like an underwater treading water) than to be neutral.

[mitsuguy]

First, I would check out your weighting... I would bet you are overweighted... At the end of a dive for me, usually 1000 psi left in the tank, my BC is almost completely empty, so there is no air to expand in it really, negating all the worrying about let some out, put some in and the yo yo effect that newer divers tend to have issues with...

That being said, if you let air out, then swim up, then let more air out, then swim up some more, you are more likely to hold a stop better... once you get to roughly 15 feet, and if you feel you are still heavy, small, quick bursts of air from the low pressure inflator will keep you from overinflating, and just remember to give it 5-10 seconds for it to take effect...

the whole time, keep an eye on your computer / depth gauge...

[Zenagirl]

Agreed on the weighting thing...you really should have just about zero air (or zero) in your BC by the time you're doing your safety stop IMO. I have also found that it's easier to hold a stop at 20' than 15', so typically do my stops at the 20' mark.