Buoyancy Issues!!!

[TRACI]

Is the some certain secret to having proper buoyancy in saltwater? The DM's say that I have entirely too much weight, but when I reduce my weight I have trouble making a safety stop and a control ascent.

[RoadRacer1978]

The only real secret I know is experience. With each dive I get a little better. I know this really doesn't help you, but if you cannot stop to do your safety stop then I'd say you need more weight. Making very small adjustments during the dive and waiting long enough for those adjustments to take effect really helps me. Also breathing helps. I try to use my lung volume to help me. As I am descending I will take deeper breaths if I notice myself getting a little negative. I can use my lung volume to make small changes in bouyancy while I am fine tuning everything on my BCD and waiting for those small changes to take effect. This is probably really confusing as I am confusing myself as I try to write this out. Maybe someone can put my thoughts together into a much easier to understand format.

[Aspendiver]

It also helps to make sure that all of the air is out of your BCD before your safety stop. Depending on your BCD, there are different ways to do this... look where the air exits the BC, and figure out how to make that the highest point on your body in the water. For some, that means holding the exhaust straight up, tipping your left shoulder up higher than the right, and arching your back a bit.


Then, put your left foot behind your right ear, your right foot behind your left shoulder blade...
<<<< >>>>

[MSilvia]

The secret, if you want to call it that, is to do your weight check with a nearly empty tank. If you know you are neutral near the surface with an almost used up tank, you also know you'll be heavier at the beginning of the dive, as you'll have several pounds of additional air with you then. The extra weight of your breathing gas will help you get under, and as you get deeper, your wetsuit will compress a bit, making it easier to stay down until the end of the dive.

With all due respect to DMs, what they say you need has no bearing on what you actually need. Only experience will tell you that.

[TRACI]

I have also tried distributing in different areas, because I always end up diving in a verticle position. I may try putting some weight by my tank valve to see if that helps

[DevilDiver]

If you have issues with the saftey stop try this out. Usually once you can master the saftey stop in open water the rest of the issues seem to go away.....................


Safety Stop Anchor

Safety Stop Anchor


Fits in its own little bag 6 x 2 x 2 inches, and has a clip to mount to your bc, or just throw it in a pocket. When you need to do a safety stop, simply pull it out and inflate with your regulator. The large, visible, orange float that measures 2' long and a foot wide will float to the surface. You clip on to the included string with clips at both 10 and 15 foot to accurately wait out your safety stop time while signaling boats where you are.

Great safety item and a must for diving in areas with currents!

Price: $19.95
Signaling Devices, Tubes, Dive Alert

[TRACI]

I may try that, I was trying to decide between a safety sausage or that.

[Chad]

A safety sausage is better as a signaling device.

[MSilvia]

Originally Posted by Chad

A safety sausage is better as a signaling device.

...Unless you need to signal before you get to the surface. In a swift current, a 3 minute ascent followed by a 3 minute safety stop may move you a considerable distance from the boat. With an SMB deployed from depth, the boat's crew can follow you. With a safety sausage, they can't until you surface.

That said, neither one will help you get your buoyancy right.

[DevilDiver]

[quote=Chad;85690]A safety sausage is better as a signaling device.[/quote]

True, I marked 10',15' and 20' off on the line on my reel attached to my Saftey Sausage. It works for a nice visual reference....

The Saftey Anchor only has 15' of line and a clip at the end. Attach to a D-ring and breathe until you tune it in and it's all good......

I carry it on trips and if there is some one having issues I let them use it. So far it has always helped.................