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Tip: Own your gear, so your kit's buoyancy is constant across dives. If you always rent, it will always be something different. Different tanks, different suits, different BCs, different regs, which means you'll always randomly find yourself a bit too heavy or too light.

@bradfordpalmer2298

4 жыл бұрын

And many dive shops only have 5 and 3 pound lead weights. Plus I made the huge mistake of having too much one one side and battled the "spinning effect "

@michelleh2603

4 жыл бұрын

Completely agree. Just got back from a dive trip where we rented BCs and regs from 2 different places. Both places had jacket style BCs. First 7 dives with same equipment I had no buoyancy issues at all. Last few dives with different BCs I had trouble staying down the last half of the dive and my trim was really off. In the first dives, the weight pockets were sideways/horizontal and in the last dives they were more vertical, so the weight was distributed differently. I could not get properly horizontal and was tending to float on what I thought was an empty BC. Another more experienced diver on our boat had the same issues. I asked the DM about this and he said that the BCs they are currently renting tend to trap a lot of air and that it's more difficult to dump it. Our next purchase will be BCs, regs, and belts. (Neither place rented belts.)

As an infrequent diver I find this really helpful reminder for my next dives. Thank you.

I've been diving in cold water exclusively. I am now down where it's much warmer. I still plan to wear my full 7mm wetsuit but I'm going to ditch the 7mm shortie with integrated hood that I used to wear over the full suit. I imagined me this will change things quite a bit. Can't wait to ditch some lead!

Love your witty documetarist voice :-)

Extremely helpful. I bought a wing style BCD because trying to maintain my trim is difficult and I consequently use too much gas. I may also dump two pounds of lead after watching. Of course I will do a recheck before going to the Caribbean.

Step 1: buy a backplate / wing... Step 2: dive with good trim and buoyancy

The air used from a typical 80 cf tank (3000 to 500 psi) weighs about 5 lb. If you are perfectly weighted with a full tank, add another 5 lb for the all-important "end-of-dive" case.

@magaisacult2023

4 жыл бұрын

#1 buoyancy problem...OVERWEIGHTING. Most divers are 5lbs OVER, even more!

@pbillings808

4 жыл бұрын

@@magaisacult2023 yes, it's worth dialing in the minimum needed to float/sink based on size of breath at the surface with zero air in the BCD in whatever exposure suit you'll be using. The consistency of owning your own gear makes this an easy thing to do up front or refine with each dive.

Pedants corner: you don't gain any more "mass" of air in your bcd as you ascend, what you gain is the VOLUME that that constant mass of air takes up, and hence the volume of water displaced increases, which results in more bouyancy! So, rather than mass, think about volume when it comes to air in your bcd! ie at 10M (2 bar absolute pressure) you have 1 litre of air, which displaces 1 litre of water, which (in freshwwater) creates a bouyant upwards force of 1kg. At the surface where the pressure is just 1 bar(abs), if you don't make any alterations (ie vent air as you ascend) then the air has expanded to twice it's previous volume (2 litres) and hence displaces 2 litres of water, meaning 2 kg of lift! This is why you "rush" to the surface if you don't vent air that might be in your bcd at depth (the shallower you are, the more it expands, the more bouyancy there is, the faster you head upwards!) Critically, because of that "doubling effect" if you start with say 0.5 litres of air in your bcd at 10M, it's only expanded to 1litre at the surface, yes, double the volume as per the first example, but the INCREASE in bouyancy is halved. ;-)

@KimonFrousios

4 жыл бұрын

Aren't fluid ounces a measure of volume? If you're going to be a pedant, do it right at least.

You mentioned how to handle back plate BCDs at the surface if you are floating face down. But what about jacket style BCDs? What about back inflated BCDs? How would you adjust those if you are face down when floating at the surface? I can't find anybody who can give me a clear meaningful answer to this.

Good material! All seem logic. In my case, when I have a beginner buddy I automatically take more lead. I'm afraid they "fly" to surface. Any cure or tips for this?

@michaelatherton5761

4 жыл бұрын

Have them do a buoyancy check at the beginning of the dive and make sure they're not too light (add more weight at the shore or boat).

I don't try not to let my tank pressure get below 1000 psi.

Wait wait.. what was that jiggle? Jk thanks for the videos!

Any tips on descending for people who struggle holding when no air in their lungs? I tried to remove some weight to help with buoyancy, but it took me forever and a day to descend. I think a big problem was I started getting frustrated which made it harder to hold it after breathing out all the air in my lungs.

@owenjones6366

4 жыл бұрын

1) You're underweighted - shouldn't be struggling that hard to get down 2) Should very rarely have completely empty lungs - control your breathing

@cbravo5447

3 жыл бұрын

You nailed it... I noticed how quickly frustration affected my skills. Keep practicing at your own pace. Once you get going you will be able to adjust minus frustration!

@timothyberlinski2299

2 жыл бұрын

That's my issue my last buoyancy check for my first salt water dive is I sand to about mask level with a decent breath in so technically a tad heavy, couldn't sink though and had to add 4 lbs

@IreneWY

Жыл бұрын

@@timothyberlinski2299 going down to mask level won't work in every salt water body. It depends on how salty it is. Red Sea and Mediterranean is very salty and you should sink just below the surface. If you can't - add a kg.

I once had an instructor tell me that salinity differs between different ocean dive sites. I can understand this between the Red Sea and the Caribbean, but is it true between different sites in the Caribbean and does it make much difference? Personally, over the years I've found that how much lead I need can vary considerably (+/- 5 lbs) depending on all kinds of unknown factors, so I prefer to be heavy versus light to insure I can make my safety stop. It's just a pain in the ass to be perfect. Just dive! I tend to think perfect buoyancy is an ego thing, kinda like skiing moguls.

@seikibrian8641

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, different sites can have different salinity. For example, if your site is near where a river (fresh water) empties into the sea, the salinity will be lower than in an area open to the ocean with no fresh-water inflows. It won't be a huge difference, but it can differ.

@michaelatherton5761

4 жыл бұрын

@@seikibrian8641 Thanks!

@guillermopelaez5859

4 жыл бұрын

I really can`t tell you about different seas since I dive a few days in a row in the same sea... But, with freshwater (mountain lakes) and in altitude diving (about 800m and 815m respectively), using the very same equipment, I did notice a difference in buoyancy (7/8mm wetsuit), and the lakes were a few kilometers apart (15Km or less)... the difference was quite noticeable and according to the divemaster around it is always like that. Some lakes are famous for how hard it is to keep your buoyancy. This was in the southern part of the earth.

you know i keep trying to talk my girlfriend into neck weights. to improve her trim

How u dare to dislike!!!

Great video I did find the music made it hard to hear you

Question for the class: I am a man. White Fins. Yes or No? Why or why not? Is it just a fashion choice? Nobody wears white fins after labor day?

@michaelatherton5761

4 жыл бұрын

I loved my white fins! I now have blue and black fins only because I like the way they kick and they cost only $45 compared to a pair of white ones that I like and would have to pay $120 for. I'd worry more about safety equipment than I would about the color of my gear. Unless of course sharks are attracted to white fins. ;-)

@KimonFrousios

4 жыл бұрын

When did white become a gendered colour? If you like white, wear white! If you want your feet to reflect a torch beam through murk, wear white!

@MrAclaudel

4 жыл бұрын

Mike T The nice thing about white fins is that your buddy will always see you. Go for it!

@theefork

4 жыл бұрын

Storm troopers wear white, and so can you!

@weefslider

2 жыл бұрын

Color is not gendered.

I disagree with the order the first step to establishing good buoyancy is your trim. If your trim is off, unless you are just drift diving anytime you attempt to fin your way to something it will throw off your buoyancy as your thrust is propelling you up or down. Of course to get proper trim often you need proper weighting.

I hate these "first!" guys. Just annoying.

@privatedipshit3290

4 жыл бұрын

First

@leopoldbloom4835

4 жыл бұрын

Screaming "first!" and lying: You took it to the max! ;-)

@simplyscuba

4 жыл бұрын

first...

@seikibrian8641

4 жыл бұрын

@@simplyscuba Now *that* was funny. Of course the uploader is first, otherwise there would be nothing to comment "first" on.

An advanced diver weights himself neutral with a full tank, and make fine adjustments throughout the dive with breathing techniques.