another newbie

[JoelW]

Here is a fairly quick and painless way to do a bouyancy check before a dive.  It will only work though if you know the bouyancy characteristics of your tank.  An Al80, depending on manufacturer, is either +3lb or +4lb empty.  For the sake of simplicity we will assume +3.  Add the regulator and it will go to about +2.  Knowing that, if you are weighted neutral with no air in your BC, you should be able to put on all of your gear except the tank and regulator, head into the water and be 2 pounds negative.  The +2 of the empty tank would offset the negative 2 of you in all of your gear.  So don't put all of your weight on a belt on in the BC.  Keep some of the weight in small increments like 2 or 3 pounders.  Doing this check works well next to a dock.  Hold more weight in your hands until you sink.  Then add 2 more to come up with your total weight.  At this point adding a full tank should put you 6 pounds negative, the weight of the air.  Even with suit compression this should get you within a couple of pounds.  Go diving a refine the weighting.  <br><br>I do this check when I change the undies that I am wearing with my drysuit. <br><br>I have to admit that I favor doing horizontal descents.  I haven't been able to understand doing feet first descents when I am 6' and viz can be 5'.  In short, I would be in the bottom before I knew the bottom was there.  I like dropping horizontal so that I can see what is coming and get stopped without creating a cloud.<br><br>Boring as it may seem, hanging out on a platform practicing bouyancy and trim is time well spent.   Work to where you can get within a foot of the bottom while horizontal, rise up, cross the platform and sink back to the bottom.  All without using your inflator and without creating a cloud.  A useful feature on your BC to get familiar with is the butt dump.  You can stay horizontal and still dump air.  <br><br>In the end it is all about practice.  A couple of us who did the DIRF class last month are going out to Square tonight.  We will grab one of the platforms and spend most of the dive time practicing bouyancy, trim and drills.  I don't think that any of us are incompetent at the skills, but we know that we can be better.<br><br>JoelW<br>

[hfrancois]

Thanks for all the tips. I will remember them on my next dive. Hopefully I'll remember all of them   Unfortunately, I can't go to Square tonight. It would have been nice to practice and experiment with my buoyancy, but I'm sure I'll get another chance   A buoyancy class is a good idea, too. I'll check on going to one. <br><br>Again, thanks. The information is much appreciated.