i have been a certified diver for about 6 months and i have a problem controling my buoyancy when i dive.I am constantly adding or releasing air from my bcd.I am either banging on the bottem or floating to the surface. What can i do to make my buoyancy better.
Answer:
Hi Suat,
Buoyancy control is something many new divers struggle with. Even the most seasoned divers will sometimes have a bad buoyancy day.
One thing that will help you get neutrally buoyant is to be properly weighted. To know if you have the right amount of weight, simply do a weight check before you desend. This is very easy. While at the surface, take and hold a normal breath. Now let all of the air out of your BC. You should float with youyr eyes level with the surface. As you exhale, you should stay to slowly desend. If you are desending to fast, you are have too much weight and should take off some weights.
If you do not start to desend when you exhale at the surface, you do not have enough weight. Add just enough weight to be able to slowly desend when you exhale.
We all learn to do a weight check in our basic open water class. We sometimes forget how important a good check is and how much it can help our buoyancy while diving.
This is only one of several tips that can help you with your buoyancy. You can find more tips on our page about buoyancy control.
I hope this information helps you with your scuba diving Zen.
Sorry to disagree Jim, but most divers have poor buoyancy skills especially those "seasoned" ones who think their buoyancy is GOOD ENOUGH! They are not having a bad buoyancy day___they have bad buoyancy skills. Your advice about weights is in line with the big training agencies but___ how the world learns to dive___ is part of the problem. Most Instructors learn to be SCUBA Salesmen and can't be expected to demonstrate good fundamental dive skills. STOP SCULLING! Stop using your hands as in never use them again. Divers don't stop sculling because they learn good buoyancy skills. They learn/teach themselves GREAT BUOYANCY SKILLS because they STOP SCULLING!
