Take off a few pounds!
Over the last few months I have watched several hundred divers get ready and go diving.
We all get in a routine ,,, follow the same route to work and home each day.
Listen to the same FM stations.
Do what someone in apparent authority suggests.
But sometimes its good to say , "what if I do this instead?" "What if I try this?"
As the captain of a charter dive boat I see a lot of divers gearing up for their dives and hear what they have to say upon their return.
Many divers have developed a routine to getting ready, how their gear is organized, what they wear.
I have noticed that there are several divers on each excursion that experience buoyancy problems resulting in higher than needed air consumption, anxiety, and distress. In almost every case it is due to the fact that they are over weighted. They are in the habit of wearing the same weight every time they go diving.
One diver I remember who claimed he could not get down without having nearly 50 pounds around his waist! "Thats what I have always worn" he stated. Not a big guy, average height and weight, but he would emerge from the dive stressed, on his last 500psi, and fatigued. It took the dive master and me several hours to talk him into taking 10 pounds off his belt.
After the next dive he came up smiling and with 1000psi remaining. "I just can't believe the difference it made ,,, I didn't have to constantly adjust my BC to maintain and was so much more relaxed! I can't believe the difference!" He was still smiling as he went down the companionway to his station where he began taking off his gear laughing and chatting with his fellow divers - a happy diver.
This is jut one example of many who for some reason use too much weight.
If this is you try taking just 5 lbs off and see if it makes a difference in how easy and relaxed you are on your next dive. Your dive is supposed to be easy and comfortable, not a test of endurance and strength. (Floating weightless and relaxed in the void is truly a spiritual experience!)
I know, I know. Everyone learns about proper buoyancy as a basic skill during basic SCUBA classes but you'd be surprised how often these "experienced" divers are overweighted.
Just one word of caution though,
For those of you who are men , do be careful how you tell a woman diver to "take off 5 or 10 lbs" !
Its all about diving! Its all good!
Scott.
We all get in a routine ,,, follow the same route to work and home each day.
Listen to the same FM stations.
Do what someone in apparent authority suggests.
But sometimes its good to say , "what if I do this instead?" "What if I try this?"
As the captain of a charter dive boat I see a lot of divers gearing up for their dives and hear what they have to say upon their return.
Many divers have developed a routine to getting ready, how their gear is organized, what they wear.
I have noticed that there are several divers on each excursion that experience buoyancy problems resulting in higher than needed air consumption, anxiety, and distress. In almost every case it is due to the fact that they are over weighted. They are in the habit of wearing the same weight every time they go diving.
One diver I remember who claimed he could not get down without having nearly 50 pounds around his waist! "Thats what I have always worn" he stated. Not a big guy, average height and weight, but he would emerge from the dive stressed, on his last 500psi, and fatigued. It took the dive master and me several hours to talk him into taking 10 pounds off his belt.
After the next dive he came up smiling and with 1000psi remaining. "I just can't believe the difference it made ,,, I didn't have to constantly adjust my BC to maintain and was so much more relaxed! I can't believe the difference!" He was still smiling as he went down the companionway to his station where he began taking off his gear laughing and chatting with his fellow divers - a happy diver.
This is jut one example of many who for some reason use too much weight.
If this is you try taking just 5 lbs off and see if it makes a difference in how easy and relaxed you are on your next dive. Your dive is supposed to be easy and comfortable, not a test of endurance and strength. (Floating weightless and relaxed in the void is truly a spiritual experience!)
I know, I know. Everyone learns about proper buoyancy as a basic skill during basic SCUBA classes but you'd be surprised how often these "experienced" divers are overweighted.
Just one word of caution though,
For those of you who are men , do be careful how you tell a woman diver to "take off 5 or 10 lbs" !
Its all about diving! Its all good!
Scott.
Comments