Twenty years of diving and I just figured out my buoyancy checks were off

I was doing a pipeline inspection near Port Fourchon last Tuesday when I noticed my buddy was hovering dead still while I kept drifting up. I always thought you just add air until you feel neutral and go. Turns out I was dumping air at 15 feet and never accounted for how the suit compresses deeper down. He made me redo my check at 40 feet and suddenly I wasn't fighting the current anymore. Anyone else have a basic skill they thought they had down but were doing sideways the whole time?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_ruby25d ago

Man that's rough but honestly I'm glad you figured it out. I did something similar with my weight belt for years. Thought I had it dialed then realized I was carrying way too much lead because I never adjusted for saltwater vs freshwater dives. Felt like an idiot when a dive master showed me the difference on a trip to the quarry.

logan70525d ago

Oh man that exact thing happened to me too. I was diving in Florida last year and kept wondering why I was sinking like a rock even with half my normal weight. Felt like such a rookie when a local diver pointed out I never switched my setup from the ocean. Your mileage may vary but I swear it's the easiest thing to overlook when you're just used to one environment. Now I keep a separate pouch with lighter weights for when I hit the lakes.