Is incorrect weights the problem here?

Question
QUESTION: Hello Mike,

I recently started a beginners diving course with the local Padi dive centre which ended in disaster. After completing some confined dives at the local swimming pool on Day one all was going well including good buoyancy. On Day two we were to undertake the first of a number of open water dives. This was where I had  to abandon the very first dive and put the course on hold. Upon stepping into the water from a platform I immediately began to float on my back with my legs up in the air. No matter what I did I could not force my legs to a point below me and get into a proper position with proper buoyancy. Deflating the BCD did not help. I consumed so much energy in trying to do get off my back I quickly became exhausted and started to swallow lots of water. I panicked lost control and now have little confidence. I had no such issues with the confined pool dive the day before. Also with the open water dive my weights in my BCD were increased to take into account salt water diving. What was removed however was my weight belt which I did wear on the confined pool dive.

I cannot work out what went wrong here and I am not getting much assistance from the local Padi dive centre.

Mike, can you shed any light on this?

With Best Regards

Alex
Australia

ANSWER: Hi Alex

I'm terribly sorry to hear of your dilemma and you present a very perplexing problem.  Without knowing whether you're wearing a wetsuit, dry suit or no exposure protection at all, I'm going to have to make some assumptions here.  I will assume that you're wearing a full wetsuit and are wearing a jacket-style BC. You also indicated that you were wearing a weight belt for your confined water dives but were using a weight-integrated BC for your open water dives.

Several possibilities come to mind that could account for your problems.

1.  Additional weighting was not adequate for your salt water dive.  How was your weighting determined?  Was it just an educated guess by your instructor or did you actually check it using proper techniques learned in your PADI course? A full wetsuit will tend to float you in a horizontal position and you'll need correct weighting and weight distribution to overcome this.  Your instructor should be able to assist you with weight distribution.  Always distribute your weights so that most of it is towards the front of your body.  Otherwise you'll be constantly fighting a tendency to flip over onto your back.  This distribution should also allow you to float horizontally underwater so neither your feet nor your head have a tendency to sink below the other. Many BC's have trim weight pouches on the back of the jacket and some even have pouches which attach to the tank strap for use in weight distribution.  Regardless of how you do it, weight should always be equally distributed between the right and left sides of your body and more towards the front to help you stay face-down.  Here I emphasize PROPER weighting.  Don't overdo it or you'll simply trade one problem for another.

2.  A jacket style BC allows air to enter the side panels which wrap around your waist and could shift your buoyancy to the front.  This, accompanied by the natural buoyancy of your wetsuit could have you on your back and make turning over difficult.  This is aggravated by underweighting.

3.  When you first jump into the water with a full wetsuit, the suit will contain a sizeable quantity of air and this will cause difficulty in sinking until you have bled all the air out of the suit through the collar and/or cuffs.  This would be very difficult to do if you're laying on your back.

4.  Is this your first time wearing a wetsuit?  If you didn't have one for your pool sessions, then you probably didn't have any instruction in how to handle the problems we've discussed in the previous points.  Once again, your instructor should be your source of help.

5.  From information in your question, it appears that you probably didn't have enough instruction and practice to be attempting open water dives from an elevated platform.  You should have known that all of your gear, including your regulator, should have been in place with your regulator firmly grasped in your mouth before dropping into the water.  If you had kept your regulator in your mouth, then you would not have swallowed any water.  If you had to fight your problem until you were exhausted, then where was your instructor during this time?

Alex, I think your problem lies somewhere in the possibilities I've outlined here.  Don't be discouraged.  Almost all students have a problem of one sort or another during their training.  You can overcome this one with a little analysis and some help from your instructor.  I think the key is in your weighting and it's distribution.  Go back to the pool for more practice and to rebuild your confidence.  If something like this happens again, remember to keep your regulator in your mouth and DON'T FIGHT THE PROBLEM.  Wait for assistance while you calmly assess the situation.  Then, once you've figured it out, you can laugh about it later.

There's some beautiful diving in Australia and I'd hate to see you miss it because of a little problem like this.  I say "little" because I'm sure you can solve it using the information in this letter.  Once it's behind you, the entire Barrier Reef is waiting for you!!

Best wishes for a successful scuba course and let me know if I can assist you further!!

Mike Giles
Mike's Dive Center
mikescuba.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Mike,

Thank you so much for your prompt and detailed response. I have no doubt that it will help me very much in my endeavors to become a scuba diver.

I am sorry that you had to make some assumptions. I would just like to  clarify things a little more precisely by providing more detail.

Firstly with the ocean dive a full wetsuit was worn that was much thicker and tighter that the confined water dive. The suit was very tight which meant I had less mobility in general when compared to the pool dive. A full suit was also worn in the pool however it was much thinner.

The BCD was a jacket style. I feel that the instructor had made an educated guess when weighing me up. Further the weights were distributed according to the side pockets of the bcd only. No other weights were used.

I was told by the instructor that once we entered the water from the jumping platform that we should immediately swap from regulator to snorkel in order to conserve air as we will be buoyant. I tried to do this whilst still trying to become horizontal and properly buoyant. Hence becoming exhausted and swallowing water.

Mike, Thank you once again for all your great help.

Best Regards

Alex
Australia

Answer
Hi again, Alex

Thanks for the clarifications.  After you provided more information, I'm convinced that my original suggestions will provide the solution to your problem.

You've discovered that a thicker wetsuit limits your flexibility and adds some impediments to your diving.  That's the trade off we make to dive in cold water.  Later, you may decide to get a dry suit and eliminate the flexibility and increased buoyancy problems you've encountered.  Dry suits will require some instruction in order to use them effectively but that's another subject!!

In the meantime, have your weight needs properly assessed and I think you'll be fine.

In the future, always assess your current situation before making any changes to it.  Here I'm talking about your instructors instructions to switch from your regulator to your snorkel to conserve air.  That's a good idea but you switched before assessing the situation to be sure you could do it without causing additional problems.  Consider it a lesson well learned!!

In closing, remember that diving requires forethought and planning.  ALWAYS stop to think before doing something and make sure you've got all your ducks in a row before proceeding.  Nothing is so urgent that it can't wait for a few seconds while you evaluate your next move.

Happy Diving!!

Mike