Having the ability to maintain neutral buoyancy makes everything about diving better, not to mention easier. If you have never heard of peak performance buoyancy or if you’re considering learning it, you’ll appreciate this quick look into mastering some of the techniques being taught in workshops and classes dedicated to improving buoyancy control.
Understanding Peak Performance Buoyancy
Many people are curious about peak performance buoyancy. It is defined as having the ability to achieve neutral buoyancy by redistributing one’s weight, understanding how gravity affects you while diving, and managing your center of gravity. All these factors combine to reduce drag and allow you to enjoy less stress while underwater. Peak performance buoyancy takes practice; most divers find they are able to master the techniques in 20 dives or so. The ultimate goal of peak performance buoyancy is to hover easily without making contact with the seabed or other items beneath you.
Performing a Buoyancy Check
While there’s no need to perform a buoyancy check on each and every dive, it doesn’t hurt to check your buoyancy from time to time. There are three main reasons why it’s a good idea to perform buoyancy checks:
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If you’re using new gear or gear you’re less accustomed to, the weight and position of that gear will affect your buoyancy.
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If you dive fairly infrequently, it’s a good idea to check buoyancy on every dive. While people who dive regularly don’t need to check buoyancy unless they’ve made changes to equipment, those who don’t dive often have slight weight changes which can affect buoyancy.
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Water salinity plays a major role in buoyancy. If you normally dive in the ocean and are planning a lake dive, you’ll need to test your buoyancy in fresh water and vice versa since salt water requires 1.3 times more weight than freshwater.
Use the following five steps to conduct a buoyancy check:
First, enter the water wearing your complete kit.
Second, empty the air from your BC while in water that’s shallow but too deep to stand in. You do not need to inflate your BC while in shallow water; dumping the air from it can make safety stops easier as long as you are properly weighted and have mastered the rest of the peak performance buoyancy techniques.
Third, remain vertical and motionless while holding your breath. Keep your regulator in your mouth while doing this.
Fourth, add or subtract weight until you are floating at eye level.
Finally, slowly sink as you exhale. When the air in your lungs has been expelled and you are properly weighted, you will sink slowly. Once you begin to breathe, water pressure will hold you beneath the surface.
Tips for Fine-Tuning Buoyancy Control
Good buoyancy control is one thing – peak performance buoyancy control is another thing entirely. If you’d like to work on fine-tuning your buoyancy control using some of the same techniques taught in peak performance buoyancy classes, try the following tips.
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You get positive buoyancy from your body weight, the exposure suit you are wearing, and the type of water that you’re diving in. To counter positive buoyancy appropriately, it’s vital that you learn how much weight to dive with and how to distribute that weight to your advantage.
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Your body composition makes a difference. Fat is more buoyant than muscle and can make it difficult to enjoy perfect buoyancy control. Lose fat and build muscle, and you’ll notice a difference in the way you feel underwater.
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The thicker your wetsuit, the more buoyant you will be. Understanding this can help you compensate by adding or subtracting weight as needed.
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It’s easier to float in salt water than in fresh water, so you’ll need more weight in saltwater dive sites than you will at freshwater ones.
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Spending time at the surface with your BC inflated while chatting with your buddy is a good way to relax before diving to depth. Relaxing before diving will help you to use a little less air and reduce your stress level. Being relaxed also helps improve buoyancy control.
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While descending, work on optimizing your descent rate by perfecting negative buoyancy techniques.
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To slow the process of descent, take full breaths and add a little air to your BC. Once you achieve neutral buoyancy, you can release some air to go deeper if needed.
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Ultimately, the goal is to achieve depth, then find the ideal balance between the forces which are pushing you down and those which are pushing you up. Once this is achieved, you’ll find you expend less energy working to maintain neutral buoyancy.
Reducing Drag and Maintaining a Streamlined Profile
Maintaining a streamlined profile and reducing drag are two ways you can make your dives less labor-intensive and more enjoyable. You can also use these tips to help work toward creating optimal buoyancy control.
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Select the Correct BCD – It’s vital that all of your equipment fit well, and particularly important that you’re wearing the right kind of BCD for your body type, experience level, and the type of diving that you do. Ensure weight is evenly distributed as even a slight amount of unevenness can adversely affect buoyancy control.
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Streamline Your Body – Work to achieve a streamlined position while diving. Keep your arms in, don’t bend your knees too much, and think long, lean thoughts. Ensure equipment is secured and you’ll enjoy even more success.
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Use the Appropriate Equipment – Choosing equipment that will help rather than hinder your efforts at achieving a streamlined profile is important. For example, ensure your fins are not overly heavy; if they are, you’ll have to work harder to keep your feet in the right position.
The fitter you are, the easier these techniques will be to master, and the more streamlined your body will be. If you’re considering taking a peak performance buoyancy class, work on fitness before you get started with the learning process and you’ll enjoy greater success. Once you’ve mastered peak performance buoyancy techniques, you’ll find your dives are much more enjoyable, and your bottom time will improve as you’ll be able to relax and use less air.