CCR divers - do you miss controlling bouyancy through breathing?

[dave archer]

A question for all you CCR types...

Do you miss being able to control your bouyancy through your breathing?

All my diving has been OC, never tried an RB. One of the things I enjoy about diving is being able to move in 3 dimensions effortlessly. I like coming to a drop off, and beginning to descend without lifting a finger, just by breathing out that bit more - almost like "thinking" yourself down if you see what I mean (?!).

So - do you find you miss this on CCR?

Personally not considering CCR for a fair while yet at least, if ever - just curious

Cheers,
Dave.

[Mark Chase]

Ish...

You can control buoyancy by breathing a bit if you run minimum loop IE the minimum amount of gas in the loop for one breath. If you want to go up take one BIG breath and suck extra gas into the counter lungs and you go up. Then dump gas out of the nose and you go back down.

This wastes dill so its frowned upon but it does work.

What you cannot experience on OC is being able to hold a perfect stop totally motionless in the water but continuing a good deep diaphragm breathing cycle that is important for clean deco. You fill the counter lung to the necessary capacity and then just breathe away without moving an inch in the water column.

It takes a long time to master as its amazing how crap you were at buoyancy control on OC before but you looked good because you used your lungs as quick compensation. There is no hiding beh9ind lung capacity on a CCR. When you get it right on a CCR its like a knife edge thing it’s pretty nervy at first but after a while it gets better and better. I haven’t mastered it yet but I have short periods where it’s spot on and it’s a wonderful sensation.

On the bottom its different where as an OC diver breaths in to go up and out to go down the CCR diver tends to fin up slightly or fin down slightly. I have to say I don’t find it a big issue on the bottom but I do on deco.

ATB

Mark Chase

[Juz]

I used to miss it dreadfully, but you just get used to it.

We can still go down - by breathing out through our nose, but we can't go up by taking a big breath like the OC boys.

Juz

[bang-on]

Dave,
Bouyancy with a CCR is a matter of changing your attitude in the water and then finning slightly to obtain the new depth, if deeper the ADV will kick in and bring the loop to ambient or if shallower a small amount of gas will be dumped.That leaves the suit to be corrected if necessary and thats the same as O/C.
So no, I do not miss the breathing thing and find Bouyancy with a CCR just a change in technique and a bit of practice.

Cheers

Barrie

[jknights]

I'm still getting used to it all but as a u/w photographer I certainly won't miss it at all as being able to stay still uneffected by my breathing will be wonderful.

[divetheworld]

Originally Posted by Mark Chase

Ish...


It takes a long time to master as its amazing how crap you were at buoyancy control on OC before but you looked good because you used your lungs as quick compensation. There is no hiding beh9ind lung capacity on a CCR. When you get it right on a CCR its like a knife edge thing it’s pretty nervy at first but after a while it gets better and better. I haven’t mastered it yet but I have short periods where it’s spot on and it’s a wonderful sensation.



ATB

Mark Chase

You not wrong there MC!

Farting is a bit more surprising than it used to be though.
your skimming the bottom on max fin rate humming the dam busters tune to yourself when..... 'Brrpfffffft' and the DSV gets burried in the sand.

Just kidding, but you learn to avoid firing the ADV (auto diluent valve - a bit like a regulator, it makes up for inadequate lung volume), poor bouyancy is the main cause of wasting gas in a rebreather.

[narked at 90]

would give you green brent but the buggers wont let me!!

john

Originally Posted by divetheworld

You not wrong there MC!

Farting is a bit more surprising than it used to be though.
your skimming the bottom on max fin rate humming the dam busters tune to yourself when..... 'Brrpfffffft' and the DSV gets burried in the sand.

Just kidding, but you learn to avoid firing the ADV (auto diluent valve - a bit like a regulator, it makes up for inadequate lung volume), poor bouyancy is the main cause of wasting gas in a rebreather.

[NotDeadYet]

Not sure about farting but don't eat extra mature cheddar sandwiches before diving a RB. I've never had to flush the loop so much!!!! I'm going to France in a few weeks and am genuinely concerned about ongassing the festering garlic and wine vapours escaping from my guts into the loop

Do I miss buoyancy control through the lungs, no. Do I forget and breathe out and wonder why I haven't moved? Yes.

However, it is sooooooo nice being able to frog kick hovering 1" above silt and knowing that you could stay there all day without disturbing anything.

[Finless]

Originally Posted by NotDeadYet

Not sure about farting but don't eat extra mature cheddar sandwiches before diving a RB. I've never had to flush the loop so much!!!! I'm going to France in a few weeks and am genuinely concerned about ongassing the festering garlic and wine vapours escaping from my guts into the loop

Do I miss buoyancy control through the lungs, no. Do I forget and breathe out and wonder why I haven't moved? Yes.

However, it is sooooooo nice being able to frog kick hovering 1" above silt and knowing that you could stay there all day without disturbing anything.

ABOVE? I thought your CCR mates called you Plough Boy?

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by dave archer

Do you miss being able to control your bouyancy through your breathing?

At first, but like everything, you adjust.

It does teach you to trim your buoyancy exactly and you notice every little difference and wonder why. If you switch the set point down (simulating handset failure) and inject oxygen to maintain trim it holds the set point rather well (although I don't think I'd like to do this for real).