Buoyancy

Southeastern Divers, Inc.

2720 Governors Drive SW, Huntsville Alabama 35805 - Phone: 256-536-8404

"Training the best divers in North Alabama since 1980."

Sean Davis - PADI IDC Staff & Master Instructor

For those of you who know me, you have more than likely heard me describe one of my favorite and possibly one of the most important skills in Scuba Diving…Buoyancy Control.

I have held this view from the time I took my very first breath during a Discover Scuba session almost nine years ago. I quickly realized that if I inhaled a large breath I would be slowly “lifted off” while exhaling allowed me to gently “touch down”. This opened my eyes to the fact that just by using breathing to control my buoyancy allows me to “fly”. I’ve often wondered how a bird must feel while soaring the heights being ”buoyed up” only by the wind. Well guess what! I’ve launched myself from many a vessel into deep blue, green, brown or black waters, stretched out my fins and soared like a bird. This experience normally unique to astronauts, pilots, birds and of course aquatic creatures can be ours as scuba divers with just a little bit of practice with Buoyancy Control.

When I first started diving, I go to our local indoor heated pool (twice a week), slap on my scuba gear and plunge to my happy land located mid-water at the deep end of the pool. I would spend 2hrs at a time just soaring while looking at the black crosses on the walls formed by the intersection of the black lane tiles coming up the end of the pool. I’ve heard people say things like, “You must have really been bored” or “Did it take all of that just to get your buoyancy under control?” Well the answer to both of those questions is absolutely not, these sessions allowed me to visualize myself as an aquatic creature and protector of the aquatic realm. As strange as it sounds, if every scuba diver thought of themselves as part of the aquatic world, we would be the protectors of the aquatic realm. This repeated practice, in turn allowed me to reach the level of Peak Performance Buoyancy which I now teach and use every time I go diving.

Peak Performance Buoyancy not only allows us to “fly” like a bird while “soaring” the depths but is also critical to so many other types of diving. Many divers love Underwater Photography because it allows them to share a part of their adventures with divers and non-divers alike. Dry Suit divers extend their dive season and go to places other divers would not dream of diving wet. Drift diving is also a cool way to effortlessly soar and watch the underwater world go by. All 3 of these types of diving have a common core skill…Peak Performance Buoyancy.

If you are interested in taking your diving adventures to the next level, check out the Peak Performance Buoyancy course offered anytime we are in an open water environment. Join us in January for our annual trip to visit the manatees in Crystal River, Florida (detailed flyer coming soon). On this trip we will also be completing a Drift dive down the Rainbow River. Divers and non-divers welcome!!!

Come “fly” with me….

Sean J

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