Personalising – more than my weight belt

A month ago I was fortunate enough to do a two tank dive outside the reef in the Blue Bay Marine Reserve, Mauritius. Weather kept me inside the reef for weeks, so this opportunity was a dream come true. On this day I not only experienced the magic of the big-big blue underwater, but the weather changed from a sunny almost cloudless morning for the first dive, to clouds appearing during the second dive and just after finishing our dive logs and tea back at the dive centre, the sky turned grey and the clouds opened up gushing tropical rain. A glorious experience in itself as I was wet already!

Since then I dived once more, spent a few days showing a visiting friend my favourite spots in the area (a girly paradise island dream, deserving of a separate blog) and then packed and returned home. Somehow avoiding to write a blog since then has been not only procrastinating, but a sense that I left my words on the island and bits of everyday French sentences, reactions, exclamations and grunts are still lingering in my mouth, blocking the praises I should be singing.

Praises for the opportunity I had to return to my island fishing village, Mahebourg, for another three month stay. To dive the most fabulous outside reef dives, with stunning lava tunnels and blue water as far as the eye can see. Being held and caressed softly by water at 28 °C, diving freely in only a rash guard, most of the time, while accompanied by dive leaders who are professional and loads of fun at the same time. To live life Island Style, surrounded by my relaxed island friends and under a softer sun is indeed a privilege.

I should also sing the praises of the beautiful valley of wine and roses that I call home, in the very south of South Africa. I should be singing the praises of a husband who understands my passion for the sea, my newly found ability to SCUBA, as well as my thrill being in a French environment. Refreshing my almost lost knowledge of this beloved language of mine stimulates my mind and ticks a box in my heart that few will understand. He is giving me the gift to get out there and LIVE! Travelling solo and living this adventurous life style at almost sixty, after more than twenty years of having health issues, paralysis and feeling disabled has been life changing.

When I heard I was booked for a two tank dive outside the reef I was very eager to make up for lost time, but I must admit that I was also not sure how my energy levels would hold up. I soothed myself thinking that if I was not feeling strong enough to do the second dive, I could abort the dive and hang out on the boat chatting with the skipper while enjoying the sun and seascape.

Our first dive was on Pt Wahoo.  I previously dived there at 20.7m admiring the lava formations and a beautiful lava arch. It was on this site that I saw a small school of Batfish (50-70cm long) for the first time.  This time was different though. I was diving in a rash guard only, no short wetsuit, allowing a medium BC to fit snugly, making me feel more confident. I had 4 kg on my weight belt. So here’s the thing – my two tank dive became an exercise in losing 1 kg from my belt, adapting my buoyancy and improving my air consumption drastically.  

Descending was easy, I was using my BC a bit to establish neutral buoyancy and then the dive was a relaxed viewing of the awe inspiring, healthy and diverse coral collection, the inhabitants of the reef and the lava formations. There was a medium surge so I was pleased with the way I made my way through the lava arch. The safety stop with 50 BAR in my steel tank was easy enough, hovering at 5 m for 3 minutes, having had 53 minutes bottom time.

In the time I had, while we re-entered the lagoon to exchange tanks, gear up again and cross the reef in the direction of Purple Cave, I evaluated my dive and realised that I was too dependent on my BC for buoyancy. I decided to experiment by dropping 1 kg from my belt. I informed my dive buddy of my planned experiment and he, being a professional diver, put an extra weight in his BC pocket. Having it at hand, should I need it at the safety stop when my tank would be more buoyant, was a safe move.  

On descent I had to focus on my buoyancy more, not to bump into the coral below us, as it took a few moments to adapt to neutral buoyancy being weighted differently. My first dive on Purple Cave, in 2023, was my first outside the reef dive and first encounter of this extremely large diversity of huge healthy Corals. At the time I had just finished a SSI Coral Recognition Course and I got so excited being able to recognise some corals that my air consumption had me doing my safety stop on my dive buddies Octo-regulator! With this in the back of my mind I was now very aware of my breathing.

On the day of the two tank dive, this second dive on Purple Cave was a great comparison to my first tank dive of the day. We had the same medium surge, we were at 20.6 m and our bottom time was exactly 53 minutes, as on Pt Wahoo. My safety stop was fine with the 3 kg – BUT the surprise came when I saw that I used 20 BAR less than on the previous dive and this on a site that excites me in the extreme and challenges my breathing!

I was feeling extremely pleased with my effort and the result – I was brave enough to try the weight change and I adjusted my buoyancy quite fast!  My smile was much bigger than usual, but I had less energy to chatter all the way back to the jetty and the dive centre, to the great relief of all on the boat, I’m sure!

Then I started wondering if I could drop another 1 kg from my weight belt, as I was still using my BC slightly to reach neutral buoyancy and I felt fine at the safety stop. I decided to ask about it on a Diving Facebook page and the topic drew a huge response from many experienced divers and instructors.

Here are a few thoughts on the topic. A must read and need to know!

• 1. The importance of being able to comfortably stay at your safety stop and only start a further ascent when you choose to is emphasised greatly. You have to be in complete control of your buoyancy even when your tank is at 50 BAR.
• 2. If it has been a while since your last dive and you think your body weight changed or there is a change in your gear or wetsuit, it is advisable to do the prescribed buoyancy check that you did in your training. Doing this check will ensure that you are weighted correctly.
• 3. Remember to use your breathing and trim to adjust buoyancy and depend less on using your BC. As you become more experienced as a diver, this will become second nature as you will start to breathe slower and deeper.
• 4. Practice exhaling fully. You need that in your first 5-10 meters of descent. New divers tend to breathe too shallow and not exhale fully.
• 5. Practise slowing down and controlling your breathing. Slow down your movements too and focus on “breathe through your movement and move through your breathe”. A practice like yoga can assist with this training.
• 6. Remember that all body types will require different weights and that your personal gear affects that too. Ignore the weights on the belts of other divers. If you did your buoyancy check as taught, you can do your controlled safety stop comfortably and your belt is weighted according to that, then you should just relax and let experience take care of the rest.
• 7. Be aware that the positioning of your cylinder onto the BC (higher or lower) can affect your trim which again affects buoyancy control.
• 8. Integrated weight systems are preferred by many divers as they say it assists in feeling more balanced underwater.
• Remember your weight belt is a very personal item!

Follow my Facebook page @Keepers of the Sea and let’s get serious about underwater life, exploring it while blowing bubbles and conserving it! Happy diving!

By Lynette Gerber-Lochenkov