On Wed, 16 Oct 2002 03:21:27 +0100, Andy M Johnson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>>As a SUGGESTED EXERCISE, it also suggested readers could PRACTICE
>>moving up and down between 30 feet and 15 feet (a much less
>>challenging skill, yet a non-trivial skill to acquire) without
>>touching the BC or moving arms or legs -- in graduated stages of
>>neutral buoyancy, controlled entirely by breath control.
>Easy at the end of a dive with no (or bugger all) air left in the BC & for
>instance a 3mm shorty.

That's what it meant to apply.  At the END of the dive, when you
should have very little or no air in the BC, whether you started
with a 3mm shorty or naked.

If you can do it, then you've got it. If you can't, then you ain't. :-)

But to get back to the MAIN THEME from which this branched into,
it's all about the desirability of NEUTRAL buoyancy and the lack
of NEED to do any unnecessary kick at safety stop, especially not
swimming around.

>>That's the way some of us WWW's do.  The less trim and drag, and
>>the less excess (but adequate) weight, the better and easier it is
>>to achieve that kind of "good buoyancy" control.
>
>>Most divers, more so cold water divers, and especially cavers,
>>don't pay much attention to these things.  Why worry about buoyancy
>>-- use doubles, use scooters, carry extra stage tanks ... :-)))
>>-- Bob.
>Ah, but you can't do the above in a cruhed neoprene dry suit cos it's got
>loads of air in it.

I had already mentioned that the exercise was for WARM water divers,
and there was later a series of articles for COLD water divers, but
none about drysuit divers -- cuz they don't sell many drysuits.  :-)

-- Bob.