Diving with a leg missing - stability issues

[Peglegpete]

Hi folks, I dive with a right leg missing mid thigh, and have done for years. Dont' wear any artificial limb under water as I prefer the freedom to dive without it.

I have an issue with control on descending a line. Because there's less lower body weight, then I tend to tilt over backwards due to the weight of tanks etc. Not so bad in clear water, I just tilt over, turn around and swim back to the line. But trying to do this in bad visibility is not good news, yet a necessity for UK waters.

I've worked out that it's not a good idea to descend a line without using both hands, however what I'd like to do is work out some way of getting vertical stability in the water so that I'm less dependent on holding onto the line.

Any ideas anyone?

Previously for buoyancy control I would descend head first (without a line), find a 5m level to rest above and check buoyancy then dive down from there.

Typically I wear 8-10kg and rotate weights around the belt to get rotational stability btw.

Thanks for your inputs

[Ed Howarth]

Do you descend with your body vertical or horizontal? I find that with the former, the weight of the cylinder tends to pull the body off vertical, as does the push of the water against the fins.

Or are you saying that descending in a horizontal attitude, the push of the water on your one leg tends to turn you over?

Ed

[Paul S]

What type of BC are you currently using?

I've dived with a disabled chap who had limited control of all his limbs. Not the same as you, as you sound to be otherwise fit, but one of the key things with him to get him stable in the water was moving him away from jacket type BC's to a wing.

The trouble with a jacket is you can get in a situation where the air migrates to the front, and the cylinder weight is all at the back. This is much harder to overcome than if the air stays with the heavy cylinder. He had no chance, and it sounds like you may have a similar problem to a lesser extent.

The downside of the wing can be how able you are to pitch yourself backwards on the surface, rather than it pitch you forwards.

It can also be worth playing with weight placement front-to-back, and higher-lower. Some clip-on weights (i.e. a weight, with a loop of webbing attached to a p-clip or carabina) can let you play with weight position quickly whilst in the water. Once you've worked out where you need it, you can try to work out how to have it there in a more permanent fashion.

Remember the goal isn't to be vertical in the water, head up with your foot beneath you, but to be horizontal like a sky diver. Try to borrow (not buy - until you have a solution) a few bits of kit, and see what helps.

I've been trying something similar recently because I've added a pony cylinder to my back. I've been practising hovering staying perfectly still, and seeing which way up I end up. At the moment it tends to be on my right side staring upwards. It still needs work. :D

[jeff scott]

mmmm interesting dilema