How to avoid geting scrached by corals in low depth?

[Gerard Alba]

How to avoid geting scrached by corals in low depth?

[ScubaRaven]

You should be able to control your boyancey with little effort providing your bc is inflated properly and that you are weighted properly. If you are referring to areas where the water depth is extremely low, if the water level is so low that you cannot control your boyancey, then you probably could be walking with your head out of water or are in an area that is too dangerous to be in anyway (i.e. strong surge)

[ScubaRaven]

After reading your post again, I'm beginning to wonder if you are referring being in deeper waters near the ocean bottom? Once again, if this is the case, proper inflation of your BC is key as well as being properly weighted. You should be able to descend and ascend easily by taking in more or less air into your lungs and with very little physical effort.

[billsreef]

Practice your buoyancy control and refine your weighting till you have the bare minimum weight needed to sink and little to no air required in your BC at depth. In otherwords go diving lots Just make those practice sessions in areas you can't do any damage, like over sand bottom. With practice you can control your depth with nothing more than breath control

[Scuba Dog]

a dive skin is handy or a light 2 ml suit...some times in curent you cant help from being bumped into the coral or a diver bumping you also...in photography I have to get low to get cool shots and anything in the ocean will bite or sting me, but there corect good bouancy skills help....but blank happens id get at least a dive skinn.....

[wsg]

no offense intended but if you can't stay off the coral you are to close to it just because you have a camera doesn't mean you can bump and damage the coral IMHO
Sean

Originally posted by Scuba Dog
a dive skin is handy or a light 2 ml suit...some times in curent you cant help from being bumped into the coral or a diver bumping you also...in photography I have to get low to get cool shots and anything in the ocean will bite or sting me, but there corect good bouancy skills help....but blank happens id get at least a dive skinn.....

[Scuba Dog]

reguardless a skinn is still a good idea , for fair skined peopel like me keeps me from giting fried on the dive boat, and it keeps me warm since im cold natured....also not only does coral sting you but racks and sand orginismis can as well especaly with a large roup of divers going through swimm throughs that creat near zero vis...

[wsg]

agreed a skim is a good idea it also makes long dives and the bc more comfortable and

[Gerard Alba]

Sooooo scuba diving in 2 feet of water is out of the question?
When was in the reef diving (with a pair of goggles, alone!) I was skcared of the deep blue looking water (sharks) , so I didint go in more than 3 - 4 feet at that depth, there was gazilion living beings that I could recognize ang more that I could not. But I got HURT and PUNISHED by the ocean I thouht the ocean was angry with me!

[billsreef]

In the shallow's like that, I find snorkeling is much more practical. Less likely to bump into the bottom If there is heavy surge or wave action, best to stay away from any solid objects, unless you like cuts, scrapes and sea urchin spines BTW the sharks are probably safer than the damsels

[GreshamH]

Ditto on BC controll. If you haved that down, the coral shouldn't be a problem for you. I use the old rule of thumb when it comes to weight/bouancy controll. At the surface, you should sink when exhaling (to slightly beyond eye level) and float when you take a breath.

[dracul00]

BC control, 3 or 2 mil suit, gloves and a lot of practice

[coolrunnings]

bouyancy control if scuba diving and common sense if snorkeling.
but most important is that you respect the resources and dont damage them . i read a post in the corals forum where you claim to have a restricted brain coral in your aquarium , i hope you are not collecting corals in shallow reefs off florida . most of this area is a national park , the least of your worries will be your scratches from the corals .
please protect the resourses and respect them . every year the parks get more and more restricted because of illegal collecting and blatant abuses. those who pay are the residents who have to deal with restictive boating , fishing , hunting laws that push us out of our home waters.

[Razing Kane]

Originally posted by billsreef
Practice your buoyancy control

yup!

[KidK9]

There's no excuse ofr bumping into corals and destroying them. Take a class, go to the pool, go to the quarry, but stay out of the ocean if you're going to damage it for others.

[indycop2038]

bc controll, stay off the bottom, gloves, and a wetsuit

[hogpark7430]

People on this board are some of the least likely to intentionally bump or damage corals but it can happen accidentally as the ocean is an unpredictable place. I try my best to avoid bumping but it has happened so I wear a skin, I don't wear gloves I use a tank banger to push away if contact is unavoidable.

[Tech Diver]

Interestingly, to encourage divers not to touch anything, most places in the Caribbean do not allow the use of gloves. Another thing to avoid is dangling equipment. I have seen many divers drag consoles three feet below them, banging into delicate corals or getting caught in crevices, sending the diver face-first into the coral. As mentioned by everyone, good buoyancy control is the key to avoid contact. Since I can't recommend other ways to protect you, I will recommend ways to protect the coral. Always be aware of where your fins end, as they are much further behind you than you might imagine. Propel yourself with frog kicks instead of flutter kicks (see video at http://www.gue.com/classroom/propulsion/index.shtml). Practice "helicopter turns" with you knees bent 90 deg to keep your fins up. Move slowly, if you happen to crash into something the damage will be less. Good luck.

[Captain Michael]

Many resorts in dive locations offer bouyancy classes and some insist on bouyancy checks (for proper weighting) before allowing you to dive. Many also provide a guide. If you aren't in practice or feel unskilled, PLEASE ask for assistance from a divemaster or insrtuctor. You will enjoy diving SO much more.