Failed Open Water Dive Update
- Thread starter RJHinPDX
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Are you in Portland? There are a couple of shops up here in the Seattle area that will teach open water in a dry suit. The advantage of that is that it's easy to do pool work in the dry suit -- you just wear thin stuff under it. Then you can put on the thick undergarment for open water.
I don't know of a shop that will let students wear their open water wetsuits in the pool. For one thing, they ARE hot for 84 degree water, and for another thing, it degrades the neoprene quickly, and those thick suits aren't cheap. I wish it were possible, because our students have to make a huge leap from bathing suits in the pool to heavy wetsuits and tons of weight for OW, but it is what it is. That's part of the reason we try to encourage our students who are going to want to dive locally to certify dry.
BTW, I had tons of trouble with ending up upside-down when I was learning to dive. I finally figured out a few things -- One, the BC has to FIT and it has to cinch down around you so the tank can't shift. If the tank gets off to one side, you are going over, unless you can use your fins and hands constantly to avoid it (which you can't do when you are trying to hover). Second, if you are using split fins, they are making your life more difficult. Stability in roll (along your longitudinal axis) is great aided by splaying your fins out to either side behind you like the horizontal stabilizers on an airplane tail. Split fins are too floppy to get a good "bite" on the water, and are harder to use for stability.
I don't know of a shop that will let students wear their open water wetsuits in the pool. For one thing, they ARE hot for 84 degree water, and for another thing, it degrades the neoprene quickly, and those thick suits aren't cheap. I wish it were possible, because our students have to make a huge leap from bathing suits in the pool to heavy wetsuits and tons of weight for OW, but it is what it is. That's part of the reason we try to encourage our students who are going to want to dive locally to certify dry.
BTW, I had tons of trouble with ending up upside-down when I was learning to dive. I finally figured out a few things -- One, the BC has to FIT and it has to cinch down around you so the tank can't shift. If the tank gets off to one side, you are going over, unless you can use your fins and hands constantly to avoid it (which you can't do when you are trying to hover). Second, if you are using split fins, they are making your life more difficult. Stability in roll (along your longitudinal axis) is great aided by splaying your fins out to either side behind you like the horizontal stabilizers on an airplane tail. Split fins are too floppy to get a good "bite" on the water, and are harder to use for stability.
Badge353
Registered
I haven't done my OW dives yet they are coming in two weeks, however I did my first pool dive in a 7mm wetsuit. The pool water temp was 85 degrees and I didn't overheat after 3 1/2 hours in the water. I think your dive shop is the problem how are you suppose to perform in OW if you have never used the equipment before.
freewillie
Contributor
I did my OW pool dives in a 7 mm wetsuit. We did not have to put on our hood or gloves but I did opt during our pool dives to wear my gloves just to get comfortable with the dexterity. In my mind I wanted to train in the pool with the conditions including exposure gear as close to what I would get in the ocean.
Looking back I find that going from cold water diving to warm water is smoother than the other way around due to exposure gear. That being said, most of that has to do with the sensation of the hood, wetsuit, etc. If you are not comfortable in your basic skills it does not matter what your wetsuit or lack thereof feels like in a pool. Getting the basics down in a warm water environment where weighting and vizibility is better and easier is not necessarily a "bad" suggestion.
I would be skeptical of teachers and shops who try to tell me things that aren't really true just so learning and training is easier for them.
Looking back I find that going from cold water diving to warm water is smoother than the other way around due to exposure gear. That being said, most of that has to do with the sensation of the hood, wetsuit, etc. If you are not comfortable in your basic skills it does not matter what your wetsuit or lack thereof feels like in a pool. Getting the basics down in a warm water environment where weighting and vizibility is better and easier is not necessarily a "bad" suggestion.
I would be skeptical of teachers and shops who try to tell me things that aren't really true just so learning and training is easier for them.
ScubaSteve1962
Contributor
I've worn a shorty, full 3 mil and 5 mil, in a 80 degree pool never over heated. Since they claimed it was a safety issue, I guess wearing your wetsuit in their pool is not an option?
No safety issues at all, and wet suit in a pool is not a big deal, especially if it's one of their rentals that has no doubt had worse than pool water in it more than once. Not everyone needs to work out issues in exposure gear in a poll, but i think reputable shops should and will let those who need to do so. I hope you develop a relationship with a shop and instructor that are more supportive. Their are two sides to every story, but I like your side better than the shops side.
DivemasterDennis
DivemasterDennis
CaliDenna
Contributor
When I did my OW in central Calif in April, we did our pool sessions in a 82 degree heated pool. We did it in 7 mm wetsuits so that we were used to our weighting, buoyancy and the feeling of having that thick of a wetsuit on before we went out to the less forgiving ocean environment. We didn't wear hoods during training but were encouraged to at least put them on once to experience the feeling because hoods can freak a number of people out. Nobody overheated, you just let water in at the neck if you got warm.
By the time we went in the 55 degree ocean water, we didn't really have to worry much about our weighting or how to move in those things. We could concentrate fully on our skills and enjoying the sites!
A suggestion - if you do go to someplace warm to get certified, after certifying and getting comfortable, see if they have any 7mm wetsuits you can try diving with. If you go to Florida some shops will have them, I know the shop I use does. That way you can get comfortable and weighting situated before actually going into colder water. You shouldn't overheat as it would be the same as going into a pool with it....if you do find yourself become warm just let water in to cool off a bit.
By the time we went in the 55 degree ocean water, we didn't really have to worry much about our weighting or how to move in those things. We could concentrate fully on our skills and enjoying the sites!
A suggestion - if you do go to someplace warm to get certified, after certifying and getting comfortable, see if they have any 7mm wetsuits you can try diving with. If you go to Florida some shops will have them, I know the shop I use does. That way you can get comfortable and weighting situated before actually going into colder water. You shouldn't overheat as it would be the same as going into a pool with it....if you do find yourself become warm just let water in to cool off a bit.
OP
Yes, that's right, Portland, Oregon.
---------- Post added January 15th, 2013 at 02:03 PM ----------
Thanks, I will certainly try that last suggestion.
I wonder why there is such a wide range of responses regarding using 7mm wetsuits in pools, some saying, "Of course you should be able to do that" and some saying, "Oh no, we would never do that." That's just an idle question, not really expecting a response.
CaliDenna
Contributor
When I had gone to another dive shop initially for training, they told me that they had two sets of wetsuits for training. The pool ones and the ones for ocean. They said that the chlorine destroys the neoprene. So a smaller shop might be reluctant to have their suits in pools for that reason. The outfit that I did my OW with the wetsuit on in pool is huge and can easily afford to replace wetsuits.
Additionally the instructor I did my OW with said he had dedicated pool gear as well. His old stuff was always his pool gear, then he had ocean gear. When he bought new stuff (which he did all the time being able to pro deal everything new when it came out), it became his ocean gear, his ocean gear became his pool gear and he would sell or donate the old pool stuff.
Additionally the instructor I did my OW with said he had dedicated pool gear as well. His old stuff was always his pool gear, then he had ocean gear. When he bought new stuff (which he did all the time being able to pro deal everything new when it came out), it became his ocean gear, his ocean gear became his pool gear and he would sell or donate the old pool stuff.
I missed the original thread, but it reminds me of my own OW course experience. Although I lived in Southern California, I had never worn a wet suit before, and the discomfort and buoyancy only added to my anxiety. I felt like a teetering penguin the first time I put on the 7 mm suit, hood, boots, gloves and BC and attempted to walk. I think that sometimes when experienced divers go on about how easy the OW course is (compared with the old days, I guess), they seem to forget that for people who have never been in a wet suit, just doing unfamiliar things while wearing a thick suit can be a big deal.
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