Most dangerous newbie mistakes

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Dangerous mistake? Starting to dive because of peer pressure or doing dives because of peer pressure. Don’t worry about the training being tough, it has changed a lot throughout the years.

Gary D.
 
I would say that the single newbie mistake is failure to manage their own dive. Lacking both confidence & experience newbies often play "follow the leader". They descend too quickly despite equalization problems beacuse everyone else has, they enter swim throughs even they feel very uncomfortable beacuse nobody said they could swim over or around them, they don't manage their air because no one else seems to. The list goes on, & when newbies find they're in over their head (figuratively) they panic & get injured.
Whenever a friend takes up diving or asks, I give the same advice: Listen to instructors, learn all you can on the surface, develope your skills in the pool sessions, do whatever you can to be ready to dive, but once you're in the water use the internal computer stored between your ears, listen to your body, remember your training, stay within your limits, & manage your own dive.
Diving is safe, it's divers who aren't. df

I would agree that failing to manage your own dive is a BIGGIE !
 
Ben,

You can find 15' in the lagoon if you look hard enough. I recommended it because buoyancy is what you'll be doing first and it is more challenging (and safer) to get your buoyancy down in shallow water. The beauty of this place is that the viz will give you the impression of much deeper water so you can practice confidence at the same time. Drift above the eelgrass near the wall and watch the sunfish...
 
Greetings,
I was certified approx. 25 years ago - back when I was bullet-proof. During my last check-out dive I had a block and perfed an eardrum. Between the ear probs and the fact that I didn't have any diving friends or family, I never dove again.
Since my nephew is newly certified, I would love to give it another go if cleared by an ENT.
Now that I'm no longer bullet-proof (48yo), I'm more that a little anxious about the safety of the sport especially since my wife may give it a go also! We are both starting to have some memory problems which is scary! Is seems OOA, uncontrolled ascent/decents are big issues. But I'm also worried about panic. Do people actually rip their reg out and bolt for the surface?
What do you all feel are the most dangerous newbie mistakes, and how can one mitigate the chance of same happening? Does anyone have any info on the panic cycle? All comments welcome...

Thanks,
Ben

The most dangerous novice blunder is panic, in all its forms, which often leads to a rapid ascent while holding their breath on scuba. Someone dies somewhere in the USA each year by doing this.

And if you feel stressed, that is a clue that you need to start over, with a new scuba course, after all these decades. Your age (48, still quite young) shows that you have gotten smarter.
 
Greetings,
I was certified approx. 25 years ago - back when I was bullet-proof. During my last check-out dive I had a block and perfed an eardrum. Between the ear probs and the fact that I didn't have any diving friends or family, I never dove again.
Since my nephew is newly certified, I would love to give it another go if cleared by an ENT.
Now that I'm no longer bullet-proof (48yo), I'm more that a little anxious about the safety of the sport especially since my wife may give it a go also! We are both starting to have some memory problems which is scary! Is seems OOA, uncontrolled ascent/decents are big issues. But I'm also worried about panic. Do people actually rip their reg out and bolt for the surface?
What do you all feel are the most dangerous newbie mistakes, and how can one mitigate the chance of same happening? Does anyone have any info on the panic cycle? All comments welcome...

Thanks,
Ben

Hi Ben. I certed 38 years ago this spring. I too thought I was bullet proof, but after a fairly long break from diving, jumped right back in during the 80's. New equipment and techniques, combined with rusty skills got myself hurt, but it could have been a lot worse!!! I took some refresher work after that, before continuing to dive. My big mistake, and one I think a lot of "experienced" (vs the true newbie) divers have made, was thinking I was bullet proof and still a "skilled diver", even after being away from the sport for 7-8 years. Recently I have recertified, taking several PADI courses when my kids were doing their cert work, just to hone old skills, and pick up some new. Am older than you by quite a bit, but the day I think I am too old to learn, or stop trying to learn, is the day they should be burying me! If the doc says your OK to dive you're certainly young enough to re enter the sport! Good luck!
 
I would say that the single newbie mistake is failure to manage their own dive.

I agree with Don here.... and it's just not for diving; it's newbies with anything new.

"Plan the dive and dive the plan" ...else the dive should be over.
 
I think the fact that you are so concerned about an accident means you are more safety minded, and less prone to doing something stupid.
 
Problems I have seen:

Failure to turn on air before jumping in.

Failure to connect LP hose the BC before jumping in.

Failure to recognize equipment is faulty or damaged.

Computer not set correctly, before jumping in.

Tank not strapped tightly enough to BC, before jumping in.

These are really bothersome, as a buddy should catch these things.

Also: Wrong amount of lead put on.

I observe more problems that are caused by a lack of a disciplined pre-dive routine than those that actually start during a dive. You would not think so, but that's the way I've seen it. It is a lack of attention to detail.

My 1977 training (in Baltimore) made a big deal about "buddy-hood". Maybe because beginners often buddy with the same. Training should continue to emphasize that two people should check over everything.
 
It is my understanding that one of the most basic tenets of diving is "Don't do anything that you are not comfortable with." Task loading is where problems develop. Three or four things that you can deal with seperately can mess with you if they all happen at once.

My nephew really wants to learn to dive. He asked me today "Is it scary?" My response is "It depends on what you think is scary." I told im that yesterday my buddy and I were in a crevasse checking it out, when a set of waves came. I grabbed onto a kelp stem (this is a very strong type of kelp that looks like a palm tree) and watched my buddy get sucked about 15 feet away. On the return surge I grabbed his hand and held on through the pull. On the next slack i put his hand into the kelp and he held on for himself When the set was done, we swam back out of the crevasse and continued our dive. Was it scary? not too much. Was it something that could have caused panic? Sure, but I am used to surf and rough water conditions.

There are some very intelligent people who post on this board, with some very good advice. There is a lot to be learned here, and I am thankful that I found this board. -N
 
Appreciate the excellent feedback! I know "a thing or two" will eventually go wrong (Mr.Murphy is alive and well), I just hope I'm trained for it, and don't panic. I'm usually a calm person during emergencies (old ICU nurse) topside, but that's my comfort zone.
Bainbridge Quarry will be the place for our check out dives. How deep is the lagoon? My potential instructor says the visibility is around 45ft. - I bet it's cold in May.
Off to do a Walter search on panic!
Thanks again,
Ben

I hear the viz is pretty good right now, but it's expected to get crappy soon enough...I think that most of the lagoon is around 20-25 feet at the most...but that's not the fun part of the quarry!:D Pop over to the bowl and see the sights!

Last I read minimum temps were about 38...May should be better, according to my log LAST year..appx the END of May, the surface temps were in the mid - high 50's...Viz will be probably crap by then though!

Dangerous newbie mistakes? Not knowing when to call it!! If it doesn't feel right, thumb the dive and live to tell the tale!

Hope to see you diving! Welcome back!
 
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