Just began OW with PADI

[tyesai]

Buoyancy, trim, and proper weighting. Trim has been by far the hardest for me as a new diver to figure out as I can't "see" myself. Up until the last few dives I had my legs ram rod straight. Bending the knee's and cinching up the shoulder straps on the BCD one more time once in the water have helped immensely with trim, which has helped with buoyancy.

I think a little more information on what to expect in the ocean would have been helpful too. I'm a water baby, I've swam in pools, ponds, and small lakes my whole life but never had I been out in the ocean. One thing I've realized is you can't beat her. The more you struggle against the ebb, flow, and current the harder it makes diving. I've noticed that the more experience divers don't fight it and this translates into a gracefulness that us new divers severely lack.

 

[JerseyMike]

When I first started diving, I wish I practiced perfecting my trim and being more streamlined in the water. That's the bottom line! Being neutrally bouyant
is the MOST important skill a dive can have. Unfortunately, my instructor was more interested in selling me gear that I didn't need. I learned from that experience what NOT do do as an instructor from the poor instructor I had. Live and learn!

Hi All,

I'm new to scuba (just started OW) and am also new to the board. I've enjoyed reading everyone's posts to help me know what my wife and I are getting ourselves into.

I have a question for the experienced divers:

What are some skills you wished you would have practiced more in OW? What questions do you wish you would have asked your instructor during OW? What techniques do you wish your OW instructor would have spent more one on one time teaching you? Which skills are essential to beginner's recreational diving that aren't adequately covered in OW?

I thought perhaps if I knew what questions to ask I'd have a better OW experience.

Thanks in advance.

-Mark

 

[ppo2_diver]

I would have liked my OW instructor to spend more time on buoyancy and at least talked about trim. I have been finding that many of my students have simply found that more time in the water to increase their comfort level helps immensely.