Pool practice ahead of my first ever PADI Open Water dive?

[euroguycc]

Hello,

I am in the process of getting my PADI Open Water Diving Certification in SoCal. I had the first pool session on 7/18, but nothing since then.

I am scheduled to have my first open water dive off a boat this coming Sunday 8/9.

As of today I have all the gear for this coming open water dive (wetsuit / bcd / tank / regulator / weights / gloves / fins / mask / snorkel / boots).

I will have access to a pool by the end of the week, and was planning to use that opportunity to refresh my memory / re-practice mask clearing / proper trim etc under water, but found out that since I'm yet to be certified, I can't use the tank under water unsupervised...

So - without using the tank - how would you suggest I use that private pool time to best get back up to speed?

Alternatively, any suggestions re: "extending" my snorkel so I could still breathe while remaining underwater for a while?

 

[lowwall]

You can do mask clearing on a regular snorkel and practice finning. That's about all the pool will be good for if you can't take in regs and tank.

However since you have all the gear, you can practice setting it up and getting kitted up on dry land a few times. From what I've heard, most dive professionals form their initial impression of a diver long before they hit the water.

 

[Scott]

You had one pool session?!!
If you feel you need more practice before doing your open water dives, I would talk with the store or instructor. You may not be ready.
That must have been one long day to cover all the skills that need to be taught.
How many were in the class?

 

[MichaelMc]

This sounds too fast, particularly if you do not feel comfortable. I think you should skip the OW boat dive; have a cold if needed. Then do some more pool time with an instructor.

Does some place local offer try dives in the pool? That is one way to get more practice and instruction. Thought tell them you want to spend the time going over things.

Welcome to the board, scuba is lots of fun, but a comfortable start is best.

(ETA: The 2017 Padi manual requires CW1-3 for OW1 and OW2, not all 5 CW. What is a good idea depends on factors like the water, student and boat. By session, OP may mean day at the pool.)

 

[Dominik_E]

"Extending" the snorkel is actually not a good idea, as you will have to work really hard to make sufficient air exchange happen against the water pressure. You can at the very least practice breathing mask-less with just your face in the water through the snorkel.

 

[lowwall]

You had one pool session?!!

I missed that part.

As Scott said, talk to your shop or instructor. If you have to, pay for a couple of hours of instructor time. Tell him or her you want to spend some time getting comfortable moving around underwater and then you want to practice some skills while hovering. Mask clear, mask remove and replace, reg recovery, and switching to octo and back are the basics.

 

[Neilwood]

Hello,

I am in the process of getting my PADI Open Water Diving Certification in SoCal. I had the first pool session on 7/18, but nothing since then.

I am scheduled to have my first open water dive off a boat this coming Sunday 8/9.

As of today I have all the gear for this coming open water dive (wetsuit / bcd / tank / regulator / weights / gloves / fins / mask / snorkel / boots).

I will have access to a pool by the end of the week, and was planning to use that opportunity to refresh my memory / re-practice mask clearing / proper trim etc under water, but found out that since I'm yet to be certified, I can't use the tank under water unsupervised...

So - without using the tank - how would you suggest I use that private pool time to best get back up to speed?

Alternatively, any suggestions re: "extending" my snorkel so I could still breathe while remaining underwater for a while?

This post scares me as there appear to be a number of issues with it.
You say you had your first pool session on 7/18 - was that only one day or one session(split over a weekend)? I ask because to pass the confined water section you should have done 5 dives in confined water showing various skills in each which I think would be hard to achieve in one day.

With 3 weeks between conclusion of pool work and your OW dives, you might need some time refreshing skills.

Practising skills in a pool without someone to assist before you are qualified is not a great idea. Even if the pool has lifeguards, are they trained in how to assist divers (where to hold your equipment if you are in distress, how to remove you from the pool in full kit or how to de-kit you)? Handling a swimmer in distress and a fully kitted diver are hugely different things.

As others have said, speak to your instructor and get some more appropriately supervised pool time.

 

[TMHeimer]

Yeah, I don't understand the "1 pool session". Like, 1 day? How many hours? All (24?) skills covered? Need more info.
You can't really extend a snorkel very deep due to pressure (that's why they're the length they are). What would you practice for scuba with a 3 foot snorkel anyway?
The pool is good for training for the swim and float test, but I assume you already did that?
Odd thing was that before I took OW I tried practicing mask clearing at our shore. Couldn't really get the right angle-- I guess you have to get your body at least deep enough (1-2 feet underwater with your head?) to make that work. But, also, you have no continuous air supply from the tank to exhale through your nose to clear it, then be able to inhale through the regulator. Not important, just thought it was a bit humorous.

 

[boulderjohn]

Alternatively, any suggestions re: "extending" my snorkel so I could still breathe while remaining underwater for a while?

Dominek_E suggested that extending the snorkel is not a good idea; in fact, it is a very bad idea. There is a reason that snorkel tubes are the length (and width) they are and not longer (and wider). Not only will it get harder to inhale if you go deeper with a longer snorkel, what you are inhaling will be largely your own exhaled CO2 that did not get eliminated after your last breath.

If you were to lie on the bottom of the pool in 3 feet of water and try to inhale through a tube, you could not do it. Your scuba regulator adjusts the pressure of the air coming out of the cylinder to a pressure a little higher than the pressure of the surrounding water; that is why you can breathe from it.

 

[dmaziuk]

If you were to lie on the bottom of the pool in 3 feet of water and try to inhale through a tube, you could not do it.

Most likely. IIRC people can do it up to ~4 feet but that takes training.

To the OP: I think most people's problem is when they inhale without the mask underwater, during mask clearing exercise, they get water up the nose. It stings, esp. chlorinated pool water does. So my advise is breathe through the snorkel w/o the mask and see if you can keep the water out of your nose.

Also, as a point of reference, our University pool would not let you in solo even if you were certified. They require a 2nd diver in the water.