Hello from Tulsa, Oklahoma!

[Diverlady13]

Hello everyone! I'm Michelle and I'm currently living in Tulsa. I (along with my husband) did my OW and AOW certifications about 18 months ago in Kauai. I'm totally hooked! Looking forward to learning a lot from this board and improving my skills. My husband and I retired in October and are hoping things will open up so that we can do a lot more diving around the world. We're off to Akumal, Mexico on Friday. Right now our biggest focus is improving our skills and having a great time underwater!

I'm really working on buoyancy right now. I was doing great, but then we bought our own gear and I lost 45 pounds, so I have to figure out proper weighting and trim all over again! I'm always open for tips and suggestions on all aspects of diving.

 

[ScubaJCBS]

Hello, Buoyancy is one of those things that comes with time and comfort underwater, but everything from tank placement to how far away your fins are from your trunk play into the puzzle. I am using buoyancy and trim together in what I'm saying before I get the hammer smacked on me.

 

[Streydog]

Use your safety stops to dial in weighting. Make sure all the air is out of your BC and see what happens when you just hang. If you talk to your dive guide prior to the dive, they might let you hand off weights to help you get the right weighting.

 

[MichaelMc]

Welcome! Controlling your orientation in the water is easier if you have a weight distribution that makes you not head heavy or fin heavy but rather balanced. Otherwise, you will struggle, and gravity will likely tip you to be fins down every time you stop. Moving the tank can help, but it is more complex as it is moving both your center of buoyancy, because of the large volume of the tank, and moving your center of mass, because of the weight of the tank.

Simpler is moving weights, as their volume is small so they do not move your center of buoyancy much. What that means is often putting some weights on higher up tank bands, adding ankle weights to the tank neck, or to trim pockets that are actually significantly higher than your hip pockets instead of being mearly on your back. Alternatively, if your BC allows it by having slim shoulder straps, you can add weights to pockets on the rear shoulders.

Two recent threads you might peruse are:
Buoyancy question how do you maintain a sitting hover?
THE "PERFECT ( being horizontal ) TRIM" HOAX
(having a balanced weight distribution so you can easily hold any orientation did not seem a 'hoax' to many)

I'm not saying they are the best threads, but they are recent ones that touch on this. They may give you some help. Congratulations on the weight loss.

 

[JBreezy]

Hi from Fort Smith! Do you do any local diving? We're at Tenkiller most weekends during the typical dive season - hoping to expand that with drysuit soon.

I hope your trip goes well! I hope to be able to travel again soon!

 

[Open Ocean Diver]

Hello everyone! I'm Michelle and I'm currently living in Tulsa. I (along with my husband) did my OW and AOW certifications about 18 months ago in Kauai. I'm totally hooked! Looking forward to learning a lot from this board and improving my skills. My husband and I retired in October and are hoping things will open up so that we can do a lot more diving around the world. We're off to Akumal, Mexico on Friday. Right now our biggest focus is improving our skills and having a great time underwater!

I'm really working on buoyancy right now. I was doing great, but then we bought our own gear and I lost 45 pounds, so I have to figure out proper weighting and trim all over again! I'm always open for tips and suggestions on all aspects of diving.

Check this thread out it may help.

Optimal Buoyancy Computer

 

[PACKRMAN]

Hi Michelle, the Tulsa area has a lot of great divers. I am in Owasso. I help out with Okiescuba. I know we would love to have you guys join us whether its in the pool, at the lake or on a trip. We are more than happy to help out configuring new gear or to just BS about diving. Don't hesitate to reach out if you would like.

Fred

 

[soonerwink]

Welcome Diverlady13 checkout the Oklahoma Aquanauts dive club if you haven't already. We have over 1700 members and have someone diving every week or weekend year around. We have several experienced divers that are willing to help anyone out. Oklahoma Aquanauts

 

[Diverlady13]

Hi from Fort Smith! Do you do any local diving? We're at Tenkiller most weekends during the typical dive season - hoping to expand that with drysuit soon.

I hope your trip goes well! I hope to be able to travel again soon!

Thanks for the welcome! We haven't yet done any local diving, but I'd like to. I am acquainted with a couple who live in Tulsa, but that teach out at Tenkiller. What's the clarity like? I heard that Beaver Lake in Arkansas is also good. My son is at UARK, so only about an hour from there.

 

[Curious_George]

Welcome to scuba board. 10killer is often very low vis, 2-3 feet I’m told, although quite a bit warmer than Beaver. Beaver current conditions near the dam are about 43f from the surface to 100’ and vis from 10 to 30+ feet depending on depth and location. Summer temps will get as high as 80f on the surface and about 50f at 100’ with a good thermoclines.