Anyone for Haigh Quarry on Sunday? 6/20

[Sideband]

My card just arrived and I want to dive. Anyone going to be or want to be at Haigh tomorrow? This will be my first dive after getting my cert. so I will be using air fast and my buoyancy will suck, just so you know what you would be in for. I'd even be glad for another new diver to have as a dive buddy. Anyone? Beuller? Anyone?

Joe

 

[Natasha]

Whewwww slow down and relax my friend. You may not be "using air fast and your bouyancy will suck". Just relax. It's all about having fun.

Both my sons were certified at Haigh Quarry. Wish I could go back this weekend and dive with you.

 

[Sideband]

Whewwww slow down and relax my friend. You may not be "using air fast and your bouyancy will suck". Just relax. It's all about having fun.

Both my sons were certified at Haigh Quarry. Wish I could go back this weekend and dive with you.

Well, I don't want to scare anyone but I didn't want to surprise them with newbyish traits either. On our checkout dives we figured my SAC rate. On the first dive it was 48psi/min. You could almost see the tank flexing in and out with each breath. LOL. I got that down to about 31 over the next 3 dives but it is still high. (Maybe not for someone new but higher than a likely buddies will be.)
Bouyancy? well. I guess I'm not like a rock one minute and a balloon the next or anything like that. I need some dive time to actually play with it. Our checkout dives were so task loaded that stuff like that got lost. I do have about 30+ hours of pool time but that is almost all spent on the surface or kneeling on the bottom.

I wish ya could come back too Oh well. Maybe someone else in the area will bite and if not there is always other weekends.

Joe

 

[hantzu701]

The Aquanauts Dive Club (Hobart,IN) will be at Haigh on Sunday @ 9am. If you still can't find a buddy, you're welcome to dive with us.

This seems to be a consistent theme that I have been seeing in the last few weeks. New divers get their OW cert, but can't seem to find dive buddies. Not sure if it's because the LDS's don't want to get involved or if newbies are afraid to ask.

If you want to dive, you can usually go to a quarry during a weekend and ask divers if you can tag along. If you're not comfortable with that, Tina (@ Haigh Quarry) is usually happy to introduce you to other divers.

Beyond that, there are a number of dive clubs out there that meet and dive regularly.

Usually it's a good idea to tell the other divers that you're a newbie. For example, it doesn't make sense to plan a dive into the deep hole (80ft), when you're still working on neutral buoyancy. In that case, a trip out to the rock crusher (20ft) makes more sense.

Charles

 

[Sideband]

The Aquanauts Dive Club (Hobart,IN) will be at Haigh on Sunday @ 9am. If you still can't find a buddy, you're welcome to dive with us.

This seems to be a consistent theme that I have been seeing in the last few weeks. New divers get their OW cert, but can't seem to find dive buddies. Not sure if it's because the LDS's don't want to get involved or if newbies are afraid to ask.

If you want to dive, you can usually go to a quarry during a weekend and ask divers if you can tag along. If you're not comfortable with that, Tina (@ Haigh Quarry) is usually happy to introduce you to other divers.

Beyond that, there are a number of dive clubs out there that meet and dive regularly.

Usually it's a good idea to tell the other divers that you're a newbie. For example, it doesn't make sense to plan a dive into the deep hole (80ft), when you're still working on neutral buoyancy. In that case, a trip out to the rock crusher (20ft) makes more sense.

Charles

Thanks. I may very well take you up on that.
My LDS does do weekly dives but they are on Thursday nights and 90% of them are deep or tech. dives. When I'm in there and bring it up they almost always say, "We go out every Thurs.."
me:"Where you going this week?"
them: "Ah, this week it's the Ironsides"
me:"Isn't that in about 100 fet of water?"
them:"well, yeah. We won't let you get into trouble."
me:"I'll pass. Thanks"

As this is non training dive #1 I'd be happy with the crusher or maybe down to the Flamingo (boat) again. The Flamingo is a bit deeper though, as I'm sure you know. I had a lot more fun in the shallower water during the checkout dives and I'm convinced it was because of the temp. It was only in the 40's at 45'. As a newbie I do feel a bit wierd asking a regular diver to dive shallow and short. It feels like asking Shaq if he'd like to play a game of HORSE.
Everyone that I got certified with was doing it for a vacation trip. The instructors all gave a kind of surprised look when they asked where I was going afterwards and I said nowhere. I just want to learn to dive.

I am looking at a club now that I have my card and they seem very promising. I'll probably end up diving with the ladies (nothing wrong with that) as the men all seem to be dry suit tech types. As long as I get to get wet I'll be happy.

Joe

 

[MikeFerrara]

It's a little late now but I was there yesterday and you could have dived with us. One of the divers with us did her second dive since certification yesterday and I spent a lot of time doing drills in the shallows with a frined who hasn't been able to dive much for the past year. Other than that we just did a lot of fish watching after the OW crowds cleared out.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

Doh! I always get stuck with menial chores on good dive weekends!

Hantzu - Got your VM and wish I was there this morning.

MikeF - I'm disappointed you diving Kankakee with so little publicity, would have loved the chance to finally meet you in person.

Sideband - Keep us posted bro, I got a brother-n-law not much more advanced then you and we fin our way around the quarry often. You're welcome to tag along in the future, but I'm locked in the house this weekend. There's several active "local" divers around Haigh, I've met some good buddies off of this board. Welcome to the club.

Chris

 

[MikeFerrara]

MikeF - I'm disappointed you diving Kankakee with so little publicity, would have loved the chance to finally meet you in person.


Chris

LOL, sorry. I didn't think any one would really be all that interested. Besides plans didn't firm up until Friday afternoon.

If things go right I'll be at Gilboa next Sat. My wife will be diving with the same new diver and I'll be doing some recreational trimix dives with the same friend.

As always I'd be happy to meet, talk and time permitting, dive with any one from the board that I run into.

We're also looking at the possibility of doing a night dive the following Wednesday at France Park with that same new diver.

 

[Sideband]

I got to the quarry at about 10 and when I checked in I asked if they knew where your club was. "Out in the grass." I asked about 2 dozen people if they happened to know of you or your whereabouts and got shot down every time. On the bright side, my LDS was out there doing checkout dives and one of the instructors was having a guy re-do an AOW dive and there was also a guy that was going to be trying out a new dry suit. He suggested I dive with them. Of course the dry suit guy wanted to go deep (read, cold) to test the thermal properties. I let them know that Iwas just OW and this was my first real dive. That changed the plan from the "hole" (~75') to the wall which bottoms at about 55'. It was deeper than I'd gone before but it was no big deal. I didn't get much ofa chance to play with buoyancy on this dive because the AOW guy that was leading it was in a hurry for some reason. He swam at about 75% speed the whole dive. The only time he stopped was when I signaled turn. I was at my turn point of air and it turns ou the was too. Our dry suit buddy used to dive professionally and was still doing good on air. We turn and swim back as fast as we got there, our leader always being about 10' ahead of us and me and dry suit staying pretty much side by side.
Max depth: 53'
Dive time: 18 minutes
air used: 1800psi (steel 80)

Dry suit and I decided to make a second dive and this time we were joined by this girl that is half fish. I've spent a lot of time with her in the pool but this was my first real dive with her. This dive was a lot of fun. We all decided to go to the boat and then if we had the air go over to the amphibious vehicle which are both in about 45-50 feet of water. This dive was my longest yet at 28 minutes and I had a lot of time to play with buoyancy control. When we got down to the boat I played with depth using just my breathing. Not perfect but I could really feel when I had it right. I noticed that it seems to be something you have to play at because when I went down 5 or 10 feet I was suddenly not neutral (duh). It's harder to dump just a little air from the BCD that it is to add a small bit. Every time I'd come up a ways and have to dump I'd end up adding some afterwards because I dumped too much. Anyway, we played with the roller blades, talked on the phone and I jammed out on the guitar for a bit then we decided to try the duck. I had seen the azimuth sheet earlier and had shot it but Kelly was leading so she did her own setting and took off. The direction we were going was different from what I had shot but I figured I had messed up and followed along. What the heck. Even if she is off it's no big deal. It turns out that I was right and she was going too far north so we never got there. We all huddled after a bit when we all knew it was missed and decided to head for the road and play in the deeper water just to the south of it.
Max depth: 48'
Dive time: 28 minutes
air used: 1900psi (steel 80)
The three of us went out for steaks afterwards and all exchanged numbers and Email addys. We will probably end up out there again in 2 weeks to do it again. Probably get there earlier and get more than 2 dives in next time.

I'm sorry I missed you Charles, but at least it wasn't a washout.

Joe

 

[hantzu701]

The Aquanauts Dive Club had seven divers show up. We were in the water by 9:30am. Three of us had to leave at 2:30pm for Father's Day stuff.

1st dive: Max depth was 50ft. Average depth was 25ft. Dive time: 71 minutes. We hit the USS Flamingo, ATV, Marine Truck, Golf Ball Pile and Rock Crusher.

2nd dive: Jack showed up, so we decided to hit the tricycle pile. Max depth was 45. Average depth was 25ft. Dive time: 62 minutes.

MikeF - I also would have loved the chance to meet up again.

Joe - I'd also like to re-extend an invite to go diving.