AOW - first deep dive.

[TjRjn]

I'm due to start my AOW tomorrow and have reservations regarding the mandatory 30 metre dive.
I want to do it but as a Nervous Nelly to begin with I am interested in hearing how other women felt, coped, enjoyed etc... their first deep dive.
Thanks in advance.:diver:

P.s encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TSandM]

My first deep dive was the first dive of AOW. We swam down to 90 feet or so, and sat on the bottom and did math problems and looked at colors. It was dark, but otherwise, it felt just like the other dives I had done.

Watch your depth gauge, your NDL time and your gas, and you'll do just fine.

 

[CathyE]

Hi,
I don't really notice much difference between 25 and 30 metres. Except for my SPG moving towards 0 even faster.

My deep dives have been on Cozumel and Roatan, visually it is darker and the fish/coral are usually different, but as long as I keep equalizing as I go I can really only tell by checking my depth gauge/computer. One thing, before I got a BCD that was weight integrated I used to have to keep tightening my weight belt as we went deeper.

I remember being a little hesitant for the first one, but once I reached 30 metres it was fine, wrote my name etc. and then we ascended to a shallower depth to extend our bottom time.

I only prefer shallower dives because, for me, they last longer, they don't really feel different to me.

 

[DukeAMO]

I was nervous before my AOW deep dive too. So nervous, I asked the instructor if we could go first to get it over with. He was fine with that. Our deep dive was c-c-cold (52 degrees F), and it was kind of dark down there in the quarry pit, but other than that, it was fine.

We did similar things to TSandM - identified colors, wrote down our PSI a few times with the time, recorded our depth, and then headed right back up because we were shivering by then. The total dive time was only 17 minutes. I got my first experience with narcosis too; it tends to make me forgetful.

Once we finished our safety stop and surfaced, I felt great! It's always nice to take something that makes you nervous and get it done. Then we did a shallow dive to swim back to shore and use up the air in our tanks, which was nice and relaxing.

Just a couple of weeks after that we went diving even deeper in Cozumel, and honestly I couldn't tell how deep we were without looking at the depth gauges. It's only intimidating the first time.

You'll do fine, and I bet you'll be really happy with yourself afterward too!

 

[TjRjn]

Thanks for the confidence boost and info guys. I did my naturalist & buoyancy today.
Not doing the rest until at least Saturday.
Unlike DukeAMO I've asked to do my deep dive last as I want to get some dives in close before hand to rid myself of my nervousness & lack off confidence which I tend to suffer from. :confused4:

 

[DiverBeth]

Just remember to breathe, try to relax and keep an eye on your SPG. I must confess that when I did my deep dive for AOW I almost went into a panic...as I started to do my math problems my pencil broke and I didn't know what to do. I found the pencil could still write and I finished my problems only .10 seconds slower than on land. Personally, I see nothing wrong with getting in some dives first as confidence builders, everybody reaches their comfort zone at a different rate.

 

[knotical]

Another approach is to not do the deep dive yet, but gradually build up to it. Let’s say your deepest dive so far has been to 15 meters. Do a dive to 18 meters. Later, do one to 20 meters, etc.

Are you sure it is mandatory to go as deep as 30 meters? Not all agencies require the AOW deep dive to be quite that deep.

You might want to talk with your instructor more, expressing your concerns and preferences.

 

[TjRjn]

Another approach is to not do the deep dive yet, but gradually build up to it. Let’s say your deepest dive so far has been to 15 meters. Do a dive to 18 meters. Later, do one to 20 meters, etc.

Are you sure it is mandatory to go as deep as 30 meters? Not all agencies require the AOW deep dive to be quite that deep.

You might want to talk with your instructor more, expressing your concerns and preferences.

Yes, unfortunately both the deep dive and buoyancy are both mandatory to gain my open Advanced water cert. (I got to choose the other 3 specialties myself)
I've dived to 20 metres before with no problems. I didn't even realise I was that far down until I checked my computer. Yesterday I dove to 18 during my naturalist course with no issues.
My instructors know me well and know I'm a nervous person - I usually do one stupid thing a dive ie. descending without my regulator in my mouth or putting my wetsuit on backwards. I think it's due to nerves and not (until recently) diving regularly. I am getting better as I'm doing a dive approx once per week now I live literally next to the water and the boat is moored at my front door.

 

[paolov]

To give you confidence,

PREPARATION.

review the procedures.
check your gear
discuss with Buddy(instructor)
PRACTICE , if you can do several fun dives to 80ft.
then on the wonderful day ENJOY and DIVE YOUR PLAN !

just pls dont go off when you see magnificent sights under !

 

[DukeAMO]

So, how did it go?