Been busy diving

[Josh the diver]

I’m not a spring chicken. MX cave instructor even did days of 2 shorter dives alternated with days of one longer dive. My knees are killing me from the unaccustomed weight. I’d been SM only for two years. The entry point has a nice slope to it, but this is the one we had to use. It’s brutal. Can’t wait to get to home quarry where the entry point will be much easier.

where you diving at the wall? I wish they would put a gear table done at the bottom of the slope so you could drive down unload and drive back up.

 

[Marie13]

where you diving at the wall? I wish they would put a gear table done at the bottom of the slope so you could drive down unload and drive back up.

Bluegill Alley. There are platforms easily accessible from that entry. Whenever I’ve done the wall, we back up down to the rock and just park our cars on the side there. That big rock is a good place to gear up. There’s no way I’m walking up and down that slope multiple times.

 

[Rollin Bonz]

@Marie13

Honestly, just sort of freaked out. I had done a try dive on the rEvo so had a primitive idea of managing the loop. I went from max loop volume to minimum loop volume a few times, rapidly. Both of which made breathing difficult. I really don’t get why, instructor re-explained everything really well prior to the dive. Just had a really bad reaction at first, like I know why I had an hard time breathing, I don’t understand why I acted that way. I was sitting on a rock in crystal clear visibility in all of 10ft of water. Instructor handled it great. Made sure I was safe on my bailout reg, then let me get collected, and let me continue the dive. I knew both those extremes were bad, and after I got my collective poop together, I was able to handle it, but good experience honestly.

I had a similar experience during training. It hadn't clicked yet that bottoming out the counter lung didn't mean I was out of gas like on OC, even though we covered it in depth in class and I had a plan going in. It's completely different "hitting the wall" on the CL in the water. OC "instincts" take over and you think your out of gas. It's a scary sensation. I got rattled and I ended up adding O2 instead of Dil, which spiked my pO2.

I bailed out and that's when the REAL fun began. The first breath off the reg gave me a laryngeal spasm. Airway started closing and I sounded like a goose every time I tried to inhale. I was moving almost no air. I started a controlled but very stressed ascent from about 40 feet. Our instuctor caught me and asked if I was OK. I shook my head and gave him the thumbed dive signal and continued my ascent. I surfaced and continued to honk like a goose on every inhale for about 30 seconds, then it stopped. I had no idea what had happened. After a few minutes of in water chilling, I did a short shake down circuit on OC, then went back on the RB and back to our training.

We discussed and figured it out later. Glad it happened and I safely got the experience. If it happens again, I think I can recognize it and handle it at depth.

 

[Marie13]

I had a similar experience during training. It hadn't clicked yet that bottoming out the counter lung didn't mean I was out of gas like on OC, even though we covered it in depth in class and I had a plan going in. It's completely different "hitting the wall" on the CL in the water. OC "instincts" take over and you think your out of gas. It's a scary sensation. I got rattled and I ended up adding O2 instead of Dil, which spiked my pO2.

I bailed out and that's when the REAL fun began. The first breath off the reg gave me a laryngeal spasm. Airway started closing and I sounded like a goose every time I tried to inhale. I was moving almost no air. I started a controlled but very stressed ascent from about 40 feet. Our instuctor caught me and asked if I was OK. I shook my head and gave him the thumbed dive signal and continued my ascent. I surfaced and continued to honk like a goose on every inhale for about 30 seconds, then it stopped. I had no idea what had happened. After a few minutes of in water chilling, I did a short shake down circuit on OC, then went back on the RB and back to our training.

We discussed and figured it out later. Glad it happened and I safely got the experience. If it happens again, I think I can recognize it and handle it at depth.

Damn! I was happy to bail out yesterday as it meant I could REALLY breathe! I was taking such short breaths that even when we went deeper, I didn’t feel the unit breathing easier at 60ft as I had on Saturday. I was so stressed yesterday for much of the dives and my jacked up breathing didn’t help. Ugh.

Minimal loop volume is a challenge.

 

[J-Vo]

Min loop volume is the least you need to breath comfortably. I think it's unfortunate terminology. Personally I don't want to feel any resistance at the end of my inhale or exhale.

 

[Marie13]

Finally got my vacation time approved to be down in cave country the week before Christmas. I’ll be doing one day of guided dives with Scott Davenport who did my “intro to flow” last December. We’re planning on Little River. And I will wear gloves this time! Will bring the CCR along for some open water springs diving to build hours. I’ll be cave diving OC. Found an Airbnb in the OBrien area for $400 for the week. Separate little cottage like place with kitchen and washer and dryer! Right on the Suwannee.

 

[johndiver999]

Are you sure that little cottage is still there?

 

[Marie13]

Are you sure that little cottage is still there?

Ack! Didn’t even think about that! Just messaged the owner. Thanks for that.

EDIT: still there. No damage, they just got some wind.

 

[johndiver999]

Damn that was close! I thought you MIGHT have to get a speck of saline water on your gear!

 

[Marie13]

Damn that was close! I thought you MIGHT have to get a speck of saline water on your gear!

I got some salt water on it when I was below the halocline in MX, but it got an immediate fresh water rinse.