Being THAT person

[Web Monkey]

I needed a ton of weight, and that made me unstable.

Being over-weighted makes buoyancy control more difficult. You can fix most of this yourself by doing the buoyancy check as documented in your OW book.

I panicked and headed to the surface just before the end of the tests. And, I was so much trouble that my buddy abandoned me because I was holding him back.

Your buddy should never abandon you especially if you're having problems. If this person could be your regular buddy, you two need to have a talk.

What advice can you give me so that I don't do too much too fast and make horrible errors?

Go diving with someone who is known to be well trained and safe, observe and ask questions. This doesn't necessarily need to be an instructor, but could be. If you ask at the shop where you were trained, I'm sure they can find someone who would be happy to dive with you. Don't worry about "holding anybody back." Everybody was new once and anybody worth learning from would be more than happy to dive with you.

Though I put the belt tighter than my jeans, the weights slide around me to make me list from one side to the other.

Your instructor should have shown you how to put the weights on the belt so they'll stay in place (you can use weight belt clips or put a 1/2 twist in the belt between where it goes into the weight and comes out). SCUBA is mostly finesse. If you're working at anything very hard or need to wrench something down really tight (with the exception of your tank strap), there's probably a better way to do it.

If you're "round in the middle", no amount of cinching will keep a heavy weight belt in place. I'd suggest something like a DUI Weight and Trim harness. It won't fall off even if not tightened.

With a 7mm suit and gloves and hood, I have trouble seating my mask. If the hood isn't so tight it cuts off circulation, it collects exhausted air and inflates.

If you breathe out through your mouth instead of your nose, this should stop. Also, the hood should have a small hole in the top to let the air out if it does collect there.

Terry

 

[senseiern]

Thanks guys. About the BCD. It was COMPLETELY deflated. Everyone else sank well. I went down about 6 inches then hovered. I even went head first and bobbed back up after getting down to ten feet. I am sure a lot was anxiety causing me to hold air.

The anxiety was increased by being late, feeling bad, and rushing to get my gear on. I did not think about the compression making my waist smaller, making the belt loose. one DI suggested I get a weight harness. THe dive shop was not familiar with them.

The same DI was really patient with me. He was about my size, so he understood many of my issues.

The reason I posted it in the whiner area is because I felt like I was whining about my own self.

 

[adurso]

You might want to try some pool work with a mentor prior to going back to the quarry. Work on mask removal to get over the water in the nose upset feeling. Get your weighting right in the pool and work on your bouyancy there.....

....and relax....

 

[senseiern]

I work a lot with mask removal at the pool on my own. Without dive gear, but with fins and snorkel. Without the hood, and gloves, I can do it easily. The hood kept getting under the mask when putting it back on under water, and the gloves made it hard to tell that the mask skirt was folded over, not making a tight seal on my face.

Although during the test, I got the mask on, I lost my snorkel, which someone found and gave back to me on shore.

 

[k ellis]

I agree your buddy should not abandon you. As you will come to find more experienced divers enjoy above all else the bottom time of a good peaceful relaxing dive. Most will do almost anything to get in some water with the good old gear on.

Take me for example. I have a local dive spot I hit more often then any other spot and for the most part I can put a blacked out mask on and still navigate it Im there so regular (Figure of speech). I jump at the chance to go with a new diver even if its only open water dive 5 just out of cert as it is relaxing to just hover and be there as his back up and just allow him what we all at one time needed most and thats someone patient enough to let us gain our experience.

Diving with new divers has quickly grown to my favorite dives in the local lake as most are eager to learn and you dont have to listen to those stories about how jack custeau learned from them and they are what made him a good diver.

The above advice is all great advice and just be patient. Each and every diver that is on this board and in life in general once had their fair share of uncontrolled ascents and out of control plunges. This is the reason that open water is suggested a 60 foot maximum depth.

We each were the laughing stock of many ungrateful veterans who sit on the shore or boat and poked fun at our expense but with time patience and alot of practice many of us have become choice buddies for newbies wanting to learn.

Hang in there and just be patient and your time will come when youll be on here giving advice

 

[Bob DBF]

Though I put the belt tighter than my jeans, the weights slide around me to make me list from one side to the other.

If you use the Bullett type weights or the XSScuba pocket system, both of which which will shift, pick up some belt keepers and use them to keep the weight where you want them. I've always used weightbelts (7mil Farmer John for freediving and SCUBA) and have used numorous ways to keep weights in place includeing screwing the weight to the belt. Nothing worse than having to swim on your side to the beach to fix the weightbelt, but you know that.

Obviously you are going to dive so have fun and remember Bill Murry with baby steps from "What About Bob", you will get there.


Bob
------------------------------
No, not that Bob.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

If you would be willing to make the drive to Washinton Pa some evening or weekend when I am not diving or teaching I would be happy to meet with you at the shop where I do my pool sessions. There is another instructor there who also uses a DUI weight harness that is usually at the pool hanging up. If it is not I'm sure I could get him to leave it there for an evening. And if not we have several BIG bc's. I would be happy to go over some basic weighting and trim with you. Would probably be looking at about 3 hours in the pool and then I will be hitting Mt Storm a few times in the next couple months.

Any time I'm there I'd let you know and we could get in a dive or two somehow. The cost to you would be 30 bucks for the pool session plus your time and effort. The dives at Storm would be gratis as long as you have your own gear. I hate to see divers that did not get out of their OW classes what they should have. I cannot though bring myself to penalize them for that. After that it would be up to you to decide what direction you wanted to go. If you want to do some formal classes fine. If not that's ok as well. All I ask is that if not, you take what you learn initially and practice every chance you get. And let me know from time to time how it is going for you.

And I am totally serious about this. See my website for contact info. Oh and one other thing that $30 bucks. Would come off the cost of any future course.

 

[Sas]

Remember when you took your open water test and there was the one, usually an overweight old woman, who you thought, "They have no sense being in the water, much less in scuba gear,"?

Haha yep that was me (though I am not old or overweight, just I struggled big time in my OW and was the least competent) Don't let this put you off though as things will get a lot better. I got certified a about two years ago, nearly quit during my course (still pretty sure I should have failed), and now have done lots of dives and am much more comfortable! I mean I still take longer than most to learn skills but practice has definitely made up for my lack of natural diving ability.

Also read this for encouragement: Diving journal It is TSandM (a poster here)'s OW diary, she struggled a lot too and is now highly accomplished diver and one of the most respected posters here. I found that encouraging when I was new and struggling as well.

I showed up late (because the quarry is out in the boondocks where one wrong turn and you got some hillbilly moonshiner commenting how you have pretty teeth, and I got lost). I needed a ton of weight, and that made me unstable. I panicked and headed to the surface just before the end of the tests. And, I was so much trouble that my buddy abandoned me because I was holding him back.

You are probably overweighted, most new divers are. I had trouble sinking in my OW so got the weight piled on by my instructor. I was wearing 32lb with a 7mm wetsuit. Now I wear 18lb with the same exposure suit + tank and it is much easier. Overweighting actually makes it more likely for you to float up to the surface. I suggest doing a weight check which involves emptying your tank to about 35bar/500psi and adding weight so when you breath out your eyes drop below the surface and when you breath in your eyes are above the water. A lot of new divers unconsciously fin as they descend so that pushes them up, as well as hold their breaths which further makes it harder to sink. I used to cross my legs and breathe out to make sure I didn't do these things and descending was a lot easier. Now it is an automatic habit.

Also your buddy should never have abandoned you during diving at all, no matter how much you were holding him back. To be honest, it does sunk sometimes to be diving with someone who is struggling (though usually only when they haven't given you a warning) but you stick with them! Don't let him put you off, many people are happy to dive with new divers and help them get comfortable. Joining a club or posting in your area's regional forum here to look for buddies is a good idea. Or you can do some more dives with your instructor (or another one), maybe ask to see if this is possible.

What advice can you give me so that I don't do too much too fast and make horrible errors?

Stick to easy dives for the meantime. Shallow ones with no currents and surge and things like that. Just get comfortable with all the gear, get your buoyancy sorted and then slowly push your comfort level. Dive with more experienced people and watch and learn too.

Though I put the belt tighter than my jeans, the weights slide around me to make me list from one side to the other.

Keep adjusting it as you descend as your suit will compress and your belt will get looser. You can also try integrated weights too, rather than a belt.

With a 7mm suit and gloves and hood, I have trouble seating my mask. If the hood isn't so tight it cuts off circulation, it collects exhausted air and inflates.

Poke some holes in the hood with a hot skewer and it will let the air out.

In the tests, getting water in my nose makes me feel like I am drowning, and I do not want to be a hassle to whomever I dive with.

Yea I had this problem too. I practiced by snorkelling in a sink with cold water with my mask off. It sounds stupid and looks even more so, but it taught me not to worry about water in my nose.

Anyway good luck and don't feel bad as many new divers have had the same issues as you!

 

[senseiern]

I can't fault my buddy too much. He was taking his dive tests too. He did not abandon me often, but when we were switching between snorkel and reg on the surface, on the way the the bouy, he took off without looking to see if I was ready. The DM noted it and stressed it while at the surface.

One thing I forgot to mention was when we werewalking out of the water, I fell over and could not get up...the weight and limited mobility of the suit along with being exhausted from fighting to stay under water all contributed to that.

During the weight belt removal and putting back on under water, the DM mentioned that if you drop it, you have to buy him a beer per pound. I joked that I better buy a brewery.

I also forgot to mention that the difference between the woman I mentioned and myself is that I am a guy.

 

[spectrum]

senseiern

You have been given a lot of great advice. See if you can find favor with a mentor that will pick up where you OW class left off. There are some gaps to close before bothering with any advanced classes. It does sound like you are suffering unstable buoyancy as over weighting will cause. With a little work you can probably leave some of that lead in the car. There are techniques to getting sown to begin your dive. There will be a point where you do need what you do need. In the end you are better off to be 4 pounds heavy than 2 pounds light.

Nobody's going to tell you that it's good to be personally overweight but it it's not going to stop you from being a good diver. You do need to be fit enough to handle the work of diving as well as dealing with adverse conditions.

If you lack defined hips to perch a weight belt on the the way to go is a harness such as a DUI Weight 7 Trim.

Keep diving frequently and respect you limits. Lots of longer shallow dives will do more for you than doing down for short deeper dives.

Your dive buddy has some development of his own to deal with. What can I say.

Ideally your pool work would have been done in hood & gloves to prepare you for reality. For me the trick is to grab the hood and pull it away from the mask once the mask is in place. The hood will usually rebound and land over the mask skirt. Your face seal, if you have one does want to be trimmed for only a small overlap with the mask skirt.

Doing certification dives in a mid Atlantic quarry in May is no minor league task. You dove in conditions many will never face so be proud that you worked trough this. What is important is that you have your eyes open and are seeking information. This requires some seat time to learn what you don't know you don't know and to find solutions to your personal challenges. Keep diving with a spirit of continuous improvement and thinking things trough and you will get it together.

Good luck,
Pete