Completed OW where next...
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OP
Yes, I realized that as soon as I've posted but somehow didn't bother to correct. Consumption is the same.
Coldwater_Canuck
Contributor
That's a good point. After reading stuff on here, I absolutely can't believe PADI doesn't include rock bottom gas calculations. Of course the book says to "watch your air" 100 times, but mentions nothing about what points you need to ascend and that. While a little common sense can give reasonable estimates, giving some hard number estimates would be incredibly useful.
I agree, given the thumbs up to 100 feet dives this early is a problem. Doing a dive to 100 feet with an instructor on your possibly 5th open water (hopefully 7th or 8th since most will do it second day) dive with an instructor is bad enough, but being "qualified" to do it on your own on as early as the 10th dive is problematic.
I have 26 dives under my belt, not a ton, but a fair bit more than I would had I just completed OW followed directly by AOW and I don't feel ready to go to 100 feet on my own. It's not that I don't know the skills or need to take another course, but I'd just rather practice more overall and improve general skills before going that deep. My deepest without an instructor is 81, which is about the most I feel safe with right now.
Another problem, knowing you're from Puget Sound, may be that certainly PADI, I assume other agencies, seem to be very wam-water centered. All the pictures and a lot of the information is geared to warm water areas I find. And 100 feet in warm water and Puget Sound are two different animals.
OP
Dive #10 at the local quarry:
Didn't go too deep (quick dip to 37ft and total time 34m) and did a 3 minute safety stop. Practiced deploying SMB with a reel. Interesting practice
My 7mm is getting replaced so I got me 3-2mm and gave it a try. It is pretty chilly at 59F with it I can tell you that. On the other hand, I got down to 12lbs in weight and I suspect I can take additional 2 (at least) down soon. Having said that, there was an instructor there and some other people and said not to worry about weights as I can always add more air in my BC. Hmm... I had more problem when I was fairly over-weighted then when I am just slightly (I still think I am slightly over-weighted but I need more practice to reduce few more lbs.) over. I would have probably remove additional 2lbs but it would require me to do some changes in weights and wasn't so easy to do this time. Must say that replacing weight belt with integrated makes me more stable in the water either way.
Dive #11 a couple of hours later:
Did a dive with couple of divers (group of 3 total) instead of a single buddy as before. They have a lot more experience then I do, at least one of them and they were doing some underwater navigation and I was just following. However due to some poor visibility and lead diver (one with most experience) pulled away and two of us were stuck behind and did a quick search for about a minute. Then did a safety stop at 15ft and looked while at the safety stop then surfaced. He surfaced shortly after about 40ft away. Did regroup and continued dive for a total of 45min (my consumption is getting bit better!) and max depth was 34ft. (Did another safety stop before ending the dive.)
Got a bit of a scare last night however. My right hip is hurting a bit. I did check the dive profiles on the computer and tables and I didn't come to any extreme conditions and my nitrogen load should be fairly small. (my group was K on the table). When I rested a bit it went away and then this morning it flared up again. I called DAN (after all what is a membership for
and talked to a person and told him about my dives in past few days and he said that these are very conservative dives (and they were) and most likely it is a pulled muscle. Which would explain the difference in different positions/situations. However I am seeing a doctor later today to have another check just in case. I would rather be safe then sorry
Didn't go too deep (quick dip to 37ft and total time 34m) and did a 3 minute safety stop. Practiced deploying SMB with a reel. Interesting practice
My 7mm is getting replaced so I got me 3-2mm and gave it a try. It is pretty chilly at 59F with it I can tell you that. On the other hand, I got down to 12lbs in weight and I suspect I can take additional 2 (at least) down soon. Having said that, there was an instructor there and some other people and said not to worry about weights as I can always add more air in my BC. Hmm... I had more problem when I was fairly over-weighted then when I am just slightly (I still think I am slightly over-weighted but I need more practice to reduce few more lbs.) over. I would have probably remove additional 2lbs but it would require me to do some changes in weights and wasn't so easy to do this time. Must say that replacing weight belt with integrated makes me more stable in the water either way.Dive #11 a couple of hours later:
Did a dive with couple of divers (group of 3 total) instead of a single buddy as before. They have a lot more experience then I do, at least one of them and they were doing some underwater navigation and I was just following. However due to some poor visibility and lead diver (one with most experience) pulled away and two of us were stuck behind and did a quick search for about a minute. Then did a safety stop at 15ft and looked while at the safety stop then surfaced. He surfaced shortly after about 40ft away. Did regroup and continued dive for a total of 45min (my consumption is getting bit better!) and max depth was 34ft. (Did another safety stop before ending the dive.)
Got a bit of a scare last night however. My right hip is hurting a bit. I did check the dive profiles on the computer and tables and I didn't come to any extreme conditions and my nitrogen load should be fairly small. (my group was K on the table). When I rested a bit it went away and then this morning it flared up again. I called DAN (after all what is a membership for
and talked to a person and told him about my dives in past few days and he said that these are very conservative dives (and they were) and most likely it is a pulled muscle. Which would explain the difference in different positions/situations. However I am seeing a doctor later today to have another check just in case. I would rather be safe then sorry 
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My turn to chime in as an instructor (PADI and SDI). First specialty to obtain would be Nitrox (EANx) since that will give you the option to extend bottom times and reduce surface intervals. But of course air (gas) consumption does not change.
Once you are doing some regular diving at depth (say averages of 60 feet) you can start calculating SAC (surface air consumption) to see how long you can do that 60 foot dive based on air (gas) use with an eye on NDL and Oxygen partial pressures (if on EANx).
A go at AOW immediately following OW is not a bad idea since you have a chance to work with an instructor on more specific skills necessary to safe and enjoyable diving. My only problem with the PADI system for AOW is that some folks will think they are advanced divers with only 9 dives under their weight belt. I would consider someone to be truly advanced once thay have maybe 50 dives under various conditions and in various locations - regardless of their c-card status. However I have seen folks with far more than 50 dives that are less skilled than some of my new OW students. It is a very individual thing.
Anyway, as part of AOW the deep and nav dives are required. I like to make buoyancy one of the other three then pick from the list and the dive sites used for the other two. Usually it is naturalist and wreck but night can be a real good option.
I also suggest that once you get AOW you get a bit of experience then get Rescue Diver under your weight belt as well. That will make you a safer diver for yourself, and for others with whom you dive.
The remaining specialties towards Master Diver (AOW, 50 dives, and Rescue) are flexible. The best options are full specialty certs in Deep, Navigation, Buoyancy, Night and likely something such as Boat.
Remember to keep your log book current and have your instructor sign off on each Adventure Dive towards AOW so that another instructor can use that dive #1 towards the related specialty. With that said, do nto fear to repeat an Adventure Dive when going for the specialty. There is NEVER such a thing as too much training and experience.
Once you are doing some regular diving at depth (say averages of 60 feet) you can start calculating SAC (surface air consumption) to see how long you can do that 60 foot dive based on air (gas) use with an eye on NDL and Oxygen partial pressures (if on EANx).
A go at AOW immediately following OW is not a bad idea since you have a chance to work with an instructor on more specific skills necessary to safe and enjoyable diving. My only problem with the PADI system for AOW is that some folks will think they are advanced divers with only 9 dives under their weight belt. I would consider someone to be truly advanced once thay have maybe 50 dives under various conditions and in various locations - regardless of their c-card status. However I have seen folks with far more than 50 dives that are less skilled than some of my new OW students. It is a very individual thing.
Anyway, as part of AOW the deep and nav dives are required. I like to make buoyancy one of the other three then pick from the list and the dive sites used for the other two. Usually it is naturalist and wreck but night can be a real good option.
I also suggest that once you get AOW you get a bit of experience then get Rescue Diver under your weight belt as well. That will make you a safer diver for yourself, and for others with whom you dive.
The remaining specialties towards Master Diver (AOW, 50 dives, and Rescue) are flexible. The best options are full specialty certs in Deep, Navigation, Buoyancy, Night and likely something such as Boat.
Remember to keep your log book current and have your instructor sign off on each Adventure Dive towards AOW so that another instructor can use that dive #1 towards the related specialty. With that said, do nto fear to repeat an Adventure Dive when going for the specialty. There is NEVER such a thing as too much training and experience.
OP
My continued path... after OW on 6/28 I did couple of night dives towards AOW and towards night specialty.
Today I did my EANx class and tomorrow will do the dive to count towards AOW. Also dive for navigation (counts towards AOW).
So hopefully tomorrow will have 3/5 for AOW and 1 specialty (EAN) done and 19 dives total as well as 2/3 night dives.
Sunday I plan to do PPB adventure dive (I might do specialty as well as I think this is good skill to have) to be 4/5 on AOW.
Mid August I'll venture for the first time out of quarries into an ocean for a couple of deep dives (this should complete my AOW and 2/4 for specialty) as well as 4 wreck dives that should get me another specialty completed. I should complete my night specialty before that so it will be 3/5 specialties done and half of 4th one as well.
Hopefully first couple of weeks in September I will do Rescue as well. I am really looking forward to learn this one to be honest.
Today I did my EANx class and tomorrow will do the dive to count towards AOW. Also dive for navigation (counts towards AOW).
So hopefully tomorrow will have 3/5 for AOW and 1 specialty (EAN) done and 19 dives total as well as 2/3 night dives.
Sunday I plan to do PPB adventure dive (I might do specialty as well as I think this is good skill to have) to be 4/5 on AOW.
Mid August I'll venture for the first time out of quarries into an ocean for a couple of deep dives (this should complete my AOW and 2/4 for specialty) as well as 4 wreck dives that should get me another specialty completed. I should complete my night specialty before that so it will be 3/5 specialties done and half of 4th one as well.
Hopefully first couple of weeks in September I will do Rescue as well. I am really looking forward to learn this one to be honest.
OP
Just spent a weekend with a wonderful group and Coastal Scuba crew doing some deep and wreck dives (2 deep - BP25 + 4 wreck - Bill Perry and Sherman - specialty dives for me).
Now I've completed all my adventure dives for AOW and 3 specialties (nitrox, night, wreck) and 2 in the works (PPB + deep).
I've heard so much good thing about Rescue class that I am really looking forward.
I really enjoyed my first two wreck dives as visibility was bit better and I've seen octopus and several other fish. Glad I took my light with me. Amazing how fish colors change when you light them up. They are dull color without it. However below termocline the visibility was not that great and on our last dive it was just a couple of feet at best.
Overall I am actually happy I did a lot of practice dives in the quarry to get used to low visibility!
Now I've completed all my adventure dives for AOW and 3 specialties (nitrox, night, wreck) and 2 in the works (PPB + deep).
I've heard so much good thing about Rescue class that I am really looking forward.
I really enjoyed my first two wreck dives as visibility was bit better and I've seen octopus and several other fish. Glad I took my light with me. Amazing how fish colors change when you light them up. They are dull color without it. However below termocline the visibility was not that great and on our last dive it was just a couple of feet at best.
Overall I am actually happy I did a lot of practice dives in the quarry to get used to low visibility!
TheScubaBOB
Contributor
Congrats on the awesome adventure you have made of your diving...
OP
Well I am diving. 43 dives so far. 2-4 a week is decent and I try to practice something on every dive.
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