Discover Scuba?

[oreocookie]

I did a discover scuba with a friend of mine this past august and we were both hooked (i was probably hooked beforehand, but even moreso after), once you've done it you'll be looking for the soonest opportunity to get certified (that should be in june for my friend and me, but I honestly don't know how I managed to wait this long).

I have to echo what surfsideday said about bringing water, I wish somebody had told me that, as we really could have used it.

As for the experience itself, we were in the pool after about an hour or so of going over basics of equalization, hand signals, a whole lot of "don't do this" and some entertaining stories from the instructor. we went up to the pool and got our gear together. I wasn't expecting to have to set it up myself, but I guess the instructor figured that 2 19 year olds and a guy in his early twenties could adequately follow directions, and it probably ended up a better experience getting to do that. we got into the pool and started with the snorkel with eyes above the water, then just below, and then did the same thing with the reg. after a couple of minutes kneeling in 4ft of water, we did some skills, (recovering the reg, clearing the mask, sharing air with the instructor, reading air gauge) and swam around a bit. I'm not sure if what we did is standard for a padi discover scuba or if our instructor may have added a bit figuring that we could handle it, and I'd be interested to know that if any instructors feel like sharing that info. Either way, knowing I've tried some of these thing, I think I'll feel much more confident about doing them again, and new things, in the OW class.

 

[glbtrekker]

Thanks for the info. so far, this is what I was looking for. Just kinda like to have an idea of what I will be able to experience, how long it will take etc. My wife and a couple of friends will be joining us, we look forward to the experience!

 

[herman]

You realize we charge for this advise....you gotta come back and tell us how it went.

 

[glbtrekker]

Not a problem, will give a full report ASAP! Thanks again.

 

[ohonu]

I did a discover scuba some years ago........ it is as reported below. After the pool sessions, I rented a DM to take me diving. And rented him again, and again the next day..... I was hooked. Be careful, this scuba thing is addictive.........

You too? that's what happened to me and my wallet has never been the same!

 

[glbtrekker]

Okay, I just came back from the Discovery Scuba class and loved it. I had a little trouble clearing the mask (drank a little water) and the mask leaking, but I realize that this would improve with my own mask that fit's my face and a little more practice. Beyond that, everything will very well...just didn't last long enough! I guess that will mean classes in the future.

However, my wife did not enjoy it at all. In fact, she did not complete the class. Although, the instructor was very patient and worked with her, she never got beyond what she described as a feeling of "suffocating." I must admit that she has had a cold for the last several days with a lot of congestion (I know, don't dive with congestion...but this was just a pool and the instructor said she could try if she wanted). My question is this...could her feeling of "suffocation" be due to the congestion? Or, is this just something that's not for her? I know no one can look into her mind, but my question is would congestion create a feeling like she described?

Thanks!

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

In my experience with dive students, the "suffocating" feeling is usually due to a combination of factors.

How comfortable the student is in the water makes a big difference. DSD's do not have to be able to swim, and non-swimmers are not completely comfortable in water too deep to stand up. For non-swimmers, successful prior snorkeling experience would mean some comfort with mask, fins and breathing through a snorkel mouth piece, which goes a long way towards comfort in dive gear.

What is the temp of the pool and what kind of wet suit was used. Depending on the fitness level of the student, as well as prior experience with wet suits, the average American may feel very uncomfortable in a properly fitting wet suit, and may feel like it is hard to take a full breath. Similarly, a too snug BCD can constrict breathing. I often see divers cinching the sternum strap so tight that any air in the BCD squeezes the chest tightly, and sometimes a really tight cumberbun can cause similar squeeze.

Now let's talk breathing pattern; most humans take a really big breath to spend time under water. There are numerous problems with really big breaths in diving, the main two are not being able to completely exhale the used air and floating up when the lungs are really full. The floating causes you to do work to stay under and not fully exhaling means your next breath is not completely good air. I teach a normal breath (2/3rds full) with exhalation lasting twice as long as inhalation; 3 seconds in - 6 seconds out, repeat, repeat. You got to get all the bad air out to get good air in and you have to not float up.

Now for the key element in the mix, relax! If you are tense, all those flexed muscles require oxygen, so they hijack oxygen from the brain, causing you to think you are not getting enough air. If you are flapping your arms to maintain position underwater, all those flexed muscles are hijacking O2 from your brain. If you are not using proper finning technique &/or you are swimming with your arms, all those unnecessary muscle movements are hijacking O2. The more blood pumping in the body, even due anxiety in the brain, the faster and heavier you will breath.

All these things are related; if you're not comfortable or you are anxious you usually breath faster, if you are tired you usually breath faster, tight fitting gear can cause you to breath faster. When you breath faster you do not exhale enough CO2, which causes you to breath deeper and faster. When you take a really big breath you float up so you have to do work to stay down and the instructor probably puts some weight in a BCD pocket making you lopsided and heavier leading to more work and heavier breathing. When you breath heavier, you exhale an even smaller percentage so the percentage of CO2 in the body rises, and that is usually the feeling we describe as not getting enough air even though you are taking lots of really big breaths (not to mention you tank gets empty fast).

 

[glbtrekker]

Thanks for the reply, it seems that perhaps a few more details might help. My wife was on the swim team as a teenager (she's 36 now) but she is a good swimmer and is very comfortable in the water. She was not wearing a wet suit, we were in a heated pool...I was told around 90+ degrees. She never got comfortable enough to go to the deep end of the pool so her head was never more than a foot underwater. In fact, she never made it to the mask clear/reg clear exercises. She stated that she was not tense and that the BCD was not too tight.

I hope this helps. Just looking for some hope here.

 

[shotthebreeze]

What about her mask? Did it restrict any view creating tunnel vision? I know that when I have my Cressi Focus mask on, my field of view is so small that I sometimes psych myself out. Also, her reg might have been a little hard to breathe out of. Some regs breathe differently. All of that, topped with congestion and nerves would have made me crazy. Let me know if it could have been any of those...

 

[glbtrekker]

I don't think it was the reg, the instructor set the output as high as it would go and even took off her BC and exchanged with my wife...still problems. Don't know about the mask...I'll have to ask her.