NJMike
Contributor
With my first set of scuba equipment sitting underneath my Christmas tree and nowhere to go, I was ecstatic when I received a newsletter from my LDS (Lehigh Valley Dive Center) saying they would be doing a new year's eve dive at DS...just a few days away!
My new equipment included everything except a tank, all the equipment was Oceanic and the wetsuit was a Pinnacle Elite.
I checked the water temps at Dutch...this time of year should be in the upper 40's. Would the Pinnacle Elite, a 7/5 Merino lined suit, be enough?
Next I checked the weather....forcast to be 48 degrees, partly sunny, no precip and no wind....
OK now, I'm thinking, maybe...just maybe...I called LVDC and reserved an HP 100, which I never used before, and put my name on the dive list.
Next...bouyancy...had only used rented suits in the past with AL 80's. Okay, looks like the HP 100 will reduce weight requirements by almost 7 lbs. What about the different wetsuit....hmm...ok, I'll reduce the weight by 6 lbs, carry the weight bag down to the entry deck and do a quick bouyancy check. Sounds like a plan.
I got to the LDS an hour early, they had my stuff ready (tank and weights), there were other people there....actually it was quite busy. The owner brought in doughnuts and coffee....well, ok now, things are looking better all the time! I had a doughnut but no coffee - this boy is not 'wetting' his brand new suit!
The weather was clear, air temp in the 30's when I got there, but was about 45 when we hit the water, I'm guessing. I set my new equipment up on one of the picnic tables, the took the wetsuit and suited up in the heated bathhouse. Yes, other people suited up right there at the tables...well, ok but not me! Down to the entry point, stepping in the water I could feel some water getting into my boots (brand new also, with the thick soles. Man, those thick soles are SO nice! No more rocks sticking me in the bottom of my feet!).
Oooowwww! Yikes, the water is cold on the hands while putting on my fins. Note to myself: find a way to deal with this...take down some warm water and pour it into the gloves after putting on the fins?...) Okay, the fins (yes, new Oceanic vipers) are on and SO MUCH EASIER to put on than my old fins. When I tried on the boots at LVDC, I took my old fins to make sure they fit and they didnt' so I had to get a new set...poor me!) Quick bouyancy check now, I sink slowly to the underwater decking, not too fast and not too slow...16 lbs should be good for the first dive with the new gear!
Inflate the BC (Oceanic Probe LX), step off the deck, float out to the other divers. There were probably 20 all together in two groups. And guess what - not cold at all so far....looking good...the leaders give us the dive plan, what route we're going to follow, etc. Let the air out and down we go. Wow, the visibility was great - I estimated 30', which was more than my other dives at DS this year (2006).
I go to the bottom, trying to regulate bouyancy, keep ears cleared, watch the other divers and be aware of my own new gear. I get too close to the bottom, stir up some silt, and one minute into the dive my buddy (the LDS owner) is pointing out my mistake! It's a good thing you can't see embarrassment under water!
From there on out it's a matter of sticking with the group, which when we split up I had to do a double take to make sure I didn't go with the wrong group. My buddy was staying behind me, I'm sure to keep his experienced eye on the entire group. But there were times when I stopped and looked for him and realized that divers all look the same underwater! Mental note: next time I dive, go out of my way to be sure I find something on my buddy to make it easier to keep track of him. Of course, I probably should just have stayed right beside him...noobie learning experience - stay close to my buddy...not just closer, but CLOSE.
We went around the lake, hit the helicopter, the airplane (is that what they call the "island"?), the crane which was my first time at the crane so that was good. Then gradually back to the entry point. I had no idea where I was in the lake for the most part, since I'm still new to DS. (I did get the underwater slate from DS, color coded it with permanent marker and will carry it with me in the spring.) But it made no difference to me where we went, I was in the water and NOT cold. I had on a new set of gloves (yes, new Oceanic merino lined gloves...thinner but more warmth, I could feel the better dexterity in my fingers). But after about 30 min in the water, my hands and fingers started to feel the cold. Not hurting cold, just cold. Even after the dive, which lasted 46 min, they were still not uncomfortable.
Deepest depth for me was 61' and my DC registered the coldest temp as 48. I know others went deeper and had slightly colder temps recorded.
Now here's the funny part...at the end of the dive, I come up on the entry level decking - the submerged part - then stand up and take off my mask. At that point someone says something to me, I look around and reply "Uuh, yo tha wa ni, no as ba as I thou it was gon to be".
What was that? Yep, that's what it sounded like! I started laughing to myself because I knew it sounded like I was drunk or something. I guess my face muscles had stiffened up a bit from the cold water! It was just like talking after getting novacaine at the dentist office!
The weather was still perfect - sun out, no wind. I had formulated a plan days ahead and continued with it - go up to the table, take off the equipment, make sure it's secure, then go to my car, get my clothes and go back to the bathhouse and change.
Thank goodness for heated bathhouses! And hot showers! Not only was I able to warm up in the shower but I was also able to rinse out all of my wetsuit which was not in my plan but I immediately changed my plan so that I wouldn't have to rinse them outside when I got home.
What a nice group of divers - both the LDS owners and the divers associated with them. I also met fast5frog...nice young man. I also saw my first rebreather equipment on a diver...that was interesting.
I returned my tank and weights to LVDC, and while I was there I bought my own weights and weight bag. I'm going back today to get the AOW and wreck diver training materials!
On the way home, which is a 45 min drive, I thought about the semantic irony - how going 'down' can bring you 'up'...
Surelyshirly...how was this report?
My new equipment included everything except a tank, all the equipment was Oceanic and the wetsuit was a Pinnacle Elite.
I checked the water temps at Dutch...this time of year should be in the upper 40's. Would the Pinnacle Elite, a 7/5 Merino lined suit, be enough?
Next I checked the weather....forcast to be 48 degrees, partly sunny, no precip and no wind....
OK now, I'm thinking, maybe...just maybe...I called LVDC and reserved an HP 100, which I never used before, and put my name on the dive list.
Next...bouyancy...had only used rented suits in the past with AL 80's. Okay, looks like the HP 100 will reduce weight requirements by almost 7 lbs. What about the different wetsuit....hmm...ok, I'll reduce the weight by 6 lbs, carry the weight bag down to the entry deck and do a quick bouyancy check. Sounds like a plan.
I got to the LDS an hour early, they had my stuff ready (tank and weights), there were other people there....actually it was quite busy. The owner brought in doughnuts and coffee....well, ok now, things are looking better all the time! I had a doughnut but no coffee - this boy is not 'wetting' his brand new suit!
The weather was clear, air temp in the 30's when I got there, but was about 45 when we hit the water, I'm guessing. I set my new equipment up on one of the picnic tables, the took the wetsuit and suited up in the heated bathhouse. Yes, other people suited up right there at the tables...well, ok but not me! Down to the entry point, stepping in the water I could feel some water getting into my boots (brand new also, with the thick soles. Man, those thick soles are SO nice! No more rocks sticking me in the bottom of my feet!).
Oooowwww! Yikes, the water is cold on the hands while putting on my fins. Note to myself: find a way to deal with this...take down some warm water and pour it into the gloves after putting on the fins?...) Okay, the fins (yes, new Oceanic vipers) are on and SO MUCH EASIER to put on than my old fins. When I tried on the boots at LVDC, I took my old fins to make sure they fit and they didnt' so I had to get a new set...poor me!) Quick bouyancy check now, I sink slowly to the underwater decking, not too fast and not too slow...16 lbs should be good for the first dive with the new gear!
Inflate the BC (Oceanic Probe LX), step off the deck, float out to the other divers. There were probably 20 all together in two groups. And guess what - not cold at all so far....looking good...the leaders give us the dive plan, what route we're going to follow, etc. Let the air out and down we go. Wow, the visibility was great - I estimated 30', which was more than my other dives at DS this year (2006).
I go to the bottom, trying to regulate bouyancy, keep ears cleared, watch the other divers and be aware of my own new gear. I get too close to the bottom, stir up some silt, and one minute into the dive my buddy (the LDS owner) is pointing out my mistake! It's a good thing you can't see embarrassment under water!
From there on out it's a matter of sticking with the group, which when we split up I had to do a double take to make sure I didn't go with the wrong group. My buddy was staying behind me, I'm sure to keep his experienced eye on the entire group. But there were times when I stopped and looked for him and realized that divers all look the same underwater! Mental note: next time I dive, go out of my way to be sure I find something on my buddy to make it easier to keep track of him. Of course, I probably should just have stayed right beside him...noobie learning experience - stay close to my buddy...not just closer, but CLOSE.
We went around the lake, hit the helicopter, the airplane (is that what they call the "island"?), the crane which was my first time at the crane so that was good. Then gradually back to the entry point. I had no idea where I was in the lake for the most part, since I'm still new to DS. (I did get the underwater slate from DS, color coded it with permanent marker and will carry it with me in the spring.) But it made no difference to me where we went, I was in the water and NOT cold. I had on a new set of gloves (yes, new Oceanic merino lined gloves...thinner but more warmth, I could feel the better dexterity in my fingers). But after about 30 min in the water, my hands and fingers started to feel the cold. Not hurting cold, just cold. Even after the dive, which lasted 46 min, they were still not uncomfortable.
Deepest depth for me was 61' and my DC registered the coldest temp as 48. I know others went deeper and had slightly colder temps recorded.
Now here's the funny part...at the end of the dive, I come up on the entry level decking - the submerged part - then stand up and take off my mask. At that point someone says something to me, I look around and reply "Uuh, yo tha wa ni, no as ba as I thou it was gon to be".
What was that? Yep, that's what it sounded like! I started laughing to myself because I knew it sounded like I was drunk or something. I guess my face muscles had stiffened up a bit from the cold water! It was just like talking after getting novacaine at the dentist office!
The weather was still perfect - sun out, no wind. I had formulated a plan days ahead and continued with it - go up to the table, take off the equipment, make sure it's secure, then go to my car, get my clothes and go back to the bathhouse and change.
Thank goodness for heated bathhouses! And hot showers! Not only was I able to warm up in the shower but I was also able to rinse out all of my wetsuit which was not in my plan but I immediately changed my plan so that I wouldn't have to rinse them outside when I got home.
What a nice group of divers - both the LDS owners and the divers associated with them. I also met fast5frog...nice young man. I also saw my first rebreather equipment on a diver...that was interesting.
I returned my tank and weights to LVDC, and while I was there I bought my own weights and weight bag. I'm going back today to get the AOW and wreck diver training materials!
On the way home, which is a 45 min drive, I thought about the semantic irony - how going 'down' can bring you 'up'...
Surelyshirly...how was this report?
