Diving after a ten year break

[Taylor#$%@]

Hi all. Was able to log about 30 dives about ten years ago, did dry suit, deep dive, wreck, drift, night dives and felt pretty comfortable in the water. Anyway I ended up taking a break until last week when I had a chance to do some boat dives in Hawaii. I watched some refresher videos and used my gear that was still in good shape (not the reg though it needs to be serviced) and felt kind of clumsy but mostly comfortable on the dives even at 120ish ft and moderate current. Anyway I had a couple questions I thought might be good to get feedback on.

1. I took 4lbs because the last dives in my log book said 2lbs and maybe try none next time (in my 3mm wetsuit that I still have). I vaguely remember going with no weight but didn't see a record of it so I figured I'd take a little extra. I didn't think it was a big deal but I got some flack from the dive masters and they said that was way less than I should take (just looked up numbers and it suggests I take 12lbs) but I stuck with 4 and it seemed fine. I had no buoyancy problems and actually felt like I could have taken less since I still sunk when I had no air in the bcd. Is there any reason to take extra weight if you don't need it? Should I have been taking more weight in case I have to try and keep a panicky diver down or something? Anyone want to weigh in?

2. Tipping. There was a jar on the boat for tips which I assume they all shared between the boat crew and dive guides (which drove us back to the shop after). I put my full tip (20% percent of dive cost sound reasonable?) in the jar but when I was dropped off the dive leader kind of gave me the feeling he expected a separate tip, or maybe he was just doing a good job. Plus he let me borrow his knife to cut a zip tie I needed to replace so that was nice. Is there a somewhat standard for this?

3. It seemed like most of the people were still using paper dive logs and a few people went back to the shop to get stamps and signatures (which I have often forgotten). One person was using a phone app which seemed like a good idea but the dive shop didn't seem to do much of that. Is it still pretty new or are most people using apps now?


Thanks for any feedback, safe diving!

 

[Fishyhead]

I got certified in 1992 and took a break up until a couple of years ago so I know where you are coming from.

If you did ok with 4#, there isn't any reason to bring on more. The DM's on the boat should weight check their customers.

I usually hand the tip (20% for a good day) directly to my guide with other crew in sight. Tipping is optional at the end of the day. Him loaning you his knife to cut a zip tie is just par for the course.

I still log my dives in my old book on the boat in between dives but transfer that information to an application when I get home. Apps are pretty cool, especially if import data from a dive computer.

 

[Damselfish]

Some people are less buoyant than others and you need what you need, or not. Remember that a steel tank will be less buoyant than aluminum - so what were you using before and now? You say you sunk with no air in the BC - was that at the beginning or end of the dive? Remember that an empty tank will be more buoyant - figure a swing of around 5 pounds with the typical aluminum tank - and you need to be able to hold a safety stop. They shouldn't give you flak about your choice as long as it was based on something, they really can't know without doing an actual weight check (which would not be a bad idea after a long break in diving and all the possible changes.)

DMs will often carry extra weight in case someone needs it. People sometimes take extra weight for very specific dives, like the rare special case dive they will be planting themselves on the bottom to watch something. Otherwise no need for more than you need, it's counterproductive.

Tipping procedures (and amounts) vary between places, sometimes they will offer guidance and sometimes you can get a sense what others are doing. For a day boat we tend to tip a flat amount per tank. For a liveaboard we do a percentage of the charter but it can vary a lot based on price, service, location.

Logs - some people don't even keep them, some do paper, some do electronic, there are so many ways. I actually rarely/never see people logging on a boat in any form. Or getting signatures or stamps. Personally I kept a paper log many years ago, but nowadays I generally jot things down on scrap paper and put them in a spread sheet when I get home. (Often several years later when I find said scrap paper again.)

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

1) There is absolutely no reason to take more weight then you'll need. on the contrary, its dangerous and makes thing complicated.
With that being said, the Scuba community as a whole is known to have very strong opinions among individuals, you'll find people arguing over the silliest things that in most cases are both some how correct. Weights is no difference, with opinions strongly differ in how much you should take and how you should carry it.
At the end of the day, if you are able to submerge once deflating your BCD than you should be good to go, regardless of what the sun struck dive master thinks.
you should keep in mind that even if you seem correctly weighted at the surface towards the end of the dive as your cylinder empties you tend to get more buoyant, so you need to take that into consideration when adding weights. usually 2-3 pounds is more then enough to counter-act the buoyancy of an empty cylinder.

2) Tipping is tricky matter, from what i could read on the forums it changes greatly between locations. If you are on a liveabord, leaving a 20% tip will amount to possibly hundreds of dollars and is way to much in my opinion.
Regarding the guy hinting that he wanted a personal added tip, he can kindly go and .... you can understand where im going with this.
This is just greed, regardless of how much you would have tipped he would have reacted the same, they try to guilt people in to leaving extra tip and it works in most cases.
I personally have yet to encounter a place where tipping is personal , in the vast majority of cases it will be shared. how ever, if it is in fact personal, they should state that at the beginning .

3) I dont think the app's have caught on hard enough, most people that ive seen use the good old fashion log books, some dont even bother logging the dives.
If you are not the kind of person to open up your dusty log book in several years to reflect on your dives and you dont need it in order to be accepted in to a specific advanced course than there isn't really a reason to fill one.
Your dive computer also acts as a dive log and is accepted as proof of last dives in the vast majority of places.

 

[maj2]

With respect to the third question, the last dives that I logged on paper were in 2002.

Since then, I have been one who probably looks like they do not log dives, but they definitely do get logged once I am home and able to download the data from my computer. I might make some brief notes between the dive and the time I download. I do not bother with signatures or stamps, but I do record who I was diving with. I do sync my log back to my phone in the event that I am ever asked for the log, but that's about it.

 

[GAFlats]

I have found myself in the same position. I was certified in 1999 and dove a number of times soon after that, but life got in the way and have only been once in the last 8 years. My wife and oldest son (13) just finished their classwork and pool dives and will be doing their OW dives in April in preparation for our planned vacation later this summer. Anyway, I'm taking a refresher in a couple of weeks and am going to go with them for their OW to just get some extra bottom time, but I completely feel comfortable even though its been so long. I found the same case re: weights in that I have 12 lbs logged historically (in my old paper log!), and figure on starting with that much in the referesher/pool dives. My body really hasn't changed (luckily) over the years so my opinion is exactly as yours...take what you feel comfortable with and know will give you the best neutral bouyancy.

As for tipping, we (three of us and youngest..6 y.o.) went on a snorkle trip last year in GC and there was a tip jar as we exited the boat. I chose to had it directly to the capt./DM since he was standing there helping us exit. I figure its better to politely give it to them so there is no question whether or not you tipped. Some boats I have seen almost watch the jar more than the people at the dock, so I'd rather just hand it to them.

And, yes, I still feel old school and like the paper log book. It's like your passport; you can look back at the stamps and dates and remember the trips.

 

[Degenerate]

Good tips above.

I recently got back from a 5 year break, before that I had just shy of 20 dives (including OW/AOW ones).
One thing I didn't really think about before getting back in was to fresh up on all the hand signals.
During a pool dive while testing out my new gear another diver swam up to me and started making signs (trying to give me some pointers) and I realized I didn't really remember any signs except for OK, up, down.
I felt like a complete idiot and rookie there and then, wouldn't have wanted to realize the same thing 20+ meters below the surface.
So if you don't remember all the basic ones, don't forget to fresh up the memory a bit, it's easy to forget

 

[TMHeimer]

Hi all. Was able to log about 30 dives about ten years ago, did dry suit, deep dive, wreck, drift, night dives and felt pretty comfortable in the water. Anyway I ended up taking a break until last week when I had a chance to do some boat dives in Hawaii. I watched some refresher videos and used my gear that was still in good shape (not the reg though it needs to be serviced) and felt kind of clumsy but mostly comfortable on the dives even at 120ish ft and moderate current. Anyway I had a couple questions I thought might be good to get feedback on.

1. I took 4lbs because the last dives in my log book said 2lbs and maybe try none next time (in my 3mm wetsuit that I still have). I vaguely remember going with no weight but didn't see a record of it so I figured I'd take a little extra. I didn't think it was a big deal but I got some flack from the dive masters and they said that was way less than I should take (just looked up numbers and it suggests I take 12lbs) but I stuck with 4 and it seemed fine. I had no buoyancy problems and actually felt like I could have taken less since I still sunk when I had no air in the bcd. Is there any reason to take extra weight if you don't need it? Should I have been taking more weight in case I have to try and keep a panicky diver down or something? Anyone want to weigh in?

2. Tipping. There was a jar on the boat for tips which I assume they all shared between the boat crew and dive guides (which drove us back to the shop after). I put my full tip (20% percent of dive cost sound reasonable?) in the jar but when I was dropped off the dive leader kind of gave me the feeling he expected a separate tip, or maybe he was just doing a good job. Plus he let me borrow his knife to cut a zip tie I needed to replace so that was nice. Is there a somewhat standard for this?

3. It seemed like most of the people were still using paper dive logs and a few people went back to the shop to get stamps and signatures (which I have often forgotten). One person was using a phone app which seemed like a good idea but the dive shop didn't seem to do much of that. Is it still pretty new or are most people using apps now?


Thanks for any feedback, safe diving!

I 've got some simple answers--
1. Weights. Do a weight check for each type of exposure suit/tank, etc. that you may use and write it down. I used a separate sheet of paper instead of my log book. Unless you switch gear or gain/lose a lot of body weight, the only time it may change is when your wetsuit gets a lot older (you may be able to drop a bit of weight). I just used the standard PADI weight check, but there are more precise ways people may describe, like weighing all your stuff first in or out of water, etc. I always take an extra 2 pound bullet weight in the car in case somehow I lose one.
2. Tipping.
Many old threads on this. I do the "standard" $10 per dive and give cash just to the DM (assuming I got the basic service-- loading gear, site description, boat rules, you know). I assume that the DM is not getting pay (I'd never do that--another thread) and that the captain and any other crew members are getting paid (or else why would they do it?).
3. Apps. I still use my paper log but I get the feeling from reading Scubaboard not that many do that anymore. I gather that a lot of people just use their computer data and may print it out or at least transfer the data to their PC.