First Boat Dive

[kidspot]

Bluemagoo - that's something I've been wanting to do, I just hate wasting my dive buddy's time, and didn't want to go out alone. I considered borrowing a friends pool, but that wouldn't be an accurate view since it's freshwater and the ocean is Salt. Maybe when the surf dives down my neighbor wouldn't mind keeping an eye on me, she is a DM, but no longer dives, just snorkels with her kids. Fortunately most of my dives have been 60 minutes long, so it's a lot of time to just "play around" with breath control and bouyancy. I've got 12 hours logged, with 15 dives now.

Had to cancel today's dives, slept in a bit and the surf is still up stirring the vis up.

Tim

 

[justleesa]

After this past weekends storms the vis is very bad...did you have storms over there too? It'll take a couple a days to clear up again...

 

[Potapko]

Hey Tim,
reading your report has me ready to plan that trip to present the ministry to your church.

Hmmm, how can we work this out?
Jeff

 

[del_mo]

I'm almost embarassed to ask this question, but I will anyway! I'll be doing my first boat dive on Friday at John Pennekamp Marine Sanctuary on Key Largo. My question is... When do you do the mask defogging? Do I do this before the boat trip starts? Or somehow somewhere along the way? Thanks!

 

[KrisB]

I'm almost embarassed to ask this question, but I will anyway! I'll be doing my first boat dive on Friday at John Pennekamp Marine Sanctuary on Key Largo. My question is... When do you do the mask defogging? Do I do this before the boat trip starts? Or somehow somewhere along the way? Thanks!

I've done a few boat dives, and usually a bucket and defog is provided on the boat. The bucket (in my experience) is drawn once you're at the dive site, so it depends on the defogger whether you let the stuff dry or need to keep it wet for it to work. Typically, you would spray it on sometime during the trip or once you're at the dive site and final pre-dive briefing is being given.

Relax -- the boat operator should explain this, and if not, it is a valid question to ask them!

 

[justleesa]

I do it just before I get in the water - it is wise to do it for each of the two dives.

 

[bluemagoo]

.... that's something I've been wanting to do....

Tim

Seems you're 'way ahead of me then -- that's terrific. I'd go for some pool time, given the chance; I'd work some drills and experiment with accessory placements -- there's always something to tinker with that I wouldn't want to try (because of safety or time) in open water. You're correct in that buoyancy is affected but you can still take a "swag" at what will happen, figuring that sw has a density of about 64lbs/cu.ft and fw is about 62.4lbs/cu.ft ("swag" = "scientific wild-a* guess"). Besides, one day, you might find yourself suited-up in front of some freshwater lake, like I did at Tahoe ("Am I really going to do this? I look like the Michelin Man. The water's freezing. It's full of mud. And -- you call that a 'fish'?". Gosh, am I a warmwater wuss or what.)

And talk about getting "the weird eyeballs", I did a couple of sessions at Ala Moana Beach Park and even the lifeguards thought I was off my nut. But aha!, I found a perfectly healthy lobe coralhead in 6ft of water, surrounded by a huge cloud of juvenile domino fish; something I've rarely seen anywhere. There were other large rocks here and there that supported more juvenile raccoon, milletseed, and threadfin butterflies; there were sargent majors, tangs, oama (baby goatfish), featherduster worms, and others. Not to mention all the lost designer sunglasses and junk. All this in the shallowest water of the perhaps the most heavily used beach in the state.

 

[KrisB]

A similar "weird eyeball" experience -- going diving off the West Coast of BC (Whytecliffe park) with only the jacket part of a 2-piece wetsuit.

History: didn't want to dive dry -- had a bad experience and it wasn't cold enough to bother. Rented 2-piece 7mm suit, but was having a heck of a time getting the farmerjohn on. So, ditch it, did a dive in just the jacket and hood (what's 30-45min of colder water?) Oddly enough, I wasn't even chilled following the dive. So, I did the second dive in the same outfit! I had experienced divers from the area saying "just looking at you makes me cold!"

Lesson learned: just because one person (or one group of people) say that you need to dive dry to dive comfortably somewhere, doesn't mean it's true!

 

[kidspot]

bluemagoo - sounds like me when I was doing a lot of backpacking. I'd do dry runs with my gear around my church's parking lot to test weight distribution and make adjustments - my neighbors thought I was just a wee bit' crazy lol. Good thing they like me.

Tim

Seems you're 'way ahead of me then -- that's terrific. I'd go for some pool time, given the chance; I'd work some drills and experiment with accessory placements -- there's always something to tinker with that I wouldn't want to try (because of safety or time) in open water. You're correct in that buoyancy is affected but you can still take a "swag" at what will happen, figuring that sw has a density of about 64lbs/cu.ft and fw is about 62.4lbs/cu.ft ("swag" = "scientific wild-a* guess"). Besides, one day, you might find yourself suited-up in front of some freshwater lake, like I did at Tahoe ("Am I really going to do this? I look like the Michelin Man. The water's freezing. It's full of mud. And -- you call that a 'fish'?". Gosh, am I a warmwater wuss or what.)

And talk about getting "the weird eyeballs", I did a couple of sessions at Ala Moana Beach Park and even the lifeguards thought I was off my nut. But aha!, I found a perfectly healthy lobe coralhead in 6ft of water, surrounded by a huge cloud of juvenile domino fish; something I've rarely seen anywhere. There were other large rocks here and there that supported more juvenile raccoon, milletseed, and threadfin butterflies; there were sargent majors, tangs, oama (baby goatfish), featherduster worms, and others. Not to mention all the lost designer sunglasses and junk. All this in the shallowest water of the perhaps the most heavily used beach in the state.

 

[justleesa]

Hey, I just checked out Shelbys first wave.....she IS a natural!!!