First dives report - Riviera Maya awesomeness!

[stuartv]

I don't think it's out of line. Regardless, it is definitely appreciated! Who says you can't learn to dive on the Internet?!

---------- Post added January 6th, 2015 at 11:01 AM ----------

ps. I have to say, I never heard of a frog kick before coming here. They didn't really teach it in my OW class. In my Buoyancy Control class, the instructor showed us. Then I watched a DIR or GUE or UTD (can't remember) video on YouTube demonstrating the frog kick and realized that what I'd been shown in class was, well, let's just say that it didn't resemble what I saw in the video much at all. But, seeing it done correctly in the video made all the difference. Despite a tendency to straighten my legs out when I'm really trying to move faster (which you can see in the pics I posted), I think I've gotten it down now to be at least somewhat proficient with it.

 

[Lorenzoid]

It took me days with an instructor and dozens of hours of practice to learn a frog kick. Kudos!

And I'll bet by now you've realized that stuff like this is at least as important, if not more so, than what computer you've got.

 

[stuartv]

It took me days with an instructor and dozens of hours of practice to learn a frog kick. Kudos!

And I'll bet by now you've realized that stuff like this is at least as important, if not more so, than what computer you've got.

Ha ha ha!! I'll go with "equally as important, for $100, Alex." ;-)

I bought an Atom 3.0 with the wireless AI and I am very happy with it. I realize that once you have a lot of experience under your belt, you will "know" your SAC well enough to plan dives based on it without having a computer-monitored log of previous dives to consult. But, I don't have all that experience, so being able to collect that data just helps me learn more about what I'm doing and how I'm doing more quickly.

Plus, it really seems like buoyancy control and frog kicks were very important in the cavern dives. But, for the OW reef dives, those things seemed a lot less important - especially frog kicks - making what computer I had increase in relative importance. LOL (<-- seriously, I'm chuckling to myself, not trying to start an argument).

I've said it before, but, again, thank yous to you, TSandM, Jim Lapenta, Wookie, tbone, and numerous other folks for your patience with me and your willingness to spend time writing stuff to help me learn. My two best hopes are that some day any or all of you would dive with me and feel like the time you spent helping me was worth the results that were achieved in my diving, and that I'll be able to pay it forward eventually and help someone else the way y'all have helped me.

 

[rongoodman]

Plus, it really seems like buoyancy control and frog kicks were very important in the cavern dives. But, for the OW reef dives, those things seemed a lot less important - especially frog kicks - making what computer I had increase in relative importance.

A lot less important until you want to sneak up close to something for a good look or photo and then be able to back away without blowing the visibility for the next guy or putting your hands all over the reef.

 

[stuartv]

A lot less important until you want to sneak up close to something for a good look or photo and then be able to back away without blowing the visibility for the next guy or putting your hands all over the reef.

Good point. And reminds me I need to try practicing the back kick. I watched the video of that and it looks a lot harder than the frog kick. I have one foot/ankle that is permanently jacked up from a motorcycle racing accident and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do a back kick well. We'll see...