First Open Water Dive Disaster and Weighting Issues

[Schtirlitz]

Hello all,

I am sure this theme may have been beat to death but weighting issues are usually very individual.

I have a very unconventional body type, thanks to rowing for 12 years and also lots of free-weights work... so i am 6'0", 215lbs and have 36 waist and 48 shoulders. So one-piece suits are out of question... None of them fit! They are either too long, or kind of fit around the shoulders but with a big bubble around the waist and torso, etc. etc.

The other day during my first ever open-water dive and it was a complete disaster due to weighting issues and instructor’s utter unprofessional-like behavior in the beginning of the dive and disregard to safety!

on the dive I used my own brand new Riptide Zone II BCD with an aluminum backplate installed for singles, Aluminum 80 tank, with 3000psi… I was wearing a two-piece Mares 7mm suit and sporting 30lbs that was spread out between the weight belt and BC pockets.... plus 2 more lbs aluminum backplate (total 32lbs). Believe it or not but I still couldn't submerge. (In the pool I used 12lbs while wearing no wetsuit, just my swim trunks and I was just fine, now buoyancy issues)

Now this is what happened during the dive….

Right after we got to the dive site the instructor went on with smirking at my BC and reg set up. Apparently he “doesn’t like bladders and only dives with Sequest Balance”. :w-t-f: Do I really care? My real question is does this character enjoy making student’s nervous on their first ever open-water dive??? I mean, I am not exactly an easily startled kind, I am firefighter and have been through things MUCH more stressful and potentially dangerous than diving but still…. When your own instructor is making you a laughing stock of the whole group its no fun!

So to make the long story short, when we got into the water the instructor didn’t do the buoyancy check before the dive and just said something like “lets go” and went the hell on to submerge and swim away with other students and LEFT ME BEHIND! I tried forcing it by emptying the lungs and diving to the bottom but no luck: every time I would just shoot up to the surface uncontrollably like a cork. :shakehead BC was completely empty of air btw!

Then, in about 2-3 minutes instructor comes back to the surface all bent out of shape and pissed off (whatever dude!) and started screaming at me like I was some kind of a moron embarrassing me even further…. What the hell!? :w-t-f: Why am I getting yelled at for my own money and without any fault of my own? So this obviously ruined the day...

Then it started raining like crazy with lightening and thunder, and so I told my self: “Screw you guys I am going home.” I will try to add 6 more lbs next time and try again this weekend.

Any suggestions or comments?

Cheers

 

[mislav]

I needed only 6 kilos of weight diving in the Red Sea with a 3mm suit. I also needed 12 kilos of weight while diving in the Adriatic wearing a one piece 7mm suit.

I guess you may have been underweighted but also you might have had some air pockets left in your suit which kept you from sinking.

 

[Schtirlitz]

I guess i may never find out, cuz the day ended with my driving home with no dive completed, very bad feeling, and no word of encouragement or suggestion from my instructor.

 

[mstudley]

Get a custom wetsuit.... lots of people like these guys: http://www.liquidfit.com/
then go about weighting yourself. You'll save a lot of time/money/aggravation in the process.

 

[Calvinandhobbs]

Any suggestions or comments?

Cheers.

Eugene

Yeah, If you still have checkout dives to do, find another company to dive with.

When I did my OW course, our instructor spent time working on our weighting in the pool. Then when we did our first ocean dive, the instructor checked our weighting again. He also carried some extra weight with him on all four check-out dives just incase someone needed it (which someone in our group did).

Please, find a better company to dive with. There are much better instructors out there.

 

[Damselfish]

Maybe you should get a referral and take it to a different local instructor for your check out dives. Will probably wind up costing you more, but worth it if the current instructor is really like that.

 

[Calvinandhobbs]

Where did you buy your equipment? If they want a happy customer, they may be willing to work on your weighting in a pool (assuming the do instruction).

Just a though.

 

[Schtirlitz]

I got it all through a legitimate shop (LDS) which is owned and operated by a good friend of mine... I went to train to a different shop because they were closer and offered free checkout dives at Long Island shore...

 

[bet63]

I got it all through a legitimate shop (LDS) which is owned and operated by a good friend of mine... I went to train to a different shop because they were closer and offered free checkout dives at Long Island shore...

You have a friend who owns and operates a Dive shop but decided to take lessons from a stranger?

 

[HMaren]

Reliable LDS's are great. You can strike up a good personal relationship, they'll get you what you want, they'll cut deals when they can etc.

The problem that can arise with them is this - you don't always get to choose your instructor, if they have a staff of more than one. Sometimes you'll end up with a different instructor in the pool than in open water, whose teaching approach, philosophy, patience level, etc., may be totally different.

One option is finding an independent teacher with a good reputation. That way you get a good sense of your teacher's approach while in the pool. There will be fewer surprises when you get to open water. Some even offer a free orientation so that you can feel out the situation.

Obviously, your career experience indicates that you can handle yourself under pressure, but you shouldn't have to experience that while learning a recreational sport. A good teacher will make you feel relaxed and help you focus on your skills, rather than make you feel bad if something doesn't go well.

Good luck.