First Open Water Dive.

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Guillotine

Registered
Messages
37
Reaction score
0
Location
Bahrain
Hey,

Yesterday, I finally started to dive in the sea along with 13 divers (Group= 4 divers) in total, plus the instructor and his assistance.

I was excited, but also worried about my pressure control difficulty due to my sinus problem. At first and after I assembled my gear I walked backward from the shore because I was wearing my fins, which gave me a hard time with all that weight on. I learned that it’s better to hold your fins and wear it IN the water. After that we started to descend slowly and here when it started, my pressure problem, In the depth of maybe 2-2.5 meters I started to feel pain, I ascended 1 meter trying to equalize the pressure but I failed, I thought I need more time and for few second I felt like I will never make it, forget about diving.

The instructor kept trying to remind me about the ways to equalize, after 30-40secs I heard like a peep sound in my ears and managed to equalize to end up descending along with the other divers at depth of 6.3meters. There we did practice the “recover-regulator” (as I call it), clear the mask and buoyancy. It was dusty like hell; vision was very poor and it was itchy because of the jelly damn fish.

Ascending that depth was nothing to mention except the weird sound I kept hearing, I think it’s the pressure thing again but it was fine with no pain. I rushed to the instructor to be sure that if my dive was successful or not, and I knew that it was. After 2hours we started to get ready for the second dive. It was hard again but I did it, depth = 6.4meter. It took me again the same time 30-40secs to manage the pressure.

Not to make in long; is it OK for a diver to take the same time to equalize?
Please feel free to add any comment or tip. Thank you
 
Guillotine:
Hey,

Yesterday, I finally started to dive in the sea along with 13 divers (Group= 4 divers) in total, plus the instructor and his assistance.

I was excited, but also worried about my pressure control difficulty due to my sinus problem. At first and after I assembled my gear I walked backward from the shore because I was wearing my fins, which gave me a hard time with all that weight on. I learned that it’s better to hold your fins and wear it IN the water. After that we started to descend slowly and here when it started, my pressure problem, In the depth of maybe 2-2.5 meters I started to feel pain, I ascended 1 meter trying to equalize the pressure but I failed, I thought I need more time and for few second I felt like I will never make it, forget about diving.

The instructor kept trying to remind me about the ways to equalize, after 30-40secs I heard like a peep sound in my ears and managed to equalize to end up descending along with the other divers at depth of 6.3meters. There we did practice the “recover-regulator” (as I call it), clear the mask and buoyancy. It was dusty like hell; vision was very poor and it was itchy because of the jelly damn fish.

Ascending that depth was nothing to mention except the weird sound I kept hearing, I think it’s the pressure thing again but it was fine with no pain. I rushed to the instructor to be sure that if my dive was successful or not, and I knew that it was. After 2hours we started to get ready for the second dive. It was hard again but I did it, depth = 6.4meter. It took me again the same time 30-40secs to manage the pressure.

Not to make in long; is it OK for a diver to take the same time to equalize?
Please feel free to add any comment or tip. Thank you

Everybody equalizes at different rates. I am fortunate the I can drop like a rock no problem. My buddy takes longer. I let him start and I follow that Way we dont get separated. Make surre you clear early in the dive and often and you should have no problem. Also, as you do it more your tubes will expand making it easier. Have fun.
 
I agree different divers equalize at different rates. It will get easier as you learn more of the tricks. It sounds like you were in lousy conditions so I congratulate you that you stuck with it. It sure is worth it when you dive in decent conditions!
By the way, fill in your profile so we can know more abourt you.
Good luck on the rest of your course and keep Diving!
 
Hi Guillotine: Just a quick note to echo the other posts - every diver is different, and don't rush down. I had early problems equalizing, found I can often "pre-equalize" gently i.e., add alittle pressure right at the surface. Also, while you decend, equalize frequently - every 0.5 m if you have to - especially for the first 10 m.

Charlie
 
Congrats on getttng thru your first dives. I had a hard problem equalizing at first also but can now pretty much get to depth with out any problems. ONe thing that really helped me was a trick that a commercial diver taught me. He hums on the way down. I tried it and it works. If I'm having an equalization problem I simply start humming and keep doing that during the descent.

Good luck.
 
Thanks everyone, Hopefully I can manage to equalize eaiser as I dive more and more. rricks, I will try to humm in my next dive for sure ;)
 

Back
Top Bottom