Kamala
Guest
This happened a few months back, nothing particularly spectacular, but definitely a good lesson in "check your self, before you wreck your self." Was down in Miami for vacation for a week and went to Key Largo for an afternoon of diving. Went solo so I was buddied up with a guide. I've been overweight for a long time, but put on a good bit in the year since I had last been diving. My mask broke in my luggage, which I had realized until I went to put it on. Thankfully (?) there was an extra on the boat. I struggled into what was once a well-fitting 3mm shortie and then again getting my fins and also ill-fitting BCD on. Hot and getting short of breath, I thought it would be a great relief to be in the water. But even 3-4 minutes after my giant stride entry, I couldn't get my breathing under control on the surface, largely due to how constricted I was in my shortie and bcd.
Finally, I swallowed my pride and thumbed the dive on the surface. And spent the next two hours paying an awful lot of money to watch bubbles, work on my tan, and consider what I would be doing to get back into diving shape. But, money's money and I've only got one life to live. $$$ and pride were a cheap price for an important lesson learned. I have no doubt that if I had descended, I would have overbreathed the hell out of the reg and very likely ended up in a more life-threatening situation. I'm very thankful that my instructor drilled into me that I should never be afraid to thumb a dive.
Finally, I swallowed my pride and thumbed the dive on the surface. And spent the next two hours paying an awful lot of money to watch bubbles, work on my tan, and consider what I would be doing to get back into diving shape. But, money's money and I've only got one life to live. $$$ and pride were a cheap price for an important lesson learned. I have no doubt that if I had descended, I would have overbreathed the hell out of the reg and very likely ended up in a more life-threatening situation. I'm very thankful that my instructor drilled into me that I should never be afraid to thumb a dive.