frustrated but determined

[local76sparky]

So...I got certified back in 09. Since then, unfortunately, it took some time to acquire my gear and as of the last year or so, I finally really started diving more regular. Still not the amount that I would like but, little by little, I am acquiring more bottom time. That being established this last outing was a real eye opener.

I went out this last Sunday and missed the time slot of choice. The current was strong and as I was OK to dive, my buddy was not. We called the dive. No problem there. I have no issue with a called dive. Since we were in the water all ready, i suggested that we do some skills stuff.

I failed miserably.

When I got certified, I got through the class just fine. Didn't enjoy taking my mask off and breathing etc but got through it. Yesterday, If I would have been in class, they would have laughed me out of there! I could not, for the life of me, make myself breathe with my mask off. I could clear it no problem. I've done that on dives. Mask gets bumped, or a leak develops. Clear it. But yesterday there was nothing in my body that i could do to convince myself to breathe while my mask was off. Mind you, we were in less than ten feet so i just shot to the top once i realized my body would not cooperate. But had I been in say 60-80 ft, and had an issue....would my body/mind fail me? My resounding answer is yes.

So, tonight, in the comfort of my own bathroom/tub i have been forcing myself to dunk my head and breathe without a mask on. My own kind of water torture i guess. Its taken a few attempts but has gotten better. I will continue this until I can get back in the water for real (hopefully this weekend or next). I also will from now on take the time to practice this skill after each dive until it isnt a problem.

I guess in all this i wonder, to the general diver....

you have 25 plus dives. 100 plus dives. your neutrally buoyant, great on air. Your a great diver. Good. But when was the last time you checked some of these skills? Would you be fine? Do you test yourself regularly? How often do you pull your knife out, just to make sure you can and could put it back without dropping it into the great abyss below? Do you reach for your octo/pony reg to do your safety stop, just so you know you can find it and use it? Anyways, these questions are some what rhetorical but also would love some input from the forum as well.

back to the tub i go...

 

[rlynch]

Sparky where in the one are you? Seattle ish area ? There is a group whom can help out there...

---------- Post added February 4th, 2013 at 11:17 PM ----------

One =pnw sorry sp chk

 

[local76sparky]

I am in Tacoma. Not far from Seattle area. About an hour

 

[TSandM]

I think I already responded to your post on another board.

Kudos to you for practicing. We all get rusty if we don't use skills for a while.

The group rlynch is referring to is the Wednesday night group I mentioned in my other post. You will find that, if you practice regularly, your skills will come back. HUGE kudos to you for making the effort and discovering you need work. A lot of people don't bother.

 

[rick00001967]

i applaud your persistence. i think it is a very good sign that yu are aware of your short falls and what you need to work on. that is a sign of maturity as a diver. instead of thinking you are invincible and you know everything, you found a weakness and took the steps you felt necessary to work on it. good for you.
and you are correct, we all should make sure to do some skills once in awhile to stay sharp.

 

[MeetTheFishes]

I am not even done with certification yet but wanted to practice skills outside of class because I didn't feel confident after the brief pool sessions. Since I don't have a bathtub I went to the local YMCA. I brought my snorkel, mask, & fins and practiced mask flooding, mask removal, snorkel removal and clearing (which is just like reg clearing!), and fin swimming form. It's much warmer than the Puget Sound, but did help me work on my fear of mask flooding.