getting started again

[Walter]

I'll go slit my wrists now.

A tad sensitive today? Your post would have been right on the money if she hadn't dived in 40 years.

The one who hadn't dived in 19 years marvelled at my weight integrated bc and thought that two 2nd stages was a novel idea.

Weight integrated wasn't around then. OTOH, by that time, the second generation Air II was already out and gaining in popularity. Octos weren't on every rig, but they were common. That was just after the basic certification was eliminated and OW became the intro class. Prior to that, if you had a Basic SCUBA certification, you were required to have an octopus. He likely was diving with his head in the (figurative) sand.

 

[friscuba]

A tad sensitive today? Your post would have been right on the money if she hadn't dived in 40 years.

Actually, I get to see a fair number of divers who were certified 15-20 years ago and haven't dove since who are relatively out of touch... What's an octopus? Where's the CO2 cartridge fit on these BCs? etc. (By the way, CO2 carts were way before my time, where'd they fit?).

Just because new equipment was commonly available doesn't mean it was used in teaching. I know of shops/instructors in our area who haven't replaced gear in a decade (can't fathom why, they could easily sell their gear annually and get more than replacement cost, they just keep rebuilding their equipment). 15 to 20 yeas back there were probably still a fair number of instructors in the transition between older and more modern equipment. Not the rule, but still enough that I have no doubt Immersed may have indeed had conversations with the divers he's described.

just a thought

 

[friscuba]

The recommendations to retake the class are a very good idea. I've taken certified divers, who haven't dove in that time frame, out and treated them as an intro diver... gone through the flip charts and skills, who panicked the moment they had to clear their regulator or mask and couldn't make the dive. Most do not have this much trouble, but it isn't all that uncommon either.

My thinking is that for most divers, a little extra education or review can't be too much. It'd be nice if all divers, even active divers, would take/audit the class every 5 years or so just to keep current and, more importanly, jog the memory a bit.

You might check around and see if a local shop might let you sit in on a class if you can prove certification and are willing to purchase personal gear. Some may, some may not, some may give you a deal, you never know.

Have fun,

 

[JanetL]

Wow, thanks for all the advice. I believe I will contact my local shop and see what they have to offer me. Taking a new OW class sound like a good idea as I just don't remember a lot of what I learned. That would be a lot safer.

Actually, when I said I hadn't been in the water in 15 years, I fibbed a little. I have gone on two trips to resorts, taken the resort courses and gone diving with the group...........all lined up like ducks following the dive master. Didn't have any trouble at all clearing my mask or with figuring out my boyancy. It was fun being in the water again, but I'd like to go a little deeper and have more freedom to enjoy the water. I was a little surprised that they took people diving after those courses. 1 hour in the pool and off you go. Seems like one should know a bit more that mask clearing and how to roll off a boat!!

 

[Stirling]

I second the suggestion to take the OW course again, rather than a refresher. I wouldn't worry about or bother with a computer right away, but take some time to shop around for your personal gear, and ask questions. It is a wonder to me that so many people buy their mask, fins, snorkel, and booties during a break in the first meeting of their OW class. Make sure you get stuff that you will want to keep.

And I am shocked - shocked! - that you would come to Arizona and still plan to do most of your diving in Southern California. Look south!

 

[immersed]

A tad sensitive today?

No, you're very insensitive.
In looking over your past weeks' posts it appears to me that you spend more time arguing with respondents than addressing the original posters' questions or concerns.
Breaking it down added nothing; there are other absolutely ludicrous scenarios and asinine posts around this board that can benefit that sort of attention. In this case, however, it would have been every bit as effective to simply state "immersed apparently doesn't realize that most of this stuff has in fact been around for 15-30 years. As to your question, here's what I think…"

All you accomplished with your post was to tick me off, re-iterate one of my statements, echo another's sentiment, and make no additional contribution to Janet's original, valid question. Most of us are here to help and to learn. Others are apparently only here to berate and agitate. In this case, I learned that I was wrong. It's happened before and it's ever so slightly possible that it may happen again.

To be very explicit, I am not implying that your intent is to agitate, so you needn't feel compelled to pull that into a quote and wig out. However, many of your statements are acidic in nature. If that is your intention, so be it. If not, before you hit 'submit', you might find value in sitting back and reviewing your words while keeping in mind that on the other end are real people who are without the benefit of your expression or tone of voice. It's abundantly clear that you have the knowledge and experience to make positive, rock solid contributions to this board – I saw it in some of your posts. However, making statements like "diving with his head in the (figurative) sand", and "crazy methods before" are neither humorous nor productive.

Just for the record, I didn't make an assertion as to the age of the safety sausage, and I know how long dive computers have been out – she said she didn't know what they do and I told her. You were so caught up in your rebuke that you failed to notice the purpose of those statements.

No, I wasn't being sensitive, I was being sardonic.

 

[JanetL]

OK boys, play nice. Didn't mean to start a war with my question. I do appreciate all the thoughtful words, and have long ago learned to ignore statements that are irrelevant (I'm a teacher of 20+ years), so eliminating BS is a finely honed skill on my part.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

...eliminating BS is a finely honed skill on my part.

It'll come in handy around here.