Going to Dutch Springs for OWC 11/13-14 Any tips???

[dzechman]

Good luck Shady! You will do fine. Just relax, remember everything you learned in class and of course have fun! My husband and I checked out at Willow Springs in September. So we are also very green. Three weeks after we checked out we went to Willow on our own and did 3 dives. We had a blast and our confidence level went up after successfully completing 3 dives on our own. Surface temp was 72 and at about 30 ft dropped to 55. Vis was about 0 to 5.

We are planning a trip to Cozumel in January. We are so excited about diving in warmer water and see all the wild life. I would really like to hear about your trip when you return.

Be safe and have fun!!

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Remember that everyone's definition of cold is different. A 7mm suit is quite comfy in 55 degree water, I've had students unzipping them at 65 degrees because they were too warm. Get a good hood that covers most of your face and make sure you try it on while wearing a mask and then put a regulator in your mouth to make sure it isn't going to apply pressure to either. I can tell you from experience it's no fun having the bottom skirt of your mask and the chin of your hood trying to meet in your mouth where the regulator is supposed to be. Three-fingered gloves keep you much warmer than the five fingered variety although you lose some dexterity. You'll have to practice working with your equipment while you're still on the surface to get the feel for having three of your fingers "tied" together.

Make sure you only move your arms when necessary to execute a skill. Keeping your hands clasped in front of you minimizes water exchange in your gloves and this helps keep you warmer longer. Warm hands and head mean you will feel warmer all over and will enjoy your dive. Most of my dives are in water 55 degrees and colder and in a 1/4 inch wetsuit which is thinner than a 7mm especially since it's an older suit and has compressed some. You will probably be having so much fun you don't notice the cold anyway.

I was helping with December check-outs once and the water was about 50 degrees but with the windchill the air temp was 3 below zero, THAT was cold! We had to do the surface interval in the water because it was the only way to keep the students warm. That group definitely earned their c-cards, if they could dive in that they could dive in anything.

Enjoy your dives!
Ber :lilbunny: