Had my 1st confined water dive last night

[silvernotch]

had my first class last night. about 3-4 hours worth of pool time. did all the basic skills like mask removal/flood, reg removal/recovery, basic swimming, putting gear together, etc and had no issues.

now what I DID have problems with. The BC I was using was too big (I think). I kept feeling like I had to pull on the bottom of it when I was at the surface. also I don't know if I'm a fan of the weight integrated BC's. I kept feeling at the surface like I had to force myself to lean back so I didn't tilt forward. I just don't know if I like all the weights sitting on the front of me. Maybe I"ll try the weight belt next time but the whole BC issue just made me feel uncomfortable for most of the dive.

I also had problem clearing my ears. I went to the ENT doctor last week to get checked out and she told me that something in my sinus area is enlarged and I may have a little harder time equalizing than other people. well last night I don't think I started clearing early enough + I think I'm decending too fast. I think it's just something I'm going to have to work on but either way I had some pain at the bottom of the pool (10ft) and my ears popped some last night at home and I can even get them to pop now a little.

I was kind of upset/disgruntled when I first left last night but I had a good time other than those issues. Oh and I need to work on buoyancy too lol. one minute I was like "oh hey bottom of pool" then 2 seconds later I'm like "oh hey surface" haha.

edit: and another thing. My mask kept fogging. The instructor was good but he wasn't really showing us how to apply and wash off the de-fog. I had to reapply like 3 times because I kept washing too much of it off and I'd fog up

 

[diver 85]

ALL things will improve over time--just keep practicing---& learning.....good luck...

EDIT;..& like someone else stated, spit is the best defogger IMO, just get the thickest, bestest you can 'retreive'...

 

[SailNaked]

spit is the best defog, and you do not need the instructor to have a bottle of it.

your ears may loosen up with time, mine did.

you may have a back inflate BC only recourse is to lean all the way back so that you are looking at the ceiling or the clouds. your BC likely has a place near the shoulders and on the tank side for some weights you might try putting 25% of your weight there.

 

[silvernotch]

spit is the best defog, and you do not need the instructor to have a bottle of it.

your ears may loosen up with time, mine did.

you may have a back inflate BC only recourse is to lean all the way back so that you are looking at the ceiling or the clouds. your BC likely has a place near the shoulders and on the tank side for some weights you might try putting 25% of your weight there.

I know there's no place on the back of the BC for hooking weights, I checked after we disassembled everything. I'll try hooking a few lbs on the tank strap if that won't cause any issues

 

[Sask Diver]

had my first class last night. about 3-4 hours worth of pool time. did all the basic skills like mask removal/flood, reg removal/recovery, basic swimming, putting gear together, etc and had no issues.

now what I DID have problems with. The BC I was using was too big (I think). I kept feeling like I had to pull on the bottom of it when I was at the surface. also I don't know if I'm a fan of the weight integrated BC's. I kept feeling at the surface like I had to force myself to lean back so I didn't tilt forward. I just don't know if I like all the weights sitting on the front of me. Maybe I"ll try the weight belt next time but the whole BC issue just made me feel uncomfortable for most of the dive.

I also had problem clearing my ears. I went to the ENT doctor last week to get checked out and she told me that something in my sinus area is enlarged and I may have a little harder time equalizing than other people. well last night I don't think I started clearing early enough + I think I'm decending too fast. I think it's just something I'm going to have to work on but either way I had some pain at the bottom of the pool (10ft) and my ears popped some last night at home and I can even get them to pop now a little.

I was kind of upset/disgruntled when I first left last night but I had a good time other than those issues. Oh and I need to work on buoyancy too lol. one minute I was like "oh hey bottom of pool" then 2 seconds later I'm like "oh hey surface" haha.

edit: and another thing. My mask kept fogging. The instructor was good but he wasn't really showing us how to apply and wash off the de-fog. I had to reapply like 3 times because I kept washing too much of it off and I'd fog up

I don't know how much weight you dive with, but I had the same problem with my BCD the first few times, untill I realized there were pockets on the back.
I ajusted the weight accordingly and everything was fine.

As for the defog, a little squirt inside and rub it all over the glass, rinse and put it on your face, I found out that if you rinse and just lay the mask down or wear it around your neck you have to defog again. put it on your face as soon as you rinse

 

[StevenN]

Everything that you've said is just a natural part of getting used to being in the water. You'll eventually figure everything out as you get more dives in, it's just part of the learning process.

Happy diving!

 

[senseiern]

If the mask is your own, did anyone tell you to clean the silocon off the lenses with regular Colgate toothpaste? cleaned mine over two days. Grabbed a bucket of lukewarm water, and a couple cigars and my Joan Jett MP3s.

Light a cigar, dab of toothpaste onto the left lens, and scrub until the toothpaste began to dry, rinse with bucket water and repeat. I continued this until I smoked my cigar away (90 minutes) then did the right lens the same way. After the second cigar was done, my Joan Jett collection finished, and I called it a night.

The next night, I did the same thing with the outsides. After the lenses were cleaned, I put the mask on without the strap and breathed out through my nose, trying to fog them up. I got a little fog around the edge, where my fingers were not as dilligent to scrub (by the way, use your fingers, not a toothbrush, so you don't scratch the lens). I then made a few passes where the fog appeared and rinsed, repeating the test until the lenses were free of fog and the whites of my eyes were minty fresh.

The next day, I did a pool dive and they worked great after a little spit indie them to make sure they did not fog up.

My mask did leak slightly around my left cheek, but that was caused by anxiety causing a slight deformation of my fce, due to an unpleasant time and disappointed expectations.

If you think the BCD wants to pull up off of you, wait until you get a weight belt! The belt will pull your hips while the BCD will pull your armpits. You will feel like you are on a stretch rack.

Like you, I have trouble getting the weights right and the top/bottom-mambo is not fun. I am told, and I believe them, that the more I dive, the better I will get at finding the right amount of weights. I am not sure about putting weights on the tank belt. The PADI training video stresses to be able to dump the weights. Also, before worrying abotu WHERE to place the weights, focus on finding HOW MUCH weight is right for you. when you get a rough idea of how much you need, you can hold extra in your hands until you find out exactly how much you need to obtain and maintain neutral bouyancy.

The PADI guidelines say not to use drugs because they can wear off suring a dive. But, the night before my pool work, I took a Claritan, and one just before the class started...just to be sure my sinus areas were clear. But, note, if I were suffering from allergies or any kind of breathing passage problem, I would not have dove.

My last dive, I had a problem equalizing, but it got better after I cleared it the first time. I almost stopped my underwater work until it cleared. Once it did, everything was great. I try to clear my ears once a day, just to clean out any buildup.

 

[silvernotch]

If the mask is your own, did anyone tell you to clean the silocon off the lenses with regular Colgate toothpaste? cleaned mine over two days. Grabbed a bucket of lukewarm water, and a couple cigars and my Joan Jett MP3s.

Light a cigar, dab of toothpaste onto the left lens, and scrub until the toothpaste began to dry, rinse with bucket water and repeat. I continued this until I smoked my cigar away (90 minutes) then did the right lens the same way. After the second cigar was done, my Joan Jett collection finished, and I called it a night.

The next night, I did the same thing with the outsides. After the lenses were cleaned, I put the mask on without the strap and breathed out through my nose, trying to fog them up. I got a little fog around the edge, where my fingers were not as dilligent to scrub (by the way, use your fingers, not a toothbrush, so you don't scratch the lens). I then made a few passes where the fog appeared and rinsed, repeating the test until the lenses were free of fog and the whites of my eyes were minty fresh.

The next day, I did a pool dive and they worked great after a little spit indie them to make sure they did not fog up.

My mask did leak slightly around my left cheek, but that was caused by anxiety causing a slight deformation of my fce, due to an unpleasant time and disappointed expectations.

If you think the BCD wants to pull up off of you, wait until you get a weight belt! The belt will pull your hips while the BCD will pull your armpits. You will feel like you are on a stretch rack.

Like you, I have trouble getting the weights right and the top/bottom-mambo is not fun. I am told, and I believe them, that the more I dive, the better I will get at finding the right amount of weights. I am not sure about putting weights on the tank belt. The PADI training video stresses to be able to dump the weights. Also, before worrying abotu WHERE to place the weights, focus on finding HOW MUCH weight is right for you. when you get a rough idea of how much you need, you can hold extra in your hands until you find out exactly how much you need to obtain and maintain neutral bouyancy.

The PADI guidelines say not to use drugs because they can wear off suring a dive. But, the night before my pool work, I took a Claritan, and one just before the class started...just to be sure my sinus areas were clear. But, note, if I were suffering from allergies or any kind of breathing passage problem, I would not have dove.

My last dive, I had a problem equalizing, but it got better after I cleared it the first time. I almost stopped my underwater work until it cleared. Once it did, everything was great. I try to clear my ears once a day, just to clean out any buildup.

it was a rental mask that I used. but I'll keep the cigar/toothpaste method for when I buy my own. :cool2:

and I didn't think about the BCD wanting to "float" more if I use a weight belt. ehhhh maybe I'll just stick to the integrated weights

and I'm not really comfortable using meds. if anything I'll use some saline spray to see if that helps me out.

thanks everyone for the help

 

[raya]

Hi Silvernotch
Thats so great to hear that you've started your course, and well done for sharing your experiences with us. As many have told you, all that you do will become easier with practise... Just relax right now its will all seem strange and heavier and a bit messed up..you'll see that the next pool session you have it will be less stressed out.

For your mask, I would reccomend getting your own when you can, that way you can try as many as you like and find one that fits your face perfectly. When having a new mask, I have always taken a lighter to the inside of the glass (obviously not to the seal area) as there is a very fine film that if it's not removed will keep you fogged up for a long time! When the glass is lightly black then I wash it. And spit and toothpaste are the best de-foggers! I rub toothpaste into my mask before every dive even just before I get in and then wash out in the water and have a little spit and voila! For your sinuses, if Im slightly bunged up or during the summer I suffer from hayfever so I use a little decongestion spray, vicks or something similar, and that usually does the job. However, don't forse yourself. If it hurts remember to come up a little, see if that helps. Also becareful in popping your ears... This really isn't good for them, as a diver our ears are vital, so we need to look after them. I perforated my ear some years ago now and I was not allowed to dive for for 3 months. I was lucky, I know others who have spent over a year waiting to heal properly.
If the BCD feels too big for you, then ask to try a smaller size, this is a perfect time for you to try out all different equipment, this will help you also to decide on what to buy if you decide to buy your own gear. Your tank should feel comfortable on your back, when walking it should feel like a snug backpack, and underwater you should pretty much be able to forget that its there, if its sliding from side to side or knocking you on the back of your head then the tank either needs adjusting or the BCD needs to be smaller. This can also have an effect on your buoyancy. Buoyancy will come with practise, practise with your breathing and with the weights, if your spending the whole time on the bottom of the pool and having to inflate your BCD to get you off then lose a weight... Practise, practise and more practise fun hey!!! Keep us posted. Have fun xx

 

[gcbryan]

The BC feeling like you need to pull the bottom of it down when you are at the surface is just the nature of traditional BC's. You'll get used to it. There are other types where you can use a crotch strap which keeps that from happening but in your case it will mainly just be a matter of getting used to new equipment/experiences.

The mask generally doesn't fog up badly except when it's new and you have to remove the chemicals put on at the factory. Otherwise, it happens just because the mask isn't clean. When you use defogger or spit you just clean out the little particulates.

Once you get used to flooding and clearing a mask underwater you'll take care of that issue anyway.

Have fun!