Cleetus Van Damme
Registered
Hi everybody!
I'm a quite new recreational diver - I started around this time last year, I've done 30-some dives.
This site has already been great in confirming the change I was undergoing from doing what you would call "trust me" dives to taking responsibility for myself and others, and thinking about risks, scenarios and how to dive safer and help my buddies more. So, thanks very much, I appreciate it.
Just very briefly, in the short time I've been diving:
1. in my intro course, our group has gotten very, very lost and tried to battle against a strong current to get to our sheltered exit point, with one of us sea-sick and the instructor helping them, and some of us having to "beach" on rocks to get out
2. I've done boat dives onto and into wrecks in the Philippines which - with more training and perspective - I realise I should never have attempted at what was then my level of experience (but got away clean - thankyou dumb luck)
3. I've had my BC fail during a night dive, so it leaked hugely and I was by no means sure I could surface without assistance or ditching weight.
Newbie experiences, and nothing, I am sure, compared to the experienced members. Yet, through diving I've already felt the full gamut of emotions - from elation, to awe, to fear and back again - and its left me wanting more!
I've also realised that what I started out seeing as just a fun recreational thing to do is also a serious endeavour that I need to respect as a discipline and learn as such. Signing up here and reading as much as I can is part of my attempt to do that as safely as possible, for me and my buddies. The assistance of all those who may read and comment on my posts is greatly appreciated.
Cheers guys, look forward to posting and reading in future.
CVD
I'm a quite new recreational diver - I started around this time last year, I've done 30-some dives.
This site has already been great in confirming the change I was undergoing from doing what you would call "trust me" dives to taking responsibility for myself and others, and thinking about risks, scenarios and how to dive safer and help my buddies more. So, thanks very much, I appreciate it.
Just very briefly, in the short time I've been diving:
1. in my intro course, our group has gotten very, very lost and tried to battle against a strong current to get to our sheltered exit point, with one of us sea-sick and the instructor helping them, and some of us having to "beach" on rocks to get out
2. I've done boat dives onto and into wrecks in the Philippines which - with more training and perspective - I realise I should never have attempted at what was then my level of experience (but got away clean - thankyou dumb luck)
3. I've had my BC fail during a night dive, so it leaked hugely and I was by no means sure I could surface without assistance or ditching weight.
Newbie experiences, and nothing, I am sure, compared to the experienced members. Yet, through diving I've already felt the full gamut of emotions - from elation, to awe, to fear and back again - and its left me wanting more!
I've also realised that what I started out seeing as just a fun recreational thing to do is also a serious endeavour that I need to respect as a discipline and learn as such. Signing up here and reading as much as I can is part of my attempt to do that as safely as possible, for me and my buddies. The assistance of all those who may read and comment on my posts is greatly appreciated.
Cheers guys, look forward to posting and reading in future.
CVD
