After several months of "dreaming" I actually started my Inspiration training yesterday. We spent 2 hrs in the classroom setting them up and talking about the basics for today's dive (3:30 am wakeup call ... way too early, even for diving IMHO)
After setting them up I went home and spent the afternoon getting to know my new (loaner) computer, an HS Explorer (Mahalo Brad for the loaner) my project was to learn how to switch gases on it (let's see, hold left button for 3 seconds within 30 seconds of reaching PO2 switch depth and scroll to PO2 of 1.3 ... or if missing the auto switch hold both buttons for 1 second, scroll to second PO2 option, then exit by holding left button for 3 seconds to save settings ... :S ) So many button presses and combinations it's gonna drive me batty! LOL plus gotta remember to switch the set point on the handset (classic inspiration handset) ... lots more to remember than when diving open circuit, and I had not even hit the water yet! LOL
I was sound asleep by 9:30 and other than waking up every hour to make sure I had not overslept (just a wee bit excited
) it was a good nights rest... till the alarm went off at 3:30am and I wanted to hit it ... if I could find the energy to reach it :S fortunately the alarm clock won and I got up, making my way to the dive shop in Kihei by 4:15am, where Brad, Jason, Dave and Stan were just finishing loading up the boat (how do they manage to get up so early every day ... and still be friendly?)
We got out to Molokini following a beautiful sunrise (orange and pink sky) with not a wave in sight - perfectly calm day... then after running thru all the checks and pre-breathing cycle we jumped in ...
3 hours later ...
I gotta say "WHAT A BLAST!" I loved it! We did 2 hour long dives - avg depth first dive was around 68 fsw and second dive average depth was 57 fsw. It was so cool to look at my computer and see I had 388 minutes NDL at the end of the second dive while I was still at 55 fsw
Highlights of the day:
No bubbles: The whales were singing - it was so wonderful to hear during the entire first dive without having to pause my breathing so the bubbles didn't drown out there noise.
Close encounters: The fish were not afraid of us at all - SO COOL!
Uncropped image - and lens was on wide angle - he came close enough to reach out and touch him!
both dives the fish and turtles were obviously less agitated by our presence - it was great.
A few observations:
Trim and weighting: While it wasn't terribly off I did find myself fighting to stay horizontal - so next time I'm moving a couple more pounds up to the weight pouch on top of the unit. I miss my BP/Wing terribly
Bouyancy: While different it was not a difficult as I'd assumed - in many ways it is much easier - I do have to learn to use my BC more often, but on the way down as soon as I'd start getting a little too negative I'd inhale deeply, the ADV would add diluent to makeup what I'd lost due to compression and I was nearly neutral again.
Brad took video of my first descent. A little trouble getting down, and I did bump into the bottom, but not very hard - a single finger was all it took to keep me from hitting bottom - a bit more work on the BC inflation skills and I can see where it won't be very difficult at all. btw - while the video doesn't have as much comedic value as I'd hoped, I still found it helpful.
Ascents: These were a bit tougher as I am used to a slight inhale to start my upward movement. While all I needed to do was to breathe off the excess thru my nose as it expanded on the upward journey, all too often I found myself exhaling just a little bit too much and would begin sinking again ... practice needed.
PO2: As this is an electronic unit I didn't need to do much other than monitor it and change the setpoint on the way down, and then again during the ascent. I found myself checking it every 5 minutes just as I normally do for my spg when diving OC. On ascent and descent I did look much more frequently, and on ascent I simply held the PO2 gauge in my hand next to my depth gauge - made it simpler to keep an eye on it during that portion of the dive.
The biggest change to get used to was all the buckles, clips, straps, padding and "clutter" I'm just not used to all that as I've only dove in a Hogarthian harness since dive #3 of my open water course ... definitely going to take some adjustment
Once the dives were over we headed back to the shop, cleaned the units (simpler than anticipated) and then I began my drive back home.
Overall I would say that I was expecting the whole experience to be much more difficult and involved than it was. And while I need a lot of practice, it's no longer a daunting task.
Many thanks to Brad at B&B scuba for providing me this incredible opportunity - I enjoyed this even more than my first time on an X-Scooter ... and that's saying a LOT
Aloha, Tim
After setting them up I went home and spent the afternoon getting to know my new (loaner) computer, an HS Explorer (Mahalo Brad for the loaner) my project was to learn how to switch gases on it (let's see, hold left button for 3 seconds within 30 seconds of reaching PO2 switch depth and scroll to PO2 of 1.3 ... or if missing the auto switch hold both buttons for 1 second, scroll to second PO2 option, then exit by holding left button for 3 seconds to save settings ... :S ) So many button presses and combinations it's gonna drive me batty! LOL plus gotta remember to switch the set point on the handset (classic inspiration handset) ... lots more to remember than when diving open circuit, and I had not even hit the water yet! LOL
I was sound asleep by 9:30 and other than waking up every hour to make sure I had not overslept (just a wee bit excited
) it was a good nights rest... till the alarm went off at 3:30am and I wanted to hit it ... if I could find the energy to reach it :S fortunately the alarm clock won and I got up, making my way to the dive shop in Kihei by 4:15am, where Brad, Jason, Dave and Stan were just finishing loading up the boat (how do they manage to get up so early every day ... and still be friendly?)We got out to Molokini following a beautiful sunrise (orange and pink sky) with not a wave in sight - perfectly calm day... then after running thru all the checks and pre-breathing cycle we jumped in ...
3 hours later ...
I gotta say "WHAT A BLAST!" I loved it! We did 2 hour long dives - avg depth first dive was around 68 fsw and second dive average depth was 57 fsw. It was so cool to look at my computer and see I had 388 minutes NDL at the end of the second dive while I was still at 55 fsw
Highlights of the day:
No bubbles: The whales were singing - it was so wonderful to hear during the entire first dive without having to pause my breathing so the bubbles didn't drown out there noise.
Close encounters: The fish were not afraid of us at all - SO COOL!
Uncropped image - and lens was on wide angle - he came close enough to reach out and touch him!
both dives the fish and turtles were obviously less agitated by our presence - it was great.
A few observations:
Trim and weighting: While it wasn't terribly off I did find myself fighting to stay horizontal - so next time I'm moving a couple more pounds up to the weight pouch on top of the unit. I miss my BP/Wing terribly
Bouyancy: While different it was not a difficult as I'd assumed - in many ways it is much easier - I do have to learn to use my BC more often, but on the way down as soon as I'd start getting a little too negative I'd inhale deeply, the ADV would add diluent to makeup what I'd lost due to compression and I was nearly neutral again.
Brad took video of my first descent. A little trouble getting down, and I did bump into the bottom, but not very hard - a single finger was all it took to keep me from hitting bottom - a bit more work on the BC inflation skills and I can see where it won't be very difficult at all. btw - while the video doesn't have as much comedic value as I'd hoped, I still found it helpful.
Ascents: These were a bit tougher as I am used to a slight inhale to start my upward movement. While all I needed to do was to breathe off the excess thru my nose as it expanded on the upward journey, all too often I found myself exhaling just a little bit too much and would begin sinking again ... practice needed.
PO2: As this is an electronic unit I didn't need to do much other than monitor it and change the setpoint on the way down, and then again during the ascent. I found myself checking it every 5 minutes just as I normally do for my spg when diving OC. On ascent and descent I did look much more frequently, and on ascent I simply held the PO2 gauge in my hand next to my depth gauge - made it simpler to keep an eye on it during that portion of the dive.
The biggest change to get used to was all the buckles, clips, straps, padding and "clutter" I'm just not used to all that as I've only dove in a Hogarthian harness since dive #3 of my open water course ... definitely going to take some adjustment
Once the dives were over we headed back to the shop, cleaned the units (simpler than anticipated) and then I began my drive back home.
Overall I would say that I was expecting the whole experience to be much more difficult and involved than it was. And while I need a lot of practice, it's no longer a daunting task.
Many thanks to Brad at B&B scuba for providing me this incredible opportunity - I enjoyed this even more than my first time on an X-Scooter ... and that's saying a LOT
Aloha, Tim
