Yup, very good idea. Again, this is why I read the book first too. I am trying to find some used gear to start with too. Been poking around in the classified section but haven't really found what I'm looking for so far. The search continues...
Journal of my new PADI course
- Thread starter XS-NRG
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Yup, very good idea. Again, this is why I read the book first too. I am trying to find some used gear to start with too. Been poking around in the classified section but haven't really found what I'm looking for so far. The search continues...
DAY 4
After a long week at work I was looking forward to today...BUT...I'm Sick!!! This is obviously not good and as outlined previously in the course you shouldn't dive with a cold. Ear equalization problems, and reverse block conditions are present when diving like this. Tonight was going to be a questionable call. Before the night even started I went into the LDS to discuss this with the instructor and we came up with a plan. Classroom work was to continue as scheduled (I've had this cold a week now and am just coming off it). Our classroom session was pretty much like any other: discussion, video, more discussion, info on OW Dive 1 & 2 happening this weekend and then learning tables. Half the evening was set aside for tables. We had read the info prior to the night as well as playing with our eRDPml units so most of us were pretty sharp when examples came up. Only a few people struggled but for the most part I can honestly say that as confusing as they look at first glance they are really very simple. Our skillset was discussed at the class before getting to the pool and what we should be practicing on our own throughout the rest of the pool time. We only had a few skills to do then had to focus the rest on any skills we needed to master. Off to the pool...
Now before I go any further I do realize there may be many people that will chastise me or the instructor or both for my next decision but it was done systematically and cautiously and with a game plan in mind as well as me knowing myself.
The other part of our plan was that I knew the hazards associated with doing this with a cold and ultimately if I was unable to do this I was to abort the dive but if I wanted to try slowly first then the option was mine. I wanted to get in and get on with things so I proceeded very slowly. My buddy knew the situation and so did just about everyone else (in fact I wasn't the only person with a cold). As we worked our way to the deep end I equalized slowly and carefully. I was able to do it without a problem. So the skills started as we did out of air situations and an ascent and manually fill our BC at the surface, then repeat with the other person. Back down we went and right away... my ears wouldn't equalize. I knew this, and my buddy could recognize this right away too. We stayed a few feet under rather than going all the way down and finished our skill. Next was a tired diver tow for both so as this was surface work with both did our tow. No problems.
We were all instructed to go to the shallow end to do some more no mask work. We did our no mask breathe for a good minute each and I even tried to keep my eyes open but had difficulties with this when I exhaled. All the bubbles would invade my eyes and I eventually just closed them every time I exhaled and opened during inhalation. Following this we had to do a swim with no mask but as luck would have it we did it across the pool sideways in the shallow end only. Again both of us completed the skill no problem and as I was only in about 3 feet of water I was completely ok. After a quick cramp removal technique everyone had to go back to the deep end to do pretty much every skill we've learned but all in the deep end at the bottom. I decided to try again. Now I've mentioned earlier than I know myself and this played an important role in the evening. As a child I've been in the pool almost every day and completed the entire swimming course (White badge with Rescue 1,2,3 for those that remember). I know that at 6-7 feet my ears can't take it but anything less than that is fine and I have no problems. As we made our way to the deep end and approaching 6 feet my ears were telling me to equalize and I tried (but not very hard) and it was a no go again. My instructor earlier in the day had warned to take it easy and not to screw up my ears. Don't force it. There is always another night to dive. I knew this was it and I could not continue. Dive Aborted (sort of).
I informed my instructor about this and she agreed that I shouldn't even try any further but this really only applied to the deep end. There were a few others that were having problems too so knowing myself (combined with the other work done in the shallow end) I knew I could do the other skills in only 1-2 feet of water (under the surface). Another instructor stayed back with us and as long as we were under water we were still perfectly able to do all the skills. So we did!!! Mask partial fills, complete removals, reg recoveries, out of air, BCD oral inflation, free flow regulator, fin pivots, no mask swimming and more tired diver towing were all on the list and there were no problems. The other component of the night was to do a hover and using breathing control to remain neutral. As I'm too tall to really perfect this in the shallow end I did goto the deeper end to do this part but again only stayed under the water a couple feet. I pretty much spent the rest of the time doing this and started to get quite used to it. The other interesting part of this exercise was the fact that pool lane line markers were still floating in the pool so I opted to float under one of those in shallow water to try to master buoyancy control. I think as a result I may have accidentally stumbled onto something that works very well to do this exercise. Go into the shallowest water, stay off the bottom and stay off the top. Hover completely horizontal and trim under the buoys but off the bottom. It was quite difficult to do but eventually I did it and it worked well.
Even though the night was not ideal and I couldn't goto depth I found a way not to completely write it off. I didn't feel like I had to just completely quit. I was presented with a problem and there were parameters that had to be avoided and I came up with a solution. I know there will be some that will think my actions were foolish and I should have either gotten out of the pool completely or not even gone in at all but diving is supposed to be about diving within your limits and I knew that what I proposed (and ultimately what I ended up doing) were acceptable to me and I felt comfortable and avoided twiddling my thumbs on the surface the whole time. I would say I found my limit for the evening, stayed away from it, dove conservatively and still managed to enjoy myself and make the night successful without problems or endangering myself. OW Dives this weekend (health permitting). See you in a couple days..........
After a long week at work I was looking forward to today...BUT...I'm Sick!!! This is obviously not good and as outlined previously in the course you shouldn't dive with a cold. Ear equalization problems, and reverse block conditions are present when diving like this. Tonight was going to be a questionable call. Before the night even started I went into the LDS to discuss this with the instructor and we came up with a plan. Classroom work was to continue as scheduled (I've had this cold a week now and am just coming off it). Our classroom session was pretty much like any other: discussion, video, more discussion, info on OW Dive 1 & 2 happening this weekend and then learning tables. Half the evening was set aside for tables. We had read the info prior to the night as well as playing with our eRDPml units so most of us were pretty sharp when examples came up. Only a few people struggled but for the most part I can honestly say that as confusing as they look at first glance they are really very simple. Our skillset was discussed at the class before getting to the pool and what we should be practicing on our own throughout the rest of the pool time. We only had a few skills to do then had to focus the rest on any skills we needed to master. Off to the pool...
Now before I go any further I do realize there may be many people that will chastise me or the instructor or both for my next decision but it was done systematically and cautiously and with a game plan in mind as well as me knowing myself.
The other part of our plan was that I knew the hazards associated with doing this with a cold and ultimately if I was unable to do this I was to abort the dive but if I wanted to try slowly first then the option was mine. I wanted to get in and get on with things so I proceeded very slowly. My buddy knew the situation and so did just about everyone else (in fact I wasn't the only person with a cold). As we worked our way to the deep end I equalized slowly and carefully. I was able to do it without a problem. So the skills started as we did out of air situations and an ascent and manually fill our BC at the surface, then repeat with the other person. Back down we went and right away... my ears wouldn't equalize. I knew this, and my buddy could recognize this right away too. We stayed a few feet under rather than going all the way down and finished our skill. Next was a tired diver tow for both so as this was surface work with both did our tow. No problems.
We were all instructed to go to the shallow end to do some more no mask work. We did our no mask breathe for a good minute each and I even tried to keep my eyes open but had difficulties with this when I exhaled. All the bubbles would invade my eyes and I eventually just closed them every time I exhaled and opened during inhalation. Following this we had to do a swim with no mask but as luck would have it we did it across the pool sideways in the shallow end only. Again both of us completed the skill no problem and as I was only in about 3 feet of water I was completely ok. After a quick cramp removal technique everyone had to go back to the deep end to do pretty much every skill we've learned but all in the deep end at the bottom. I decided to try again. Now I've mentioned earlier than I know myself and this played an important role in the evening. As a child I've been in the pool almost every day and completed the entire swimming course (White badge with Rescue 1,2,3 for those that remember). I know that at 6-7 feet my ears can't take it but anything less than that is fine and I have no problems. As we made our way to the deep end and approaching 6 feet my ears were telling me to equalize and I tried (but not very hard) and it was a no go again. My instructor earlier in the day had warned to take it easy and not to screw up my ears. Don't force it. There is always another night to dive. I knew this was it and I could not continue. Dive Aborted (sort of).
I informed my instructor about this and she agreed that I shouldn't even try any further but this really only applied to the deep end. There were a few others that were having problems too so knowing myself (combined with the other work done in the shallow end) I knew I could do the other skills in only 1-2 feet of water (under the surface). Another instructor stayed back with us and as long as we were under water we were still perfectly able to do all the skills. So we did!!! Mask partial fills, complete removals, reg recoveries, out of air, BCD oral inflation, free flow regulator, fin pivots, no mask swimming and more tired diver towing were all on the list and there were no problems. The other component of the night was to do a hover and using breathing control to remain neutral. As I'm too tall to really perfect this in the shallow end I did goto the deeper end to do this part but again only stayed under the water a couple feet. I pretty much spent the rest of the time doing this and started to get quite used to it. The other interesting part of this exercise was the fact that pool lane line markers were still floating in the pool so I opted to float under one of those in shallow water to try to master buoyancy control. I think as a result I may have accidentally stumbled onto something that works very well to do this exercise. Go into the shallowest water, stay off the bottom and stay off the top. Hover completely horizontal and trim under the buoys but off the bottom. It was quite difficult to do but eventually I did it and it worked well.
Even though the night was not ideal and I couldn't goto depth I found a way not to completely write it off. I didn't feel like I had to just completely quit. I was presented with a problem and there were parameters that had to be avoided and I came up with a solution. I know there will be some that will think my actions were foolish and I should have either gotten out of the pool completely or not even gone in at all but diving is supposed to be about diving within your limits and I knew that what I proposed (and ultimately what I ended up doing) were acceptable to me and I felt comfortable and avoided twiddling my thumbs on the surface the whole time. I would say I found my limit for the evening, stayed away from it, dove conservatively and still managed to enjoy myself and make the night successful without problems or endangering myself. OW Dives this weekend (health permitting). See you in a couple days..........
Well, I hope you didn't wake up this morning with ears that are now entirely plugged. Being even a few feet down and not equalized creates a relative vaccuum in the middle ear, and can cause swelling and fluid transudation into the air space, particularly when the situation is prolonged. (If you don't believe me, read about capillary and lymphatic fluid dynamics, where the forces moving water are tiny!)
On the other hand, you clearly made lemonade and put what you COULD do to good use.
I want to address, however, your comment about being unable to work on the hover in shallow water, because you are too tall. You can hover in very small amounts of water, no matter how tall you are, if you do it in a horizontal, diving position -- which is entirely satsifactory to meet the requirements of the skill.
On the other hand, you clearly made lemonade and put what you COULD do to good use.
I want to address, however, your comment about being unable to work on the hover in shallow water, because you are too tall. You can hover in very small amounts of water, no matter how tall you are, if you do it in a horizontal, diving position -- which is entirely satsifactory to meet the requirements of the skill.
No problems waking up the next day. Like I said I'm coming off this cold and this was 2 days ago now (even though the post was last night). I'm feeling much better already and think I will be fine for tomorrow too.
As far as the hover I wanted to do it vertical first so that I could use the edge of the pool as a reference for going up and down. That's why I went to the deeper end. I essentially was doing a type of yoga pose suspended. I then did it horizontal in the shallow end under the buoys once I got into the breathing rhythm.
As far as the hover I wanted to do it vertical first so that I could use the edge of the pool as a reference for going up and down. That's why I went to the deeper end. I essentially was doing a type of yoga pose suspended. I then did it horizontal in the shallow end under the buoys once I got into the breathing rhythm.
OW Dives 1 & 2
The start of my OW day last weekend actually started the night before. Getting everything ready, making sure I had all my gear as well as food, water, extra towels, warm clothes and even a toque and winter gloves. The weather up north here is getting cold and the water is even colder. I did my best to get everything ready the night before as well as getting a good nights sleep. My cold was still lingering slightly and was certainly going to be the key component to whether or not I could even do the dive. In addition to simply gathering all my stuff I went an extra step further and actually hooked all my rental gear up at home with my BC, regs, and tanks. To my surprise (and I'm glad I checked) I found that after hooking my reg up to the first tank and turned the air on there was a prominent air leak. This leak was not small either. In fact, I turned the air off and literally watched my SPG as the gauge decreased fairly quickly. My first thought was, great, my reg is leaking and there likely won't be any spares on site. Secondly I thought maybe it was a tank issue or an O-ring issue. After purging the lines I then hooked up my 2nd tank and thank god, no leak. Having now ruled out the possibility of the reg being at fault I decided to leave it because I knew there would be extra tanks on hand and I could address the issue in the morning with my instructor.
My morning started out quite early as I was up at 6:45 am getting ready to drive about 1 - 1.5 hours to the lake where we'd be doing our dives (Waterton Lakes National Park). I made it to the lake a bit earlier than most people and met up with a couple certified divers and told them of my problem and it was thought that the O-ring was likely to blame. We swapped it out only to find that the tank was still leaking. Once my instructor showed up we figured it was a valve leak and simply drained the tank and put it aside to be checked and repaired and I got a new spare tank that was brought along. Now, the 2 tanks I was issued were 90 CU FT. steel tanks. I just replaced mine with an 80 CU FT Aluminum tank. Those that understand what that means can clearly see where this is going (more later).
The most interesting part of the whole dive was actually in the planning. This was no ordinary dive, there were other factors to consider (even though this is the most basic certification). We were actually altitude diving and on top of that the water was fairly cold. (52 degrees F/11 degrees C). Although we had touched on this in class we didn't really know what it meant and we were about to get a more in depth lesson. The city where we were coming from was 3000 feet above sea level and the lake was nearly 5000 feet above sea level. We had to calculate theoretical depths based on this fact as well as the fact that even though we hadn't dived yet, we already had a surface interval and had residual nitrogen from air pressure changes alone. When we first arrived we were actually considered to be a "D" pressure group and with an hour SIT time we were starting off as a "B" diver. All of our calculations were done to see if we could go down to our desired depths for our desired times as well as our 2nd SIT time and everything looked good. We accounted for the cold water by adding an extra 10 feet of depth and made note of the fact that if we went any deeper by accident that we would still be within the table limits for our plan. Everything looked good. Half of us were using Suunto dive computers and were allowed to go by our computers.
Dive 1
As the lake was quite cold we were all suited up in full body 7mm wetsuits (one piece suit, hood, gloves and booties). After stretching on what seemed like a giant condom we quickly got our BCDs on and hit the water. Everything else we setup prior to dive planning in street clothes so as not to over heat. Having never had a wetsuit on in cold water before it didn't seem bad when first walking in. You couldn't feel the water at all. Then it hit us. Water slowly crept in between the suit and our body and it felt like it was freezing. About a minute later you didn't even notice the effects as natural body temperature warmed up that thin layer of water (as intended) and it felt really warm. Next came our buoyancy checks, a quick swim to the dive float/flag and in pairs we descended down the line right beside a ship wreck. Altitude diving, cold water diving, and a ship wreck... quite the first dive! This was a bit of a luxury really until we all stirred up the bottom too much and then couldn't see a thing. This really was to be expected and our first order of business was to stay off the bottom and swim neutrally buoyant. It didn't take long for most to figure this out but I had some issues. Although I was properly weighted (with my aluminum tank) I actually kept floating up. Too deep a breath and I was having multiple runaway ascents. Now lucky for me we were only down about 15 feet or so, so there wasn't a whole lot of concern when this happened but it certainly wasn't a good thing either. My last confined pool dive will be dedicated alot to buoyancy control (it's my weakest skill by far it seems). Once I managed to get a handle on this I had quite a good time swimming in a line with all the others as we finally make it through the silt cloud and followed the natural contours of the lake bottom. Before long 26 minutes had passed and a max depth of 26 ft was made (according to my computer) and it was time to surface.
Our first dive was great and most of us didn't want to get out, but as soon as we surfaced and felt the air outside on our wet bodies we certainly wanted to get out a bit more quickly. Before doing anything else we headed into the camp kitchen (where there was a fire already going) and dried off. We went over what happened, what we did wrong, what we did right and then logged our dive. We started as a "B" diver, ended as an "I" diver and then sat for 1:30. This dive was a shore dive in freshwater and I had 30lbs of weight on. In 26 minutes I went from 2700 PSI to 1500 PSI. For that depth I'm probably still an air hog.
After our SIT time we were ready to go back in and again began the dive as a "B" diver. Now, you will remember my tank issue as explained earlier, I used a new aluminum one on my first dive. For my second dive I then switched to my steel tank. Of course, I was too excited to get back in and completely forgot to do a buoyancy check (even though we were told to) and as you can probably imagine, I sank like a rock. I didn't consider this at all and looking back I can now see how crucial this actually is. It's quite easy to overlook and forget but it's not without its consequences. As far as the second dive went. I completely failed this one very important aspect of it and almost ruined my 2nd dive.
Dive 2
Our buddy groups were re-organized and this time we had to work on skills. Above water we did tired diver tows and under water we did our cramp removals, reg recoveries and clears, and mask clearing. This time I tried using my compass as much as possible to get my bearings under water but as I was over-weighted I was having a hard time staying off the bottom. I was adding a ton of air to my BCD and it seemed like I was never going to get buoyant. I had to swim a bit more diagonally to stay off the bottom and as a result used way more air. Being the culprit for stirring up the bottom this time I actually managed to lose my buddy. In fact, my buddy actually couldn't see anything and was forced to surface. One of the instructors asked me where my buddy was and I then had an opportunity to do a lost buddy skill. I stayed still and turned around for 30s to 1 min looking but no dice, so up to the surface I went. Again, due to bad weighting I found it very difficult to swim up to the surface and half way through found myself looking at my computer and realizing I was actually descending. This was not working so well. After swimming harder towards the surface I got to about 8 feet and then had to actually add a bit more air to my BCD (as I was dumping it as I ascended) just to help me get to the surface.
Now I know that doing that is not proper and certainly something I needed to address but I was too far from the shore to do anything about it just at that moment. I found my buddy who was already on the surface and I ended up staying in some shallower water for the rest of the dive and to finish 2 more skills. This time I added much more air to my BCD and managed to stay off the bottom as we did alternate air source ascents. After both of us did this we finished off with a surface swim/tired diver tow again and exited the water.
Just as before we got out of the water and got dry right away and actually changed back into regular clothes as that was it for the day. We logged our dives and again discussed what happened. This dive was 22 minutes starting as a "B" and ending as a "K". Because I had troubles at first I actually had drifted a bit lower than my first dive and my computer was showing 34 feet (8 feet deeper than my first, which again is not a good thing). Having had too many problems and using more air to stay buoyant and breathing more to work harder I started with 3200 PSI and dropped to 1600 PSI. I used about 600 PSI more on my second dive and was down for less time too.
Clearly my biggest downfall was the fact I didn't do a buoyancy check/weight check prior to going down and turned into a bit of an issue in several areas. I know for sure this won't happen to me again. I'll never get my C-Card if it does.
Time to do some more review before my final class tonight. Day 5 is tonight and dives 3 & 4 on Saturday. All in all my progress has been good and I've mastered just about all the skills but my main focus from here on is weight control and buoyancy. I know this and I need to work on it. See you tomorrow..........
The start of my OW day last weekend actually started the night before. Getting everything ready, making sure I had all my gear as well as food, water, extra towels, warm clothes and even a toque and winter gloves. The weather up north here is getting cold and the water is even colder. I did my best to get everything ready the night before as well as getting a good nights sleep. My cold was still lingering slightly and was certainly going to be the key component to whether or not I could even do the dive. In addition to simply gathering all my stuff I went an extra step further and actually hooked all my rental gear up at home with my BC, regs, and tanks. To my surprise (and I'm glad I checked) I found that after hooking my reg up to the first tank and turned the air on there was a prominent air leak. This leak was not small either. In fact, I turned the air off and literally watched my SPG as the gauge decreased fairly quickly. My first thought was, great, my reg is leaking and there likely won't be any spares on site. Secondly I thought maybe it was a tank issue or an O-ring issue. After purging the lines I then hooked up my 2nd tank and thank god, no leak. Having now ruled out the possibility of the reg being at fault I decided to leave it because I knew there would be extra tanks on hand and I could address the issue in the morning with my instructor.
My morning started out quite early as I was up at 6:45 am getting ready to drive about 1 - 1.5 hours to the lake where we'd be doing our dives (Waterton Lakes National Park). I made it to the lake a bit earlier than most people and met up with a couple certified divers and told them of my problem and it was thought that the O-ring was likely to blame. We swapped it out only to find that the tank was still leaking. Once my instructor showed up we figured it was a valve leak and simply drained the tank and put it aside to be checked and repaired and I got a new spare tank that was brought along. Now, the 2 tanks I was issued were 90 CU FT. steel tanks. I just replaced mine with an 80 CU FT Aluminum tank. Those that understand what that means can clearly see where this is going (more later).
The most interesting part of the whole dive was actually in the planning. This was no ordinary dive, there were other factors to consider (even though this is the most basic certification). We were actually altitude diving and on top of that the water was fairly cold. (52 degrees F/11 degrees C). Although we had touched on this in class we didn't really know what it meant and we were about to get a more in depth lesson. The city where we were coming from was 3000 feet above sea level and the lake was nearly 5000 feet above sea level. We had to calculate theoretical depths based on this fact as well as the fact that even though we hadn't dived yet, we already had a surface interval and had residual nitrogen from air pressure changes alone. When we first arrived we were actually considered to be a "D" pressure group and with an hour SIT time we were starting off as a "B" diver. All of our calculations were done to see if we could go down to our desired depths for our desired times as well as our 2nd SIT time and everything looked good. We accounted for the cold water by adding an extra 10 feet of depth and made note of the fact that if we went any deeper by accident that we would still be within the table limits for our plan. Everything looked good. Half of us were using Suunto dive computers and were allowed to go by our computers.
Dive 1
As the lake was quite cold we were all suited up in full body 7mm wetsuits (one piece suit, hood, gloves and booties). After stretching on what seemed like a giant condom we quickly got our BCDs on and hit the water. Everything else we setup prior to dive planning in street clothes so as not to over heat. Having never had a wetsuit on in cold water before it didn't seem bad when first walking in. You couldn't feel the water at all. Then it hit us. Water slowly crept in between the suit and our body and it felt like it was freezing. About a minute later you didn't even notice the effects as natural body temperature warmed up that thin layer of water (as intended) and it felt really warm. Next came our buoyancy checks, a quick swim to the dive float/flag and in pairs we descended down the line right beside a ship wreck. Altitude diving, cold water diving, and a ship wreck... quite the first dive! This was a bit of a luxury really until we all stirred up the bottom too much and then couldn't see a thing. This really was to be expected and our first order of business was to stay off the bottom and swim neutrally buoyant. It didn't take long for most to figure this out but I had some issues. Although I was properly weighted (with my aluminum tank) I actually kept floating up. Too deep a breath and I was having multiple runaway ascents. Now lucky for me we were only down about 15 feet or so, so there wasn't a whole lot of concern when this happened but it certainly wasn't a good thing either. My last confined pool dive will be dedicated alot to buoyancy control (it's my weakest skill by far it seems). Once I managed to get a handle on this I had quite a good time swimming in a line with all the others as we finally make it through the silt cloud and followed the natural contours of the lake bottom. Before long 26 minutes had passed and a max depth of 26 ft was made (according to my computer) and it was time to surface.
Our first dive was great and most of us didn't want to get out, but as soon as we surfaced and felt the air outside on our wet bodies we certainly wanted to get out a bit more quickly. Before doing anything else we headed into the camp kitchen (where there was a fire already going) and dried off. We went over what happened, what we did wrong, what we did right and then logged our dive. We started as a "B" diver, ended as an "I" diver and then sat for 1:30. This dive was a shore dive in freshwater and I had 30lbs of weight on. In 26 minutes I went from 2700 PSI to 1500 PSI. For that depth I'm probably still an air hog.
After our SIT time we were ready to go back in and again began the dive as a "B" diver. Now, you will remember my tank issue as explained earlier, I used a new aluminum one on my first dive. For my second dive I then switched to my steel tank. Of course, I was too excited to get back in and completely forgot to do a buoyancy check (even though we were told to) and as you can probably imagine, I sank like a rock. I didn't consider this at all and looking back I can now see how crucial this actually is. It's quite easy to overlook and forget but it's not without its consequences. As far as the second dive went. I completely failed this one very important aspect of it and almost ruined my 2nd dive.
Dive 2
Our buddy groups were re-organized and this time we had to work on skills. Above water we did tired diver tows and under water we did our cramp removals, reg recoveries and clears, and mask clearing. This time I tried using my compass as much as possible to get my bearings under water but as I was over-weighted I was having a hard time staying off the bottom. I was adding a ton of air to my BCD and it seemed like I was never going to get buoyant. I had to swim a bit more diagonally to stay off the bottom and as a result used way more air. Being the culprit for stirring up the bottom this time I actually managed to lose my buddy. In fact, my buddy actually couldn't see anything and was forced to surface. One of the instructors asked me where my buddy was and I then had an opportunity to do a lost buddy skill. I stayed still and turned around for 30s to 1 min looking but no dice, so up to the surface I went. Again, due to bad weighting I found it very difficult to swim up to the surface and half way through found myself looking at my computer and realizing I was actually descending. This was not working so well. After swimming harder towards the surface I got to about 8 feet and then had to actually add a bit more air to my BCD (as I was dumping it as I ascended) just to help me get to the surface.
Now I know that doing that is not proper and certainly something I needed to address but I was too far from the shore to do anything about it just at that moment. I found my buddy who was already on the surface and I ended up staying in some shallower water for the rest of the dive and to finish 2 more skills. This time I added much more air to my BCD and managed to stay off the bottom as we did alternate air source ascents. After both of us did this we finished off with a surface swim/tired diver tow again and exited the water.
Just as before we got out of the water and got dry right away and actually changed back into regular clothes as that was it for the day. We logged our dives and again discussed what happened. This dive was 22 minutes starting as a "B" and ending as a "K". Because I had troubles at first I actually had drifted a bit lower than my first dive and my computer was showing 34 feet (8 feet deeper than my first, which again is not a good thing). Having had too many problems and using more air to stay buoyant and breathing more to work harder I started with 3200 PSI and dropped to 1600 PSI. I used about 600 PSI more on my second dive and was down for less time too.
Clearly my biggest downfall was the fact I didn't do a buoyancy check/weight check prior to going down and turned into a bit of an issue in several areas. I know for sure this won't happen to me again. I'll never get my C-Card if it does.
Time to do some more review before my final class tonight. Day 5 is tonight and dives 3 & 4 on Saturday. All in all my progress has been good and I've mastered just about all the skills but my main focus from here on is weight control and buoyancy. I know this and I need to work on it. See you tomorrow..........
DAY 5
We have now come to the final class of the program and are one weekend away from being certified. Our classroom work was pretty standard again this week. We watched our video, discussed many things from the video and then continued going over lots of tables exercises. Again we discussed what we'd be doing in the pool and what was expected of us. We didn't really need to be told much though as we all seemed to be pretty comfortable with what we're doing. We got our own gear, got organized and just got on with it. The time for Q&A was practically over, we were a pretty confident bunch. To finish off our last day we all settled down for our final exam. Some were nervous. I was not. In fact, I managed to find an app for my iPhone called "Scuba Exam". This app is essentially a mock exam but doesn't just cover the teachings from PADI. There were clearly questions from other certification agencies but it certainly helped running through it to prepare for our actual exam. I breezed through the app many times with no problems and felt good going into this. Although it's not very professional to brag and have a big ego I can shamelessly say I got 50/50 on the exam. It was easy. If you read your book and pay attention and know your tables you can easily get 100% on it. Off to the pool...
The pool time was pretty much the same with an added bonus. This session we got to bring a friend. Now, not everyone brought a friend tonight so I actually brought 2. In addition to bringing and setting up my own gear I was also responsible for setting up my friends too. The added responsibility of this certainly solidified the fact that we knew what we were doing as we had to ensure it was done right so as not to jeopardize the people we were bringing along. Everything went smoothly without a hitch. While they were busy getting their discovery briefing we had some final skills to perform. With gear donned and checks done we were into the pool using whatever method we wanted. I choose the backwards roll, it's fun.
Our first order of business was to remove and replace our weight belt on the surface. This really is a no brainer and quite simple to accomplish (just don't get your octopus stuck in between you and your belt like I did). After that we had to remove and replace our entire SCUBA unit on the surface. You need air in your BCD so the thing doesn't sink but at the same time don't put too much air in it so that it's awkward to put back on. I found myself having difficulties with this as I kept getting tangled up. After removing a bunch of air the whole operation was quite a bit easier. Next we had to do the same skills again but this time at the bottom of the pool. Before we had time to do this though we all got a bit of a shock as one girls O-ring suddenly blew and air was leaking from her tank at quite an alarming rate. It was certainly interesting to see something like that happen, and although she was ok it's yet another reminder to ensure that the o-ring is seated properly and in good shape before attaching your first stage reg to your tank.
Once she was back in the pool we went down to finish our last few skills. I can honestly say that removing and replacing the SCUBA unit on the bottom of the pool is WAY EASIER than on the surface. There's nothing to it. I also found that performing the over the head method was the easiest way to get it back on for me. Finally our last order of business was to swim lengths of the pool with our compass and then take a reciprocal heading and return in a straight line from where we set out from. Again, this is not hard at all. After that we were free to do whatever we wanted but the focus was still on skills. My buddy and I performed every single skill after that and then met up with our friends who were in the shallow end and began to just have fun. Underwater frisbee, underwater missile darts and juggling golf balls were just some of the things we used but mainly it was about just swimming around and hanging out that made it fun. The whole time we did these things the object was to stay off the bottom the whole time and perfect our buoyancy.
Before we knew it an hour had gone by and the night was over. Time flies very quickly underwater and no one wanted to get out but we all did reluctantly. My 2 friends as well as the others that came too all had a blast and I'm sure some of them will be joining the class soon enough (isn't that the whole point anyway
)
Only 2 more open water dives to go and we're certified. This weekend is going to be cold. It's raining non stop and the temperature is getting quite cold but it's going to be fun. See you in a couple days for the final installment..........
We have now come to the final class of the program and are one weekend away from being certified. Our classroom work was pretty standard again this week. We watched our video, discussed many things from the video and then continued going over lots of tables exercises. Again we discussed what we'd be doing in the pool and what was expected of us. We didn't really need to be told much though as we all seemed to be pretty comfortable with what we're doing. We got our own gear, got organized and just got on with it. The time for Q&A was practically over, we were a pretty confident bunch. To finish off our last day we all settled down for our final exam. Some were nervous. I was not. In fact, I managed to find an app for my iPhone called "Scuba Exam". This app is essentially a mock exam but doesn't just cover the teachings from PADI. There were clearly questions from other certification agencies but it certainly helped running through it to prepare for our actual exam. I breezed through the app many times with no problems and felt good going into this. Although it's not very professional to brag and have a big ego I can shamelessly say I got 50/50 on the exam. It was easy. If you read your book and pay attention and know your tables you can easily get 100% on it. Off to the pool...
The pool time was pretty much the same with an added bonus. This session we got to bring a friend. Now, not everyone brought a friend tonight so I actually brought 2. In addition to bringing and setting up my own gear I was also responsible for setting up my friends too. The added responsibility of this certainly solidified the fact that we knew what we were doing as we had to ensure it was done right so as not to jeopardize the people we were bringing along. Everything went smoothly without a hitch. While they were busy getting their discovery briefing we had some final skills to perform. With gear donned and checks done we were into the pool using whatever method we wanted. I choose the backwards roll, it's fun.
Our first order of business was to remove and replace our weight belt on the surface. This really is a no brainer and quite simple to accomplish (just don't get your octopus stuck in between you and your belt like I did). After that we had to remove and replace our entire SCUBA unit on the surface. You need air in your BCD so the thing doesn't sink but at the same time don't put too much air in it so that it's awkward to put back on. I found myself having difficulties with this as I kept getting tangled up. After removing a bunch of air the whole operation was quite a bit easier. Next we had to do the same skills again but this time at the bottom of the pool. Before we had time to do this though we all got a bit of a shock as one girls O-ring suddenly blew and air was leaking from her tank at quite an alarming rate. It was certainly interesting to see something like that happen, and although she was ok it's yet another reminder to ensure that the o-ring is seated properly and in good shape before attaching your first stage reg to your tank.
Once she was back in the pool we went down to finish our last few skills. I can honestly say that removing and replacing the SCUBA unit on the bottom of the pool is WAY EASIER than on the surface. There's nothing to it. I also found that performing the over the head method was the easiest way to get it back on for me. Finally our last order of business was to swim lengths of the pool with our compass and then take a reciprocal heading and return in a straight line from where we set out from. Again, this is not hard at all. After that we were free to do whatever we wanted but the focus was still on skills. My buddy and I performed every single skill after that and then met up with our friends who were in the shallow end and began to just have fun. Underwater frisbee, underwater missile darts and juggling golf balls were just some of the things we used but mainly it was about just swimming around and hanging out that made it fun. The whole time we did these things the object was to stay off the bottom the whole time and perfect our buoyancy.
Before we knew it an hour had gone by and the night was over. Time flies very quickly underwater and no one wanted to get out but we all did reluctantly. My 2 friends as well as the others that came too all had a blast and I'm sure some of them will be joining the class soon enough (isn't that the whole point anyway
)Only 2 more open water dives to go and we're certified. This weekend is going to be cold. It's raining non stop and the temperature is getting quite cold but it's going to be fun. See you in a couple days for the final installment..........
Sounds like all the pool time did just what it is supposed to do -- give you confidence and allow you to practice skills until they were "easy". You should be set up quite well for your open water dives. I look forward to hearing about them!
XS-NRG,
This is an excellent account of PADI OW. You seem to be noting a lot of the details. Your instructor sounds quite good and thorough as well.
Something to consider before you purchase a pony bottle or spare air, the training you have really is sufficient. Without proper training, a pony bottle could be an extra burden. The extra task loading could detract from the other skills you have but taught. I usually advise against adding anything until you are more comfortable in the water. This means no pony bottle and no camera (the Go Pro is fine because you just wear it and forget about it).
Also, how well a regulator breathes could be how it was tuned. If it is near needing servicing, it might breath poorly. Or if it was tuned badly it might breathe poorly. You should be able to take the second stage, mouth piece facing up and put it slowly in the water. If it is tuned well, it will free flow. If you can submerge it with little or no free flow it is not tuned well and will be hard to breathe. The way the hoses pull however is the sign of a regulator which does not fit you well and has little to do with tuning.
Haven't read day 3 or onward (have to go out now) but I look forward to finishing this thread. I wish there were more students like you.
GRH,
The instructor has some leeway on how to organize the class. Some things must be done in order. For example, you have to complete knowledge review 1 before you get in the pool. There is nothing saying you cannot do more than knowledge review 1 then get in the pool. Other things can happen any time. Swimming laps has to be done before you are certified. They can do it right away or leave it until the end.
This is an excellent account of PADI OW. You seem to be noting a lot of the details. Your instructor sounds quite good and thorough as well.
Something to consider before you purchase a pony bottle or spare air, the training you have really is sufficient. Without proper training, a pony bottle could be an extra burden. The extra task loading could detract from the other skills you have but taught. I usually advise against adding anything until you are more comfortable in the water. This means no pony bottle and no camera (the Go Pro is fine because you just wear it and forget about it).
Also, how well a regulator breathes could be how it was tuned. If it is near needing servicing, it might breath poorly. Or if it was tuned badly it might breathe poorly. You should be able to take the second stage, mouth piece facing up and put it slowly in the water. If it is tuned well, it will free flow. If you can submerge it with little or no free flow it is not tuned well and will be hard to breathe. The way the hoses pull however is the sign of a regulator which does not fit you well and has little to do with tuning.
Haven't read day 3 or onward (have to go out now) but I look forward to finishing this thread. I wish there were more students like you.
GRH,
The instructor has some leeway on how to organize the class. Some things must be done in order. For example, you have to complete knowledge review 1 before you get in the pool. There is nothing saying you cannot do more than knowledge review 1 then get in the pool. Other things can happen any time. Swimming laps has to be done before you are certified. They can do it right away or leave it until the end.
Just to clarify, you do not have to have the students do KR1 before CW1. If you are going into CW1 right away, you must do a briefing as per a DSD, then you are good to go.
Bill
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