Just got certified in Maui now have a few ?'s about Oahu and Air Consumption

[MauiScubaSteve]

First off; Glad you had a good visit to Maui.

I went out with Lahaina Divers to Turtle Town and did two dives there.

Just a small correction; Lahaina Divers does not dive Turtle Town. Their web site shows a number of charters with dives at Turtle Reef.

They use the term Turtle Reef to describe the entire leeward coast of the Island (La Perouse to Honolua), although in practice they say they dive 25 shallow West Side sites.

Divers know Turtle Reef for its extensive coral gardens running the entire length of Maui from the upper west side to the southern tip of the island.

As far as I know, this is a marketing ploy and not how anyone not brainwashed by this campaign would describe Maui dive sites. They probably do skim a few unsuspecting customers who thought they were going to the well known South Maui dive site.

Turtle Town is usually a second dive/snorkel for the Maalaea/Kihei operators who go to Molokini. It is shown as such on the most popular dive map (Franco's) and in the only item I recommend at Maui Dive Shop (free Maui Dive Guide).

If the Lahaina Divers crew uses the term Turtle Town as a name for a West Side dive site, they are only showing their ignorance/envy. Turtle Town is in Makena.

 

[penywisexx]

You're correct it wasn't turtle town, it was turtle reef, it was actually just off of the Mala (I believe that's the name it was two miles or so from the harbor) Boat Ramp. It was an old pier that collapsed in 1992 during a hurricane. There were a ton of turtles on it. Pacific Whale Foundation also dives on it. Regardless, it was a great dive site and I felt very comfortable there. All of the great advice in this thread helped.

Now that I think of it they were straight up about Turtle Reef, they didn't call it turtle town.

 

[Bob Vincent]

WELCOME TO SCUBABOARD!
Your rate of air consumption will get better with more dives, mine sure did and continues to get better. I flailed my hands a little bit at first but over came this by consciously holding my hands together. Are you relaxed? I find that the more relaxed I am the easier time I have improving my skills. I think the webbed gloves are a bad idea, they would only be a crutch for you. Better to learn how not to flail around then depend on webbed gloves to do that. Maybe your weight needs to be adjusted, just a thought.

Right on!

I found out if your having trouble being neutral your are most likely wearing to much weight (because you didn't say you were fighting to stay down) Check your weighting. Big doesn't have anything thing to being able to not control your bouyancy. Just look at my picture theres 296. Just by breathing I can move around 15 to 20 ft in the water column. Weigthing yourself right and practice is a cure all.

When you emptied your BC after the dive did it have alot of water in it? If yes you have to much weight. Alot of air you could of used went to you trying to control bouyancy.

 

[John_B]

No one else thought to comment on how CHEAP that is???

I was more concerned with a dive class that has no confined water dives:

It was a 3 day 6 dive class (all ocean no pool time).

To the OP, I can tell you from personal experience that the less you skull with your hands, the better your air consumption will be. Correct weighting and good trim (diving horizontally, like a skydiver) also factor into it. But if you are skulling or swimming with your hands you are most definitely not relaxing, which is ultimately the key to making a tank last longer.

 

[penywisexx]

Hey Bob-

I was wearing 18 pounds weight on a belt, not integrated for my certification class. There was some water in the BCD after the first day, but not a whole lot, none after that. I'm not sure if there was any on my boat dives with the integrated BCD, I don't think there was. I was frequently tweaking the air level in my BCD trying to find a good balance, does that use a whole lot of air? When underwater I was better on my boat dives, but still not horizontal, probably closer to about 30 degrees heads up position. Are there weights that are located on the tank that would help me stay horizontal in the water, or will it just come with practice.

Even though I was using my hands quite a bit, I felt relaxed as in stress free.

 

[Bob Vincent]

30 Degees is alot! I wear 18 lbs in salt and almost dead on with an 80al. (which I hate but can't get my steels in a plane)

Yes they make tank weights. I'd have to see you to figure it out. Is your tank riding to low causing some of this? Make sure your tank is high enough so you can reach back over your head and grab your 1st stage. A weight integrated BCD should put the weights higher on your body than a weight belt. Putting more weight towards your head. Helping. ???

Using your hands you have to stop! Your creating so much drag you don't know. Plus your working harder so sucking more air.

You need to get your instructor and work this thing out. It sounds like you have ankle weightes on!

 

[bdshort]

What Bob said.
How low is your tank? I see photos and video of a LOT of divers that have their tank haning REALLY low in their BC... their tank valve is sitting at the level of their shoulder blades, or lower! I have mine about where Bob says it should be, though in my drysuit I'm unable to actually reach it. I seem to be able to in my wetsuit, but that only gets used in the pool or warm water.

There are pockets you can get that attach to your cam bands, or you can take ankle weights and put them around the top of the tank, or if you're WEARING ankle weights, lose them!

Get horizontal, stop using your hands, and don't kick just to stay neutral, and you'll see your air consumption improve a LOT!

 

[Scubakevdm]

It sounds like you enjoyed your course, but I'm not sure that I would agree that it was very good or complete if you are swimming with your hands and not horizontal. I think it's awesome that you are so concerned about improving your diving skills and asking questions on ScubaBoard! My little bit of advice is to keep going with your training, but to try to find more value in the quality of instruction, rather than just in the price.

 

[penywisexx]

I did enjoy my course, my tank valve is around the base of my skull/top of my neck. I got a lot out of the course, I did work on my hands and my air supply was lasting longer towards the end. My instructor and I focused more on buoyancy control to help with my air consumption than with my hands though. I do feel that I got my moneys worth out of course and that it was definitely worth every penny I paid for it.

Should i jump straight into Advanced Open Water or take some time to develop the skills that I already have?

 

[Teamcasa]

...Should i jump straight into Advanced Open Water or take some time to develop the skills that I already have?

So much of this depends on what you want from your diving experience.

For me, if taking more courses gets you diving more, terrific. Take more courses.
Since you live in Lodi, I assume diving takes some real planning and coordination and diving with a class may just be easier.

However, would dive more if you were not tied into taking course? Do you have a learned mentor to dive with regularly? If so, maybe you can get the class done after you have a few dozen more dives in and the AOW class will be that much easier.

I firmly believe that nothing beats the experience you gain by diving. Especially if you are fortunate enough to have a skilled mentor to pat you back on course when you make mistakes. Each dive will reveal a lesson for you to learn. It is up to you to recognize and learn from it.