just want improve

[Rhone Man]

During your safety stop, make your body horizontal and try to hover at exactly 15 feet on your dive computer for the duration.

Simple, easy, and you weren't doing anything for those 3 minutes anyhow.

 

[Gombessa]

I disagree with the first statement. I say learn good buoyancy control first before even touching a camera. There are plenty of awful divers out there who's sole purpose is to get a shot...

Agree completely. I've held a camera on nearly every dive I've done, including my certification checkout dive . It in no way made me better a diver, and in a lot of ways, gave me some really bad habits that had to be unlearned.

A camera by itself can be a huge distraction, take away from your situational awareness and make you a poor buddy. Instead, dive actively, with a focus on improving basic skills, find mentors who can help (hint: look for people who AMAZE you by how excellent and effortless their skills are) and look into classes such as the one TS&M mentioned. But the most important thing, which you've already done, is to recognize that you want to get better!

 

[rongoodman]

And after your 3 min horizontal stop, try to hold that position as you come up slowly, so your tank breaks the water first.

 

[Diver0001]

Hi all
I've been diving for almost 2 years. Only 49 dives at the moment. Just looking too improve. Ok I'm AOWD but somehow still feel like a newbie. Ok experience is the best teacher but any ideas on some skill building exercises to keep improving.
Just want to improve all areas of diving.

What do you want to improve?

R..

 

[rstofer]

Agree completely. I've held a camera on nearly every dive I've done, including my certification checkout dive . It in no way made me better a diver, and in a lot of ways, gave me some really bad habits that had to be unlearned.

There's a difference between snapshots and photographs. If you believe you can do quality macros without some kind of diving skill, go for it. Magazine quality photographs are not taken while diddling around with buoyancy control, fins dragging in the sand. Sure, it's task loading. What else is there to do down there?

If it wasn't for UW photography or videography, diving would be as interesting as walking around the block. Things to see but nothing to bring back, nothing to share. You can talk but you can't show.

As to the buddy thing: dive with another photographer. Stay within sight and everything will work out fine. Check the old SPG from time to time. Have a slate with the adjusted NDLs and take a look at your dive timer every once in a while. Regroup and surface at the end of the dive. No big deal! Obviously, this approach was pre-computer.

One of the marine biologists on our weekend dive boat would routinely make solo night dives. He was after photographs for his studies, not social interaction. Great diver though...

Richard

 

[Gombessa]

I agree that good photography requires good buoyancy control. But wanting to take photography doesn't give you what you need to achieve good buoyancy. It can be a powerful motivator to improve skills, but here the OP already has that motivation. It's an end and not a means. In my opinion, a better way to achieve good buoyancy and watermanship skills is to put an active focus on them and dive with others who exhibit those skills, rather than trying to back into them through a roundabout goal.

I'd also caution a newer diver about diving with other photographers as a method to acquire good buddy skills. The task loading and distraction for both divers strikes me as a trial by fire approach that just doesn't seem like the safest or most efficient way to develop good habits. Just my $0.02.

 

[shark girl]

Do you have any particular skills in mind to be improved?

One of my local dive clubs has a mentoring system, where more experienced divers will buddy up with us newer souls and help us work on skills. Is there anything like that near you? You could also consider speciality courses like Peak Performance Buoyancy or wreck, especially if there is something from AOW that you enjoyed and want to work on more. I have a similar number of dives to you and am at a similar place. For me, I think the next step training wise is rescue, and nav speciality, as this is a real weakness for me, plus just getting diving more in local waters!

What ever you decide- good luck and have fun!

 

[muratkorman]

As we both have similar diving experience so far, I thought I should share my comments.

The number of dives means nothing as long as you don't put into practice what you have learnt so far. Practice each and every skill you have learnt when you find a chance. Usually the first dive on a new diving trip is less challenging and you have a good chance of practicing hovering and buoyancy as well as other skills.

Don't be lazy and do everything by yourself. I have seen on some LOBs, the crew prepare everything for you and all you need is just to get into the gear. It is wrong and dangerous!!! Take time to get ready and learn every part of your diving equipment. I don't have my own equipment and everytime I start a new diving trip, I learn more about diving gear. To adjust yourself to different diving gear is a challenge at start, but it's a plus in the long term.

Take all your chances to dive and ask opinions of your buddies and divemasters on your diving skills. Feedbacks from other people will help you to realize your weaknesses and improve them.

Enjoy your dives

 

[buckedoff96]

Well taking pics was one of my biggest reasons for feeling like oh where oh where has my buoyancy gone LOL. I was in Rovinj Croatia in June and it was for the most part my first real pic taking experience. I noticed how it seemed alot of skills were hmm changed lol. I used alot more air and buoyancy was not that great. I deceided to not take my camera on any wreck dives, since all the wrecks were at 35 meters plus.
TSandM I'm in Schweinfurt Germany but my dive center is in Fürth. Personal reasons I've been going through that center.
Hey all thanks for the feed back. I've also heard there is a dive center somewhere near Munich that has a great pool for training. Not sure how good it is but may be worth the trip.
My son just started his OWD last week so I'm looking forward to him diving. He dove in Croatia, just a one time experience diving course but he's pretty well hooked on the sport now. LOL

 

[dwhthediver]

I have to agree with so many other posters, dive more, and in the course of those dives, practice skills...mask clearing, bouyancy, with bouyancy, concentrate on how your breathing is affecting your attitude in the water, find a place where if you do hit bottom you won't harm the environment, and hover watching your depth gauge to maintain depth, trying to stay in one place and watching how your breathing affects where you are in the water column, during the dive, going over something using only your breathing to go up and over, and then back down on the other side.