Landmark dives...

[kidspot]

What dives would you say were "landmarks" for you in your "growth" as a diver?

For me they would be:

1) At age 14 I had the chance to breathe off a regulator in a swimming pool at a hotel on Kauai - I can still remember the feeling of amazement that I was underwater and not "starving" for air... (why did I wait 20 years before getting certified?)

2) My first night dive brought a similar sense of amazement ... the entire underwater world had changed in a matter of minutes from one of colorful hustle and bustle to a world of black and white sleepers...

3) The first time I simply remained stationary, with no fin movement, and didn't lose bouyancy or trim ... about dive #40 ... it was the most relaxing feeling in the world ...

4) yet to come

Aloha, Tim

 

[Diver0001]

What dives would you say were "landmarks" for you in your "growth" as a diver?

Aloha, Tim

Arguably, my most significant moment happened during my second or third season diving. I was very nearly drowned by a student when I was playing the rescue victim. I was laying face down on the bottom in 10 metres of water and when he found me he rolled me over and in the process he knocked my regulator out of my mouth. Not noticing, he then proceeded to sling me across his back with my arms over his shoulders (not the way he was taught). I tried to get an arm free but the more I struggled, the tighter he held on. Then he made the *slowest* ascent I've ever seen a rescue student make..... I figured I was done for because I had no way to get out of his grip and I wasn't going to make it to the surface.

What happened next was really significant for me. The more nightmarish the situation became, the calmer I got. I was able to relax, to think, to formulate a plan. I remembered to keep my airway open even though my body was desperately trying to inhale and I was entirely clear-headed and in control of my emotions.

I noticed that the more I relaxed the looser his grip got so I went totally limp and counted to 10 while I gathered all of the strength I could. On 10 I *RIPPED* one of my arms loose and spun him around. He looked shocked and got a little surprise when I .... borrowed .... his regulator without asking. I took a couple of breaths and handed it back to him and we initiated what was to become the only buddy-breathing ascent I've made to date.

By the time we got to surface I had my emotions so under control that I just said to the guy in a neutral tone "you're going to have to do that again." It didn't occur to me until much later that I should have punched him.

All in all, that was a major land mark. It's hard to image a situation more likely to make me panic than that and it laid a strong foundation of self confidence for me to build on.

R..

 

[spectrum]

Dive 7

After making dive 6 with a SB member I took some advice on weight placement and the result was astounding. I went from knowing that someday I'd get this buoyancy & trim thing figured out to realizing that I was on my way to being a decent diver.

Pete

 

[ONESPEED]

At sixteen I had just received my drivers license, borrowed my Mom's car, drove with two friends to Palm Beach and dove the wreck of the "Mizpah". Total freedom!

First night dive was pretty awesome too!

 

[scubanick]

my first dive past 60 feet...it was on our deep dive checkout
followed a line down to 103 feet made a turn around the stob tht was stuck in
the ground and started back up...i was breathing heavy..7mm hood felt like it was choking me and it was cold(56 or 57 degrees at like 100) but also because i was SUPER excited ...i just felt like i had went to the moon

mainly this because i was skeptical to go past like 25 feet when i first started diving
i thought aint no need to go any deeper ... then went to Troy Springs in Florida
and went to like 56 feet and thought hey this is no different
than 25(if i equalized properly like i hadn't been doing) so once i went that deep i was like shooooooooooot less for for 100+

 

[El Orans]

By the time we got to surface I had my emotions so under control that I just said to the guy in a neutral tone "you're going to have to do that again." It didn't occur to me until much later that I should have punched him.

You didn't make him buy the drinks afterwards?

 

[Diver0001]

You didn't make him buy the drinks afterwards?

As a matter of fact I think he did buy the drinks.

R..

 

[kidspot]

Diver0001 - very good response to the situation ... and yeah that would be a definite confidence booster. Especially good response considering it was a teaching situation...

Thanks for sharing that, Tim

 

[NadMat]

I would say that I learned something new on every dive, but new places/people usually provide a greater learning experience.
But currently would have to rank Dec. trip to Cozumel as a big landmark. It had been a while since had been able to get a week in bluewater due to time and money constraints, and diving Travis had gotten to be Same Old Stuff(polite version).
So my diving had become quite infrequent.
Cozumel reminded me how much I love to dive and why.Could have been many other dive spots, but dad had not been there since '72, I had never been there, and bro' had never been in blue water at all. We all had a great time.

 

[abysmaldiver]

It had to be about three years ago at walkers cay. On a 20 foot reef a reef shark about 6 foot long swam up right next to me and cruised 12 inches from me for about 10 minutes then just disappeared.