LDS recommendations for certification

[lamont]

One thing that stuck out was the instructor said max depth for rec diving was 100 fsw? I questioned him on it, saying I though it was 130. He said that SSI now recomends 100 max for rec, and 60 max with just the OW cert. Not that I was planning on immediatly pushing either of these for the time being, but I was looking forward to getting narc'd somewhere down the road.

I get quite satisfyingly narc'd on dives to 100 fsw on a regular basis -- bob can attest to that.

 

[dlndavid]

I guess we can add denial to my problems.

That's it, time for the 12 step plan for you.
Step 1
We admitted we were powerless over our addiction to scuba diving - that our lives had become unmanageable without it.
Step 2
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves (such as PADI, NAUI or SSI) could restore us to sanity and make us certifiable
Step 3
DIVE
Step 4
DIVE
Step 5
DIVE
Step 6
DIVE
Step 7
DIVE
Step 8
DIVE
Step 9
DIVE
Step 10
DIVE
Step 11
DIVE
Step 12
Keep diving

 

[JasonH20]

Hey, just thought I would keep you up to date on my training.

Last night was our first pool dive. The instructor suggested the other day that if we didn't have a wet suit, we might want to consider getting a 3mm one for the pool, and for when we go on vacation. I figured I could tough it out so came with just my swim trunks, but more on this later...

Spent about an hour treading water, swimming laps, clearing masks and getting the SCUBA gear on before we actually got under water. Once under we also went through numerous mask and regulator clearing exercises. The one I was unaware of was clearing the regulator by shaking your head back and forth. (I forget the technical term) I was a bit leary the first time I tried it and breathed in, but it works!

But boy, did I start to get chilled the last 30 minutes or so! Pool was 77 degrees, but 2 hours was a long time to be in there continuosly. I might have to reconsider this wet suit idea. hmm

Last 5-10 minutes we just got to swim around a bit. Earlier the instructor had shown us a video from one of his dive vacations where one of the divers blew underwater air rings. The DM was trying to see if he could blow the rings, so I decided to try too. Amazingly I found them very easy to make! Not sure if I'd be trying that in 50 ft but from 8ft it was pretty fun!

Anyways, I feel MUCH more comfortable now clearing my regulator. During my intro dives, I only had to do it once on the first dive at a couple feet down, and then off we went. Though I knew I could do it, I would not have been happy if I had to remove my regulator at depth during the intro dives. I don't think it would bother me much now.

Really the only thing that I'm concerned about at this point is the dry suit. I keep reading stories about uncontrolled ascents and getting hopelessly inverted. Eek! I guess I'll just have to wait till that class and hopefully that will put some of my concerns to rest.

Having Fun!
Jason

 

[dlndavid]

Hey Jason,
I got into scuba much under the exact conditions as you. I am newly OW certified.
Since I live in California it is cold water diving. I will not be doing any cold water diving until my experience grows under warm water conditions (I vacation in Mexico alot).
So you might want to rethink a timeline for the dry suit thing. I am waiting awhile. On one of my first OW dives I had a rapid ascent due to lack of experience, have worked on that since. As for a wet suit, I got this 3mil full for warm water diving.
http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.a...ryID=982&Context=980&Filter=3=469&1=458&4=478
And in the spring Costco sells a 3 mil shorty for around $40.
Good luck and have fun.
David

 

[Camerone]

Dry suit worries are very overrated, if you ask me. There's a few interesting things to worry about, but by the time they slip you into the drysuit, you'll be plenty comfortable with your other skills that it's just a couple minor items to master.

The two tips I'd offer up:
First, make sure your suit fits well - a nice snug boot on the suit will help keep air out of the feet, making it hard to go inverted. It's not hard to get out of an inverted
situation; you will practice this skill in the pool...
Second, make sure you're not grossly overweighted. Instructors _will_ overweight you on your training dives, and it's deliberate. However, this actually makes buoyancy harder to control, as you have to deal with a much larger change in displacement as you ascend or descend. The effect is most pronounced in the first 30-ish feet...

You'll get practice in venting and inflating the suit, going inverted, etc. If you're comfortable rapidly with the rest of the skills, the drysuit won't be hard, either.

 

[JasonH20]

The effect is most pronounced in the first 30-ish feet...

That reminds me, most of the under water portion of last nights class was in fairly shallow water, 5 feet or so. I know buoyancy control is very important, so while the instructor was working with the other students, I would play around with the BC and try to get as neutral as possible. Turns out to be a bit challanging in 5 feet of water! I'd breath in deep and go to the surface. Give a good exhale and I'd drop to the bottom. With shallow breaths, and playing with where I took them within my total lung capacity I could kinda hover, but it took my full concentration.

I hope when you get a bit deeper this gets easier to control?

 

[OE2X]

That reminds me, most of the under water portion of last nights class was in fairly shallow water, 5 feet or so. I know buoyancy control is very important, so while the instructor was working with the other students, I would play around with the BC and try to get as neutral as possible. Turns out to be a bit challanging in 5 feet of water! I'd breath in deep and go to the serface. Give a good exhale and I'd drop to the bottom. With shallow breaths, and playing with where I took them within my total lung capacity I could kinda hover, but it took my full concentration.

I hope when you get a bit deeper this gets easier to control?

Jason,
I think Cameron is correct here. The drysuit isn't that big of a deal and will only take a few dives to get comfortable in it. If you learn how to dive it, when you go to warm water, you will be blown away by your skills and how easy it is to dive warm. Learning to dive in cold water initially is one of the hardest ways to learn. You sound like you are amped though and I'm sure you will do just fine.

Hey I applaud you for all the work that you are doing on your buoyancy. In 5' of water it is the hardest spot. Keep in mind after you become certified you will likely find yourself doing blue water ascents and having to hold your position at either 15' or 10' for 3 minutes. So it's great that you are practising all that you can now.

Work on your buoyancy skills all the time. These skills are second only to your buddy skills, but ultimately the first thing that you need to master. If you don't have buoyancy and trim down then you cannot be a good buddy. Last night two of my buddies and I were shoulder to shoulder and stayed within 3' up and down while a six gill shark swam around us for five minutes.

Let me know when you want to go diving after you become certified. I'd be happy to do some fun shallow dives.

 

[lamont]

don't worry too much about the drysuit. i did my BOW and then immediately went to a drysuit. the first dive was a total cluster (skipped the pool and went straight to open water, which might have been a mistake), but its generally been better after that...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

That reminds me, most of the under water portion of last nights class was in fairly shallow water, 5 feet or so. I know buoyancy control is very important, so while the instructor was working with the other students, I would play around with the BC and try to get as neutral as possible. Turns out to be a bit challanging in 5 feet of water! I'd breath in deep and go to the surface. Give a good exhale and I'd drop to the bottom. With shallow breaths, and playing with where I took them within my total lung capacity I could kinda hover, but it took my full concentration.

I hope when you get a bit deeper this gets easier to control?

When you get certified, send me a PM. We'll go do a dive and just concentrate on you learning how to breathe properly. You will be amazed at how quickly your buoyancy control improves once you understand the basics.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[JasonH20]

When you get certified, send me a PM. We'll go do a dive and just concentrate on you learning how to breathe properly. You will be amazed at how quickly your buoyancy control improves once you understand the basics.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Let me know when you want to go diving after you become certified. I'd be happy to do some fun shallow dives.

Thanks for the offers! I'll surely take you both up on these.