Learned the hard way

[wspalding]

Glad you're giving it another go on Saturday. Looking forward to meeting you. All of my dives with the exception of 8 in Key Largo have been NE shore dives. Going to FL opened my eyes as to how effortless diving could be! Lol.

Thanks, I'm looking forward to meeting you as well. Getting to the site early so that I can get my weight correct will make all the difference, in my opinion. Should be a good day for diving! And yes, diving Florida in minimal exposure protection where 40' of viz is a bad day is a piece of cake. IF/when you are making your way down to South Florida, please let me know when you are going and I will help you plan some great diving.

 

[mathauck0814]

So, I now know from first hand experience that an advanced diver in clear warm water diving from a comfy charter does not make you an advanced New England shore diver coping with rocks, cold water and surge. What a humbling experience THAT was.

Yup... I learned a lesson about how cruel New England shore diving could be a few years ago...

 

[wspalding]

Yup... I learned a lesson about how cruel New England shore diving could be a few years ago...

View attachment 190741View attachment 190740

Ouch! I hope everything healed well and that you are back in the water often.

 

[DavidInNH]

Where did you learn this lesson? My initial guess is Folly at low tide.

 

[wspalding]

Where did you learn this lesson? My initial guess is Folly at low tide.

Bass Rocks low tide. I think I would have been fine had I been properly weighted, but part of this excursion was to establish how much weight I need. I've done some reading on estimating weight needed and I think I was easily 8-10 lbs too heavy, and the climbing over rocks wore me out. Trying to get my fins on in surge is new to me which was harder than I expected. Added all together I was not in a position to execute the dive.

 

[Benign-Chaos]

Ouch! Where did that happen?

 

[mike0479]

anyone interested in a shore dive Sat Aug 23rd? I will be in Rockport and doing a few shore dives with a friend.

 

[wspalding]

Got out to Fort Wetherill with AfterDark and FaithC yesterday. This was a great site for me to dial in my weight issues that I experienced last weekend. I learned a couple things: 1) I need a lot less weight than had been estimated for me. Carrying 16 lbs in a 5mm 1 piece wetsuit I was just slightly negative holding my breath with an empty BC (steel 100cf tank). 2) I am REALLY glad I didn't force the issue last weekend and do the dive. While I am sure that I would have survived the experience, being so over-weighted (same gear, added in 7/5mm hooded vest) with 30 lbs I would have been plowing through the water fighting for buoyancy control. Thanks to AfterDark for meeting me early to assist with the weights. I am far more confident with doing some dives here in NE now that I have that basic info banked for future dives.

 

[AfterDark]

Got out to Fort Wetherill with AfterDark and FaithC yesterday. This was a great site for me to dial in my weight issues that I experienced last weekend. I learned a couple things: 1) I need a lot less weight than had been estimated for me. Carrying 16 lbs in a 5mm 1 piece wetsuit I was just slightly negative holding my breath with an empty BC (steel 100cf tank). 2) I am REALLY glad I didn't force the issue last weekend and do the dive. While I am sure that I would have survived the experience, being so over-weighted (same gear, added in 7/5mm hooded vest) with 30 lbs I would have been plowing through the water fighting for buoyancy control. Thanks to AfterDark for meeting me early to assist with the weights. I am far more confident with doing some dives here in NE now that I have that basic info banked for future dives.

Looked like you were doing fine too me! When I could see you that is. We all stuck together in less than ideal conditions with changing currents. Yeah I'd say you did good. If that FTW site had good vis it would really be spectacular diving.

Hopefully you'll get to see Green bridge or Gooseberry Island, we get all the pretty stuff and often in clear (20'+vis) green tinted water!

 

[wspalding]

Looked like you were doing fine too me! When I could see you that is. We all stuck together in less than ideal conditions with changing currents. Yeah I'd say you did good. If that FTW site had good vis it would really be spectacular diving.

Hopefully you'll get to see Green bridge or Gooseberry Island, we get all the pretty stuff and often in clear (20'+vis) green tinted water!

I am looking forward to learning about Newport diving from you. I appreciate your enthusiasm for teaching us new to diving the area about these sites.