lost at sea

[Phil_C]

Hi Coppergod - I would recommend you have a look to see if you have a local BSAC Club. I'm not orignally BSAC trained but am a member of my local BSAC club, and have found they are very good for ongoing development and training. Another advantage is that they usually have access to a pool or other confined water in which you can practice, practice, practice. If you don't have all your own kit you can usually borrow kit from the club, at least for confined water work.

I'm spoilt because I am diving regularly, 5 or 6 sea dives each weekend for three weekends a month then spending a weekend back in the UK. but on my weekends home I'll either do a cold water UK dive or go to the club, get in the pool and go through exercises such as bouyancy, in water BCD removal and refitting and so on. Apart from being a relaxing way to spend an evening it has made a heck of a difference to my diving. If nothing else it gets you completely familier with your kit. Good luck with your diving - P

 

[coppergod]

Tsandm I'm right in the middle of the central belt.
Phil_c if I further my diving in uk with drysuit etc. in lochs for example, will it be like starting over compared to what I've been doing abroad And how easy is it to switch back and forth between the two??
I know a few dive masters from here who tried it maybe once in uk and gave up with it saying its horrible. It can't be that bad??

 

[TSandM]

It is generally extremely easy to switch from cold water to warm, but more difficult to do the reverse. If you can reach a high level of skill in cold water, you will have a solid set of dive skills to start from, anywhere you go. (Which is not, before the warm water people begin hissing, to say that all warm water diving is easy -- currents, navigation and depth can make warm water dives challenging, too.)

The bottom line is that diving is more fun when you are good at it, and solid dive skills are a way to avoid a great many sources of stress in the water. Nobody gets really good at diving without doing it regularly, and a big part of the fun of diving is social. So, if your UK friend above is right and you can find a BSAC club to hook up with and get in some practice, you'll likely also make friends, so that a day or evening out diving also means some good company and perhaps a pint after . . . even if the diving isn't breath-taking, it can be great fun, and it sets you up for a much better time when you DO get offshore.

 

[coppergod]

Thanks tsandm my minds made up. Join a local club that understands my requirements better than a new dive centre with strangers every holiday.
JIM i get what your saying but after reading a few articles (one called "itl be ok" I think) I now realise that it's wrong to "trust dive" although it's easy to say many many new OW divers hold the belief that they are paying for a guide and watchfull eye. Surely we're not expected to just charter a "taxi" after a 4 dive plastic card?

 

[TSandM]

No, you aren't expected to charter a taxi . . . but you ARE expected to dive in conditions similar to, or better than those where you certified. If you certified in warm, clear water, you really haven't been blessed to hare off into cold murk and expect to do well. If you certified in a sheltered cove on a shore dive, you aren't really certified to jump off a boat. One of the problems people have is deciding just how much of a chunk to bite off, when trying to do the gradual expansion of limits that is necessary to become a well-rounded and experienced diver. Too little, and you never grow. Too much, and you find that diving isn't fun, because it is never a happy thing.

It sounds as though you have been trapped in perpetual beginnerhood . . . you never get enough diving in in a given year to reach the point where you aren't having to manage all the basic functions at a conscious level. AND you haven't connected with buddies who are both practiced and generous. I was extraordinarily lucky to meet NWGratefulDiver on my 20th dive -- like you, I was frustrated and not very happy, because I had terrible skills, and as a result, my dives were never relaxed and happy. Bob took me under his wing and began correcting all my bad habits. I truly owe the fact that I am actively diving today, to his intervention.

Hook up with your club. You need some mentors. I'm sure there is diving fun to be had in Scotland; when you find it, please come back and tell your story.

 

[coppergod]

I actually read some of bobs stuff. Thanks I will report back x

 

[Phil_C]

Hi Coppergod - as TSandM said going from cold to warm water is generally easier than the other way around because you have less to worry about in terms of only having a BCD to manage bouyancy (other than your lungs !) rather than BCD and Dry Suit giving you two air volumes to manage.

For me the real advantage of a local BSAC 'club' is that they generally look after you and make sure you take things one step at a time. There is no assumption that - you have a C Card - so you can dive. I started in warm water this time around (30 years ago it was only cold water !) and when I went to the BSAC club we discussed my diving background and history and they spent time with me to work on what I needed, i.e dry suit training/practice.

The BSAC route to learn to dive or to improve your diving is generally slower than a zero to hero course with any agency crammed into a few days, but it a club with a philosophy of ongoing education and I have found it very useful. As I say - I can always pop in and just use the pool on a club night for practice when I have a new bit of kit or want to refresh, which does wonders for your skills and confidence. - P

 

[Lorenzoid]

Thanks to the OP for explaining why I only dive in warm clear tropical water

OP: I was going to make the same tongue-in-cheek remark as farsidefan1 about being a proud "holiday diver," but seeing so many thoughtful responses here, I'll say that I have recently begun to venture into temperate-water diving. I really have little interest in diving in cold, low-vis locations, but a couple of years ago and with around 200 mostly tropical dives I decided that doing some dives under more challenging conditions might help me learn to become a better diver all round, including those tropical dives. I believe you have the right approach. Keep at it.

 

[Hickdive]

There are lots of clubs in central Scotland but don't just limit yourself to BSAC ones, there's probably more SSAC branches and there's even a couple of SAA ones.

Diving in Scotland isn't just about maintaining skills for diving elsewhere, we've got a huge variety of sites and, occasionally, very good visibility. The only thing that is fairly consistent is that the water is cold (although this year has had particularly high sea temperatures).

If you're looking for simple mentoring without the hassle of a club or the expense of an LDS then take a look at the Finstrokes forum. Explain what you're looking for and no doubt someone will offer to help. The forum also has an excellent dive site guide so you can familiarise yourself with lots of places before you go.

 

[tracydr]

Hi Coppergod - I would recommend you have a look to see if you have a local BSAC Club. I'm not orignally BSAC trained but am a member of my local BSAC club, and have found they are very good for ongoing development and training. Another advantage is that they usually have access to a pool or other confined water in which you can practice, practice, practice. If you don't have all your own kit you can usually borrow kit from the club, at least for confined water work.

I'm spoilt because I am diving regularly, 5 or 6 sea dives each weekend for three weekends a month then spending a weekend back in the UK. but on my weekends home I'll either do a cold water UK dive or go to the club, get in the pool and go through exercises such as bouyancy, in water BCD removal and refitting and so on. Apart from being a relaxing way to spend an evening it has made a heck of a difference to my diving. If nothing else it gets you completely familier with your kit. Good luck with your diving - P

Do you do your pool work with your drysuit? I've been hesitant to do much pool work with mine, concerned the chlorine will trash it. Do you notice any problems from the chlorine?