Most Excellent!!!

[The_DivePirate]

Hello all you newbees',
Glad to here your'e going to try one of the most rewarding adventures of your life!!
Remember, this is something that as Humans aren't setup too do,(breath under water) some take to it fairly quick, and some don't! Even big tough MACHO guy's FREAK OUT!!
Some people are fine in the pool, or confined dives anyways, but when you put them in the open water and YIKES!!! Remember you are in lots of gear you are not familiar with and constricting suits and LOTS of weight.Just remember back to when you learned to ride a bike. Did you take right off riding with no hands and riding wheelies? Heck no, but, look at all the doors it opened in your life. Well, here we go again!!!

Have a Great time and,
Dive safe/Train hard
Joe:mooner:

 

[The_DivePirate]

Oh yeah,

HAVE FUN!!!!!

Dive safe/Train hard
Joe

 

[Doc]

Spicoli? Is that you?

 

[mandvm]

Hi, Divepirate.

I'm a complete newby, with one introductory dive under my belt which I did on vacation in Kauai a couple of weeks ago. It was an interesting experience, to say the least! I dove with an instructor from Fathom Five Divers in Koloa, and she was first-rate. The shop itself was very honest with me, and told me that the conditions at their shore diving sites were marginal at best, and that they couldn't guarantee a great experience. In short, they didn't recommend an introductory dive that day. Unfortunately, it was my last day there, so I wouldn't have had another opportunity.

Turns out they were diving right around the corner from where I was staying that day, so I wandered down in the afternoon to speak with the instructor. She reiterated that the conditions were far from ideal (pretty good shore break, rocky entrance, visibility about 10-12 feet), but that she didn't feel it was dangerous (with the possible exception of the entry). I decided to give it a go.

We had a brief class before entering the water, covering the basic skills and hand signals. Getting in the water with the gear on wasn't too bad, and I quickly had the BC inflated and fins donned. I was diving with an instructor and two people who were training to be instructors, so I was the only newby in the water. I floated for a few minutes while two of them anchored a float, then went over basic skills just below the surface with the instructor (mask clearing, regulator clearing, and finally dropping, replacing, and clearing the regulator). The problem started as we descended. I didn't experience any claustrophobia or panic, and was able to equalize (that was my biggest concern), but I couldn't seem to get trimmed in a horizontal plane largely due to the surf conditions - the water was also pretty shallow at around 10-15 feet, which probably was also a factor. Eventually, I managed to gain some semblance of control, and really enjoyed the last half of the dive - the highlight of which was seeing a large sea turtle.

Even with the less than ideal conditions, it was an amazing experience. I've signed up for an open water class here, which I'm really looking forward to it - in particular, learning some buoyancy skills!

M

 

[scuba 2447]

Welcome are you planning on diving in Alaska? That is going to be Cold! That is going to be Fun!

 

[The_DivePirate]

Way cool!! Yes, bouyancy is the key to all diving. Whether taking pictures in the open sea to overhead diving (wreck/cave) I prefer steel tanks when you get to that point, they have much less bouyancy change. Which could have been some of your situation. Way cool though, glad you had fun!!! As far as, Alaska, would love to, but home is pretty chilly by most standards.(38-45* F) High lakes and all. But, maybe some day I'll venture up north and dive Alaska.

Dive safe/Train hard
Joe

 

[mandvm]

Welcome are you planning on diving in Alaska? That is going to be Cold! That is going to be Fun!

I think I'll be strictly a warm water diver - I already spend enough of my life being cold!

Michael

 

[scuba 2447]

I think I'll be strictly a warm water diver - I already spend enough of my life being cold!

Michael

Dive Dry and you won't be cold :luxhello:

 

[The_DivePirate]

Dry definately helps.

 

[Firefyter]

I prefer steel tanks when you get to that point, they have much less bouyancy change.

They have exactly the same bouyancy change as any other tank. Air weighs the same no matter what type of tank it's in. The difference is that with a steel tank, you're still negative at the end of a dive, where with an AL80 you're positive. This is because a steel tank is heavier than a regular AL80 to begin with.