My 20th dive-criticize my buoyancy, finning, breathing, etc. (videos)

[J322Y]

Hi all. I recorded my 16th non-certification dive so I could observe my technique. Please feel free to check out the videos and blast away with the helpful...

The videos are unedited, so you'll want to FF for parts where I go off camera. This is quick/easy with YouTube: simply hit the "L" key on your keyboard to advance 10 seconds. The "K" key will pause, and the "J" will rewind 10 seconds.

On an Android device and using the YouTube app, you can also FF 10 seconds by double tapping on the right side of the video. 2X tapping the left side rewinds. A triple tap will move you 20 seconds.

The first thing I noticed in the videos is that I have less hair than I thought.

For reference; I'm using 6 pounds/2.75kg of weigh in my waist pockets. Wetsuit is 5mm. I weight 150 lbs./68kg. The cyclinder is an LP95. Depth is about 12 feet/3.5 meters.

Thanks!

 

[The Chairman]

Your trim is fine. Your frog kick, when you do it, is stilted, but fine. Stick with the frog kick if you want to make it work. You floofed the silt with your flutter. Need to go higher or switch to frog. FWIW, you could probably get within a foot of the bottom with that frog kick, but not much closer until it becomes fluid.

 

[J322Y]

Your trim is fine. Your frog kick, when you do it, is stilted, but fine. Stick with the frog kick if you want to make it work. You floofed the silt with your flutter. Need to go higher or switch to frog. FWIW, you could probably get within a foot of the bottom with that frog kick, but not much closer until it becomes fluid.

Thanks Chairman.

 

[The Chairman]

One more thing: slow down. Your speed is probably a result of you filming yourself and your desire to stay in camera view. Still, slow down. Stop and smell the turtles as you go. Alexander springs is one of the prettiest and overlooked springs in the state of Florida. I've taught 30/40 classes in there. If you head down river, where it's really shallow, there's a stand of weeds with a "walk through" between it and the shore weeds. You should be able to navigate over that green scum on the bottom without disturbing it, then as you pass between the two sets of weeds (heading upstream now) go really, really slowly and look in the weeds to either side of you. My best was 24 turtles, a couple of nervous crawdads, small gator, banded water snake, fancy tail guppies, neon tetras, hachet fish, plecos, red Swordtails and more. Of course, we saw bass, gar, all sorts of sunfish, crappie, catfish, Nile Perch (tilapia) and shad... boat loads of shad. You won't see them if you're silting out the place or going fast.

For hovering practice, sort through the fossils on the bottom and look for sharks teeth. They are rare, but they are there. I found one that wasn't an 1/8" long. I've also found a gator tooth in there. Go slow and look.

 

[J322Y]

One more thing: slow down. Your speed is probably a result of you filming yourself and your desire to stay in camera view. Still, slow down. Stop and smell the turtles as you go. Alexander springs is one of the prettiest and overlooked springs in the state of Florida. I've taught 30/40 classes in there. If you head down river, where it's really shallow, there's a stand of weeds with a "walk through" between it and the shore weeds. You should be able to navigate over that green scum on the bottom without disturbing it, then as you pass between the two sets of weeds (heading upstream now) go really, really slowly and look in the weeds to either side of you. My best was 24 turtles, a couple of nervous crawdads, small gator, banded water snake, fancy tail guppies, neon tetras, hachet fish, plecos, red Swordtails and more. Of course, we saw bass, gar, all sorts of sunfish, crappie, catfish, Nile Perch (tilapia) and shad... boat loads of shad. You won't see them if you're silting out the place or going fast.

For hovering practice, sort through the fossils on the bottom and look for sharks teeth. They are rare, but they are there. I found one that wasn't an 1/8" long. I've also found a gator tooth in there. Go slow and look.

Thanks again. Yes, I was going faster than usual in these videos. I'm about 45 minutes from Alexander, which I'm very grateful for. This was my 6th dive there.

I have checked out downstream a bit, but your list will motivate me to spend more time exploring. This video is from last week:


I thought I saw a guppy yesterday, but didn't know they were there.

 

[Compressor]

As the Chairman has said.
I would add that to help you even with good trip, keep your arms forward and do slow down. Nice job.

 

[The Chairman]

There are tons of aquarium fish in there and throughout the Saint Johns River system. BTW, come in low on the eel grass, breath heavy for a few moments and then stop. If you do it right, you'll see thousands of shad come out of the grass to see what just happened. Not full size by any means, just 1 to 6 inches long. But they make up for their small stature with numbers.

 

[Compressor]

BTW: Congratulations on getting certified and continuing to dive. It does not always happen J322Y.

 

[J322Y]

There are tons of aquarium fish in there and throughout the Saint Johns River system. BTW, come in low on the eel grass, breath heavy for a few moments and then stop. If you do it right, you'll see thousands of shad come out of the grass to see what just happened. Not full size by any means, just 1 to 6 inches long. But they make up for their small stature with numbers.

Will definitely give it try. I've seen schools of fish 1 - 1 1/2 inches long. Maybe the shad...

I'm happy to call Alexander my home dive. I know it doesn't have the variety or the colors of the ocean, but there's something great about being in so much clear, sweet water.

The panfish/bream seem to be fairly tame which is nice. I've had several come within an inch of my mask and just kind of look at me. I suppose being around divers almost every day of their lives would have an effect on their behavior. I noticed one yesterday that had a deformed mouth, possibly an old injury. It hung around me while I stirred up the bottom to feed the fish. A few minutes later I was probably 75 feet away and it was still with me.

 

[J322Y]

BTW: Congratulations on getting certified and continuing to dive. It does not always happen J322Y.

Thanks! I had doubts until the first breath I drew underwater, on my first class in the pool. When I took that breath I knew I was a diver...

I've always had a strong interest in marine life, salt and fresh. Being in that habitat feels very natural to me.

About my speed. I definitely went faster while practicing. I dove a total of 95 minutes that day, mostly very relaxed.