My AN/DP/Helitrox course

[Marie13]

My stressed number is around 0.8.

I can’t even imagine a number around 0.4! The lowest I’ve ever had was 0.54 on a very relaxed quarry dive. Again, cold water.

 

[ChuckP]

My stressed number is around 0.8.

I can’t even imagine a number around 0.4! The lowest I’ve ever had was 0.54 on a very relaxed quarry dive. Again, cold water.

Lay on the couch, breathe from a tank on the floor, smooth mood music playing - that's as close as you can come to warm water drift diving but you still have to plan on the oh **** moments.

I wasn't trying to brag about a low sac rate - I was really trying to say even with a low rate, we plan with a much much higher rate and adjust the dive accordingly - diving here can really be like laying on the couch taking a nap.

Get after it and enjoy the class!

 

[Marie13]

Found this article in my email yesterday and had a good chuckle, especially since the Great Lakes aren't mentioned much in articles.

Considering the Whats, Wheres, and Whys of Technical Training - SDI | TDI | ERDI | PFIm

Really enjoyed my classroom session last night. Deco Procedures. My multiple readings of Deco for Divers paid off. One more classroom session next month, then the rest of it will be at dive sites.

So glad I have diving to divert my attention from the plague.

Might end up doing one of the two deco dive weekends at Gilboa (Ohio) rather than at Wazee (WI). Gilboa goes down to 135ft on its deep side if you sick your computer in the bottom silt. Instructor said it’s my choice. Gilboa is full of wooden docks with steps my knees hate with slippery a$$ steps out of the water, and no beach entrance like Wazee.

 

[Marie13]

Dives this weekend were 41F (35 min) and 40F (40 min). Discovered a pair of merino wool socks under Fourth Element Arctic socks worked well. Didn’t do that on first dive and had popsicle feet. I was much more comfortable on second dive. Had a RMV of 0.7 on second dive.

But the cold is much preferable to being too hot.

Need to take some lead off. Had horrid dry glove squeeze. I’ve been using undersuit thumb loop to equalize gloves but that didn’t work this time. We had awesome 70ft viz. Wow.

Valve drill attempts were meh. Next first attempts will be at our local quarry at the beginning of April. Public pool my shop uses is closed until 3/31 so no pool session on 3/28. Gym closed, too, so just working out at home.

 

[Marie13]

Will not do a training dive weekend at Gilboa. Stairs out of water just too dang slippery. Bare wood. Impossible.

Will stick with Wazee and nice walk in entry.

 

[swimlikethefish]

Interested in taking a step to the darkside?

You could cut your wrist seals back. Then you will have no issue diving with dry gloves. I know it's a big leap of faith. But, I would not lie to you. Nor would I try to give you poor advice. I was apprehensive about it at first. But after I took the leap and cut them back, my diving has never been the same. It is so much more comfortable. It also allows easy don and doff of the suit.

 

[Marie13]

Nope. Won’t cut my seals.

 

[Marie13]

These were my first dives using a light on the back of my hand (left). Dive Rite CX1. Really liked it. Have the elastic hand mount for it. Worked well and not too large for my hand. Just the right size for me and didn’t hit my wrist rings.

 

[-JD-]

Had horrid dry glove squeeze. I’ve been using undersuit thumb loop to equalize gloves but that didn’t work this time.

I saw an idea in one of the glove threads. I don't recall which ...

Put the wrist seals over the wrist-tail of the glove liners. Plenty of gas exchange, they will "slowly" leak if a glove is holed, and can be pulled out to stop the leaking with some effort.

I'm going to be looking for a long set of liners now that I have my Ultima rings and Showas in.

 

[Marie13]

I saw an idea in one of the glove threads. I don't recall which ...

Put the wrist seals over the wrist-tail of the glove liners. Plenty of gas exchange, they will "slowly" leak if a glove is holed, and can be pulled out to stop the leaking with some effort.

I'm going to be looking for a long set of liners now that I have my Ultima rings and Showas in.

I use Fourth Element fleece liners. Man, does that sound fiddly. Worse than using the equalization “noodles” that Waterproof includes with the Ultima system. I’ll just try a piece of bungee cord.

As a cold water diver, I need to keep those seals.