SkipperJohn
Contributor
(I intended the heading to read: "My first POST cert dive")
Yesterday, my local shop and a club (Broadway Divers) did a dive not far form my home to "clean up the beach". I saw this as an opportunity to get wet. I joined them.
Now... my 4 previous dives in the ocean were in the Caribbean (Aruba to be exact). So this was very very new for me.
Including in no particular order: A hood (just felt weird), beach dive, wet suit (& the 30 pounds of lead it took to get me under), cold water, low vis (although I was told it was pretty good around 9 to 10 foot) and current. Oh, an official dive buddy (that poor guy).
My rental wetsuit was ill fitting. An XL that had shrunk many years ago (I weigh 200 & am 6'4" which puts me in a large). But this suit... well, with over a half bottle of shampoo I still managed to rip off 4 knuckles yanking this monster on. And yes, I did try it on at the shop when I rented it (so we could make sure the SM BCD fit) but they said it was my size and the shampoo would help. That suit was so tight water couldn't work in and even the 30 pounds of lead couldn't get me down. After a little tugging at a few openings and squirming I finally began to sink. Once I saw the low vis and thought about my buddy I actually wanted to stop, but I went on and after around 15 minutes kinda got my buoyancy worked out it was great. We found a little trash. Mostly fishing sinkers, cans and dozens of spark plugs (then I remember old-timers used them as cheap sinkers for fishing). It was pretty good. I walked away proud as heck and anxious for my next dive. BUT, I will never again rent a wetsuit! Period!
My dive buddy was a very very experienced diver who was very patient. He dove a dry suit. Oddly, he had a bit of a problem and suddenly he had an uncontrolled ascent (usually my thing) I went up partly to keep an eye on him then poof, I too began to rise until I dumped my BC. Anyway I did go to the top with him to make sure everything was ok, we redove and finished our clean-up and sight-seeing.
Man I LOVE diving!
Yesterday, my local shop and a club (Broadway Divers) did a dive not far form my home to "clean up the beach". I saw this as an opportunity to get wet. I joined them.
Now... my 4 previous dives in the ocean were in the Caribbean (Aruba to be exact). So this was very very new for me.
Including in no particular order: A hood (just felt weird), beach dive, wet suit (& the 30 pounds of lead it took to get me under), cold water, low vis (although I was told it was pretty good around 9 to 10 foot) and current. Oh, an official dive buddy (that poor guy).
My rental wetsuit was ill fitting. An XL that had shrunk many years ago (I weigh 200 & am 6'4" which puts me in a large). But this suit... well, with over a half bottle of shampoo I still managed to rip off 4 knuckles yanking this monster on. And yes, I did try it on at the shop when I rented it (so we could make sure the SM BCD fit) but they said it was my size and the shampoo would help. That suit was so tight water couldn't work in and even the 30 pounds of lead couldn't get me down. After a little tugging at a few openings and squirming I finally began to sink. Once I saw the low vis and thought about my buddy I actually wanted to stop, but I went on and after around 15 minutes kinda got my buoyancy worked out it was great. We found a little trash. Mostly fishing sinkers, cans and dozens of spark plugs (then I remember old-timers used them as cheap sinkers for fishing). It was pretty good. I walked away proud as heck and anxious for my next dive. BUT, I will never again rent a wetsuit! Period!
My dive buddy was a very very experienced diver who was very patient. He dove a dry suit. Oddly, he had a bit of a problem and suddenly he had an uncontrolled ascent (usually my thing) I went up partly to keep an eye on him then poof, I too began to rise until I dumped my BC. Anyway I did go to the top with him to make sure everything was ok, we redove and finished our clean-up and sight-seeing.
Man I LOVE diving!
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