New Diver? Scubaboard is the best thing you could do.

[waynel]

Been diving 18 months. I posted this in the new diver section because back then, like you I was brand newly certified but still not entirely sure I knew what the hell I was doing. I poured over and over this section, all the sections dealing with equipment and technique for months. However, I took all this new information and WENT DIVING every chance I could get. Give up the mountain trips, ski trips, etc. if you want to be a good diver. You can't learn it in class or the pool.

However, I can honestly say that I learned as much pouring over Scubaboard as I did in OW class. In fact, I learned more. You are, or will, be told, never hold your breath while underwater. True, but by doing some research, on this site (ask, ask, ask questions!) you will find that there is a way to "delay" your breathing that will help you save air. Here's the tip, you have to keep your airway open from your throat to your lungs, it's really more of delay than holding. Don't understand? Ask someone on this site. You'll not only get divers with 1,000 plus dives, but instructors who will explain it to you. Ask questions! You're new, and you won't learn everything you need to know from OW class. That's one of the reasons Scubaboard was started. Use it.

 

[crispix]

Nice post. I'll chime in with two things that I learned in OW but didn't appreciate enough until SB came along:

1. Hydrate before every dive. Drink up. Pee in your wet suit. I had a (mild, no chamber) DCS incident on an easy shallow dive that was pretty much due to dehydration. OW classes made me think that getting bent was nothing to worry about for a single NDL shallow dive. That's just plain wrong, and I have to be smart about it every dive.

2. Learn to breathe without a mask on. It should be second nature. I've had a mask kicked off, had a strap break, dived with sunglassess for the obligatory cheesy underwater photo, etc. Losing a mask should be a minor inconvenience, not a reason to stress.

Lots of other tidbits on scubaboard, but those two items were the most valuable for me.

SB rocks!

 

[Parysa]

I have definitely learned a lot from SB. One thing I learned was that a properly-fitting mask should stay on (at least for a little while) without a strap, due to the water pressure, which helped me immensely on my first night dive when my mask strap came off my head. I was able to stop and just think, "Huh, they were right. Cool." And I slipped the strap back on and went about my dive. It might have freaked me out if I hadn't read that before, but instead I was completely calm. But, you can't learn everything by reading. I've learned just as much by diving with experience and wonderful divers and just by watching other people under the water.

 

[Thrillhouse]

Totally agree. It was one year ago yesterday that I had my first OW, and I can honestly say this place has helped me more with info than my local diveshop and OW combined. Probably the thing I've learned most here has been the huge emphasis on safety. My dive-club is safe, but not to the same degree. Also, this place is simply a way bigger pool of knowledge; thousands of skilled divers versus a couple in a dive-shop or two instructors at an open-water.

Huge thanks. This place keeps a lot of divers safe and builds confidence through good advice.

 

[DandyDon]

Yep, I've taken a few classes, learned more here on SB. The last two courses taught me nothing I hadn't already learned here.

 

[Bob Vincent]

Very smart Waynel. You learned alot in the 18 months I can see.