New Diver - West Central OH (Preble Co)

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Took the winter class at SODA and the TDI Nitrox course over at ASK in Columbus, then headed to Tampa Bay for spring break and back-to-backed the OW & AOW checkouts.

The deep dive for the AOW was about 70 feet in a field latrine - I won't grace the place with any more complimentary name. Wasn't planned that way - was supposed to be a 3-tank wreck dive in the gulf that afternoon/evening, but the boat captain got ran off the road on the way to pick us up and sailed through his windshield and took a ride in the meat wagon. So plan B took over.

Will talk about Plan B offline and only after a lot of "provisions". 'twas a true adventure to say the least

Needless to say, it's been a firehose so far, and I'm looking forward to adding experiences at a sane pace.

61 is probably going to be pretty cool - got in a friend's pool in Tampa and it was about that in late March and it was a thrilling experience. I'm meeting a local over at NSR on Sunday morning to find out.

I'm chomping at the bit for a day trip and up for it just about any weekend or evening after work as the days get longer. Circleville and NSR are the easiest to get to after work (work about halfway between them), but I'm hearing there's a quarry in your area and one across the river in KY. Not sure about the locations but both would be within range after work and definitely on a weekend!

Definitely want to do Gilboa and White Star when they warm-up a bit more.

Tom
 
skyking:
Definitely want to do Gilboa and White Star when they warm-up a bit more.

Tom
I dive wet exclusively. Namely b/c I don't have the $$$ for a drysuit yet. Gilboa is diveable wet right now, as is Whitestar (Whitestar warms up a little faster). Surface temps at Gilboa are in the mid 50s. At 30' last weekend (the 2nd of May) we had 51, and at the tubes (55') we saw 45. The water was warmer than the air, and we had a nice dive. Certainly the last week or so of good weather has to have helped some more.

However, if you're going to dive wet, you need a good fitting thick wetsuit. A good fitting hood, and gloves and boots.

-T
 
Went out to Natural Springs this morning. Had a bunch of things to try out (new gear, etc) and one of them was to try out my suit (6.5 farmer john/jacket & 7/3 hooded vest (and 38 lbs of lead - OUCH!)) in cooler water. Doggone thing 'bout slow-broiled me at 60 degrees, so would imagine 50-55 would be little problem. Now I know what a chicken on a spit must feel like!

Couple more shakedown trips & I'll be seein' y'all up north for some deeper H2O.
 
skyking:
Went out to Natural Springs this morning. Had a bunch of things to try out (new gear, etc) and one of them was to try out my suit (6.5 farmer john/jacket & 7/3 hooded vest (and 38 lbs of lead - OUCH!)) in cooler water. Doggone thing 'bout slow-broiled me at 60 degrees, so would imagine 50-55 would be little problem. Now I know what a chicken on a spit must feel like!
Hmmm...38 pounds eh? I think you might want to drop a few. I dive almost the exact same config (I have a hood, but no vest to match) and I'm diving with 18. Time will help you get some of that weight off, but 38 pounds has to be a lot to be shlepping around. I'm certain you have a few too many pounds on that belt.

OTOH....It's good to see you got in the water last weekend. That's more than I can say. I hope to get back in this weekend.
 
Well, If I had a thick suit I'd be ready to jump in with you right now. As it stands, a hood is on the "for immediate purchase" list, I already have gloves and 3mm booties, but the wetsuit is only a 5/3. Last September at the tubes, the temp was 58F and I had a rental 6.5 FJ and a borrowed hood but no gloves. That was too cold, but I really only noticed my hands!

Natural Springs is on my list of sites to check out, but their web site is kinda sparse on information. What's the depths and temperatures like? The first weekend that I think is "open" for me is May 29-30. Something not too deep ought to have warmed enough (and the SI temps this past weekend were already great!) for my 5/3.

-Rob
 
rab:
What's the depths and temperatures like? The first weekend that I think is "open" for me is May 29-30. Something not too deep ought to have warmed enough (and the SI temps this past weekend were already great!) for my 5/3.
Max depth at that place is 28' and that's if you shove you're SPG in a hole at the deepest spot in the lake. Avg depth is probably 18 or 20, so that place is pretty warm.
 
White Star was 51 on the surface and 47 below the thermocline last weekend.

No gloves! BRRRR! I've done it in 63 degree water and it wasn't bad but I was having fun on the dive too and sometimes that can make a BIG difference!

61 degrees is toasty, especially for Ohio. Whatever you do don't go to Natural Springs in August in your heavy neoprene I've seen that water hit 75+ degrees after a long hot spell. You can dive it in a 3mm as long as you stay above the thermocline in the trench.

This weekend we'll head up to Gilboa for the AOW deep and night dives--YEAH!
Ber :libunny:
 
Have a polartech for warm weather - NFW I'm getting that wetsuit "warm". Had it in a local pool the weekend I brought it home (83 deg) and immediately regretted it.

38 lbs is accurate - I didn't believe it until I got scientific about the whole thing and measured all the pieces seperately.

Ugh!
 
skyking:
Have a polartech for warm weather - NFW I'm getting that wetsuit "warm". Had it in a local pool the weekend I brought it home (83 deg) and immediately regretted it.

38 lbs is accurate - I didn't believe it until I got scientific about the whole thing and measured all the pieces seperately.

Ugh!

What they meant by 38lbs seems like a little to much as you wearing 38lbs is way to much. If you have access to your local dive shop or someone elses pool then go there gear up like you would for cold water diving and take a couple pounds out and try it. Keep doing that until you sink slowly after exhaling completly. I only wear 22lbs with a dry suit on and I could probably shed 2 more yet.
 
skyking:
38 lbs is accurate - I didn't believe it until I got scientific about the whole thing and measured all the pieces seperately.

Ugh!
I seem to like the following as a good method for a weight check. We learned it in our fundamentals class, and so far, it seems to work rather well.

1 - Get a tank that has 500 psi in it (or do a dive....and then bleed off some excess)

2 - Go to 10 feet on a line, or by something stationary.

3 - Get all the air out of your BC/Wing and exhale completely...all the way...hold nothing in. Do not hold on to anything...if you sink...you're too heavy. If you float, you're too light. if you're not moving, you're on the money.

FWIW I'm down to 18 total for lead, and I could spare another pound, but I like being able to hold a stop at 5 feet as well, so I keep the pound there. 38 just seems like a LOT of overkill. Are you talking 38 total pounds of lead on your belt?

-T
 

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