Hi, everybody!
Although I've been certified for over a year now (May 2007), I consider myself a newbie.
The open water portion of my very brief basic PADI course took place in a freezing cold and extremely murky quarry. My only successful ocean dive was during my honeymoon in Key Largo just after hurricanes had whipped through (June 2007). The whiteboard where dive conditions were posted actually said "Chop: Hold on tight! Viz: What's that?" Needless to say, it wasn't nearly as enjoyable as I had hoped, and I also got very sick.
My only other dive would've been at the same place around this past Christmas. On my first entry, I lost a fin. Miraculously, there were spare fins on the boat that fit me. However, on my second entry, my mask popped off and, like a complete idiot, I had forgotten to inflate my BCD. Blinded by waves swelling all around me, I was desperately clinging to my mask and the tow line and fighting with everything I had not to sink like a rock. (I'm 5'4" & 110 lbs.) When I got back on the boat, I was completely exhausted and felt so embarrassed, shamed, and just plain p!$$ed that I had let something so simple as forgetting to inflate my BCD ruin what would've been my first good dive. [However, my hubby commended me on keeping my regulator in my mouth until I was seated in the boat, and he confessed that the vice grip I kept on my mask sorta scared him. (I had no idea he had tried to take it from me when he inflated my BCD for me.)] To top it all off, a jellyfish had apparently recently rubbed against the tow line - which had nearly strangled me - so I had a gorgeous rope burn/jellyfish sting on the side of my neck for over a week.:crying2:
Now it looks like we'll be going back to the same place around the end of this month, and I'm determined to have an absolutely SPECTACULAR dive!!!
N-E-way, I'm glad I stumbled across this forum. I look forward to getting to know some of you in the future.
Look for my first general post asking for advice on masks.
Although I've been certified for over a year now (May 2007), I consider myself a newbie.
The open water portion of my very brief basic PADI course took place in a freezing cold and extremely murky quarry. My only successful ocean dive was during my honeymoon in Key Largo just after hurricanes had whipped through (June 2007). The whiteboard where dive conditions were posted actually said "Chop: Hold on tight! Viz: What's that?" Needless to say, it wasn't nearly as enjoyable as I had hoped, and I also got very sick.
My only other dive would've been at the same place around this past Christmas. On my first entry, I lost a fin. Miraculously, there were spare fins on the boat that fit me. However, on my second entry, my mask popped off and, like a complete idiot, I had forgotten to inflate my BCD. Blinded by waves swelling all around me, I was desperately clinging to my mask and the tow line and fighting with everything I had not to sink like a rock. (I'm 5'4" & 110 lbs.) When I got back on the boat, I was completely exhausted and felt so embarrassed, shamed, and just plain p!$$ed that I had let something so simple as forgetting to inflate my BCD ruin what would've been my first good dive. [However, my hubby commended me on keeping my regulator in my mouth until I was seated in the boat, and he confessed that the vice grip I kept on my mask sorta scared him. (I had no idea he had tried to take it from me when he inflated my BCD for me.)] To top it all off, a jellyfish had apparently recently rubbed against the tow line - which had nearly strangled me - so I had a gorgeous rope burn/jellyfish sting on the side of my neck for over a week.:crying2:
Now it looks like we'll be going back to the same place around the end of this month, and I'm determined to have an absolutely SPECTACULAR dive!!!
N-E-way, I'm glad I stumbled across this forum. I look forward to getting to know some of you in the future.
Look for my first general post asking for advice on masks.
