No biggie but I thought I'd share

[newdiver3]

I recently went to Akumal, Mexico for my first ocean diving. I wrote a trip report on a different website but I'll share my first diving experience and boy was it an experience.....
2/22 Wednesday

FIRST DIVING DAY!! Woke up around 5:45 this morning to see the sunrise. I looked out our window and it looked really windy and cloudy so we ended going back to sleep until 6:15. It cleared up a lot after the sun rose we did our daily routine again. Sat on the beach until everyone woke up then took a walk. For some reason, I never got tired of that routine…hmm who wouldn’t mind it! That morning we went to Turtle Bay Café for breakfast. We went there on our last day last year and loved it. I got French toast, but I was so extremely nervous for diving that I couldn’t eat it. I had one piece then passed it over to my brother who was also diving with us. He hasn’t gone in about 6 years but he seem really comfortable and confident that he would be fine. I couldn’t believe how nervous I was. I had so many butterflies and I felt like I was going to get sick! Me my dad and brother headed back to the room early to get ready and then we walked to the dive center. It was so awesome just to walk 2 seconds from the room and your at the dive center. Cheppo was scheduled to take us out. We got our tanks ready got our wetsuits on and I was still a nervous wreck. There were about 6 other people going with us that morning. Most of them were first timers too. It was pretty windy that day and you could see the waves breaking out on the reef. Cheppo told us it would probably be a bit rough but no problems. After everyone had a little laugh about my baby fin, we loaded the boat. Wow, I didn’t expect it to be as rough as it was. It was my first time on a boat too and not a good first experience. I thought the boat was going to tip at any second. Still nervous as anything, we got our tanks together and strapped up (which took awhile cause everyone’s got mixed up) then we sat on the edge ready to go…little did I know that my first real ocean dive would turn out like a disaster! So we get into the water and let me tell ya it was ROUGH! We were bouncing all around in the water and I couldn’t relax for the life of me. I looked down and could not see a single thing…just blue. Now that I think about it, it was pretty cool but at the time it freaked me out. Then I went to inflate my BC and it started making a really scary sound. I probably wouldn’t have panicked if I wasn’t so nervous but that just added to it! I had nooo idea what it was and it really did scare me. My dad said that my eyes couldn’t have gotten any bigger. He thinks it was because I was over inflating it. I wish I knew that when it happened. We were supposed to stay in a group but the current was so strong that everyone started to separate but there was no way I was going to get lost from my dad. My brother was with the second group but at the time we didn’t know that and we thought we were all together because we started going down. Cheppo was with me the whole time because he knew I was nervous. He held my hand the whole time and made me feel really comfortable. The waves are no problem once you get under so I was good and eventually made it to the bottom. Then Cheppo had to take care of everyone else so he told me to get together with my dad. He was a few feet up so I went up to get him. As we were going back down, my left ear would not clear for some reason! It was fine until I went back up. It was really getting painful so we decided to go up. And the whole time we couldn’t see anyone else. So we get to the surface and we both look at each other because WE CAN’T SEE THE BOAT ANYWHERE! And I mean anywhere. I seriously thought we got caught in the current and got lost! I tried to relax because I knew we would be okay but it’s not a good feeling. Then all of a sudden we turn around and there’s the boat! Thank God! And then I see that my brother is on the boat! Weird? So we get back on the boat and there are two more people on there. We find out that they couldn’t get down either because it was rough. My brother said that as soon as he got his regulator in his mouth he freaked out and then once he hit the water he hyperventilated and couldn’t breathe. I guess the six years caught up to him. I felt really bad for him though cause he was mad he couldn’t get down. So then here comes Cheppo up to the boat with two more people. They were the more experienced ones and got down but had to come up because Cheppo couldn’t find anyone else. But we’re still missing a couple of people! We drove around for like 5 minutes looking for them and yet again I got a little scared. It was hard to see bubbles because of the waves. Eventually we found them, and they couldn’t get down either! They didn’t have enough weights. I was really freaked out on the boat and thinking to myself what did I get into? I can’t do this! My dad said my eyes were red and my face was pure white (thanks to some seasickness also) The whole dive was a mess and I felt bad for Cheppo. I think he was really overwhelmed and didn’t expect that to happen. But at least everyone was okay and back on land. Looking back on it, it really was a lesson learned because next time it’s rough I know I just need to relax because once you go under the waves disappear! and thank god nothing serious happened!!!

 

[gypsyjim]

You heading says 'no biggie', but it sounds to me like a very close thing that could have very easily become a very big thing. I have had good and bad experiences in Mexico, as there is a great range of quality in Mexican operators, from very good, to the homicidal. I can only hope everyone learned many lessons from the experience, but researching operators ahead of time sounds like it should be near the top of the list. Diving is a very safe and enjoyable sport, if you take a little care, and follow the safety rules. Six years with no refresher, very rough water conditions, almost all new divers, very poor operator: there is just so much more that could have gone wrong. At least you are all alive, and can start over. You said "first diving day", so I am assuming there were follow up days?

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Whoa man – slow down: paragraphs are your friend.

The loud popping sound you heard from your BC was probably air venting out: this happens when you try to pump air into an already full BC.

At the very least you need some one on one training before going out on a boat again. Basic OW skills in a sheltered area. This will make you feel more comfortable and less reliant on others..

If you feel nervous and seasick then don’t dive – only dive when you feel ready, regardless of what other people would like you to do. There are always more dives later.

Cheers,
Rohan

 

[newdiver3]

oh no it wasnt the operator at all. I have known them for a long time but it was my first time diving. he tried everything he could but it wasnt his fault. i just think there shouldnt have been that many inexperienced divers going at once. there were follow up days. three awesome times with the same dive shop that were AMAZING and got me hooked on diving. i was really hesitant to try again but i got certified to go in Akumal and im so glad i went again! the other dives had less people and the divemaster watched me really carefully and made me feel really comfortable

 

[mislav]

Whoa man – slow down: paragraphs are your friend.

As the man says: could you please edit your post by adding some paragraphs to it? It's just too heavy on the eyes.

 

[Iruka]

One suggestion for anyone who has trouble equalizing (although it sounds like you were ok initially) is: once you get down, STAY down until the end of the dive (if possible) I have no trouble going back & forth to fetch customers, stray cameras, etc, but for some people, every time they ascend, they're unable to descend again without ear problems, so try to keep from ascending shallower than needed until you're ready to return to the boat.

Anyhow, a lot of new divers find the "usual" things (descending, figuring out how their gear works, waves, etc.) to be troublesome, so I'd second the comments of doing an easy (beach or boat, either of them can be easy) dive or two to get comfortable.

 

[dandrian]

I am glad everything turned out ok, but I would say that it was more than a "no biggie". First, and please this is in no way meant to be a negative statement, it really is the indivduals responsibility to know if they are prepared to dive. A diver should be self assessing themselves every single dive and making their own determination as to their readness. You shouldn't expect a DM to fill in the gaps on the things you are unsure about. IMO of your story, your mind and body were telling you something long before you got in the water.

Second, take a scuba refresher course if there are large gaps in time between dives. Your brother really should have had one. A lot of resorts can do these in the pool while you are there. I am always pleased when people come to the LDS and ask for refresher courses. Its a good way to bring your confidence level back up.

Finally, I think it was great that once in the water you assessed that you were in a bit over your head and aborted the dive. To often people don't want to give up those precious 30 minutes in the water and the mishaps and problems just stack up againist them. Don't let this experience discourage you. Take a step back, learn from it, and get better for the next time.

 

[scubawife]

I've done lots of diving in Akumal and 2-3ft swells are not unusual in the winter months. And some days with even a bit more. The current in Akumal is rarely very strong, but the surface swells can get the group spread out quickly.

With the surface choppy it's best to all backroll together with just a little air in your BC. You really don't need to have it full. Most new divers think it has to be busting with air or they will immediately find themselves under water. Having it full will only make it harder to descend. Once in the water and everyone gives the "ok," the DM should immediately signal for the group to go down. Look down, cross your ankles so your legs aren't all over the place, hold your power inflater/deflator up as high as you can, take a good breath, exhale and deflate the BC and you will start going down. Don't panic if it's your first dive of the trip and it takes a couple seconds before you start descending. Your suit needs to get wet. With every subsequent dive of the trip your descend will go easier. Once you hit about 10 ft you will just keep gradually sinking.

Whenever you have trouble equalizing, slowly kick up a couple feet (always kick to go up, never inflate to ascend) and try again. If still not good then go up a little more. Start equalizing on the surface and do it every couple feet. That way, if you have a problem you won't have to go up too far to correct the situation. If you're below your buddy it's better to stop your decent and wait for them to come down instead of you going up.

It's poor staffing to have one DM for the group of 8 when there is a student (were you doing your check out dives?) and several beginners (maybe even discover scuba?) Did anyone suggest to your brother that he should do a refresher course since it had been 6 yrs since his last dive? Or was hiring your own DM ever suggested? For your next trip, regardless of where you go, the three of you might want to consider hiring your own DM for at least the first day. They will give you as much attention and assistance as you need and it won't interfere with anyone elses diving. With a group of certified divers the DM is really just there as a guide. They do look out for the safety of the group and can provide assistance when needed, but it really isn't their job at that point to provide one-on-one attention. If you go places like the Florida Keys you don't even have a DM in the water with you in most cases.

Regardless of the weather or conditions, it's a very good idea to always have your own signaling devices, especially if you are drift diving. Always carry a safety sausage and a whistle at minimum. If you ever have to surface on your own (hopefully with your buddy), you should inflate a sausage so your boat or other boats can see you. It's good for your safety and also for signaling the boat to pick you up. If you see the boat but the capt doesn't look your way, then blow your whistle until he spots you. If the rest of the group is surfacing nearer to the boat then often the capt will give you the "ok" signal and if you return it then they will get the rest of the divers onboard and then come for you. If you are in distress signal accordingly and you will get priority.

I've hyperventalated descending. It's an awful feeling. You think you are not getting air through your reg when in fact, you are breathing too fast for the reg to keep up. Just stop and force yourself to take a couple breaths. If you are with your buddy in arms length then let them know what's happening so they can stop with you. As soon as you relax and regroup all will be fine and off you go on the dive.

Akumal is some of the easiest drift diving you can find and a good place to get comfortable in the water. Since they do 3 dives a day and go back to the beach between each tank, you don't have to commit to more then one dive if you aren't sure about the conditions or your personal comfort level. Hopefully you got in more diving on your trip and you were all able to get more comfortable in the water and enjoy the experience. Diving is all about practice. The more you do it the better you will get. Getting your c-card is only a starting point. You've learnt the basics to start diving and not you just need to get out and dive. Eventually it all becomes second nature.

 

[spectrum]

I was really hesitant to try again but i got certified to go in Akumal and im so glad i went again! the other dives had less people and the divemaster watched me really carefully and made me feel really comfortable

To me this is a big point.

Between getting certified and going on a post cert boat dives in conditions that looked challenging from the inception had you made any non escourted dives with only peers as buddies? When you make a dive you need to be prepared to make that dive without professional assistance. Other wise scale the dive back to your comfort level and grow from there.

Im my opinion the was a trust me dive, a mismatch of side/condition/divers and it was the fault of many for not calling it before it happened.

Then again I like to say that if you make a dive, you come back with all of your gear, nobody is harmed, and you learned something then it was a good dive.

Pete