I JUST COMPLETED MY OPEN CERTIFICATION THIS PAST WEEKEND. IT WAS HELD IN A ROCK QUARRY AND THE WATER WAS A CHILLY 49 DEGREES. I HAD A 5MM WETSUIT, HOOD, AND GLOVES ON, BUT AFTER ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES AT 25 FEET THE COLD WAS FELT. I HAD 24 LBS. OF WEIGHT ON. I FELT SO CLUMSLY. I COMPLETED ALL SKILLS BUT A GREAT DEAL OF TROUBLE WITH BOUYANCY. WHEN WE STARTED TO SWIMM AROUND IF I GOT TO AROUND 10-12 FEET, TO THE SURFACE I WOULD COME. MY INSTRUCTOR WAS GREAT AND EXPLAINED THAT THE WET SUIT EXPANDS AND MAKES YOU MORE BOUYANT, BUT I WAS STRESSED. WE ARE PLANNING OUR FIRST DIVE TRIP TO THE KEYS THIS SUMMER AND I AM WORRIED THAT THE SAME THING WILL HAPPEN THERE. WE WILL BE IN 25-35 FEET OF WATER AND DIVING WITH A SKIN. CAN ANYONE OFFER WORDS OF ADVISE?
Open Water Cert In Cold Water
- Thread starter MOMMA
- Start date
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Congrats on your certification!!! Sounds like a pretty typical experience with the bouyancy situation and being so brand new to diving. What you need now is as much experience as you can get prior to your trip. As you gain experience your bouyancy skills will improve and you will probably be able to remove some weight from your belt also. One thing that will come with experience is relaxation and relaxation will help with bouyancy control.
Welcome to the underwater world!
Welcome to the underwater world!
Congratulations at becoming certified! In cold water! WOW.... sounds like what I went through way back when hehehe.
Here's my 0.02 worth.
I'm sure others will soon start giving you advice too,
Here's my 0.02 worth.
- neoprene remains very buoyant at shallower depths, and will compress at depth
- With time, you will be able to drop weight as you become more comfortable in the water
- try to remain calm (I know you'll be sooooo excited)
- take along an experienced diver to help you out for the first while
I'm sure others will soon start giving you advice too,
scuba-sass
Wreckmaniac Extrordinaire
Welcome to the wonderful world of scuba!
Remember the difference between a wetsuit and a diveskin.
As pointed out by DG, a wetsuit is made of neoprene, and will significantly add to your boyancy at shallow depths. This effect decrease as you sink lower, and it compresses.
A diveskin is typically Lycra, just like bathing suit material, and doesn't really effect buoyancy.
Happy Diving,
Scuba-sass
Remember the difference between a wetsuit and a diveskin.
As pointed out by DG, a wetsuit is made of neoprene, and will significantly add to your boyancy at shallow depths. This effect decrease as you sink lower, and it compresses.
A diveskin is typically Lycra, just like bathing suit material, and doesn't really effect buoyancy.
Happy Diving,
Scuba-sass
Kaffphine
Guest
Wow, congrats on the cert! and in a 5mm! Past couple of weekends I've been helping with classes doing cert dives, and they're all in 7mm getting cold (water's 50F ish)
Advise, dive dive dive and never stop!
Advise, dive dive dive and never stop!
Kayla
Contributor
congrats. on completing your OW!! I'm sure you will really enjoy it, and welcome to the boards!!
Kayla
Kayla
Heck, I'm surprised you didn't stay within 10 - 12 feet of the surface the entire dive.
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I believe you'll find the Keys to be a totally different type of diving. Normally, I'd tell you it's more fun than diving in a cold quarry, but with your recent experience I'm not sure that'll be the case. Enjoy!
When will you be in the Keys?
Please disengage the cap lock. All capital letters is more difficult to read.
I believe you'll find the Keys to be a totally different type of diving. Normally, I'd tell you it's more fun than diving in a cold quarry, but with your recent experience I'm not sure that'll be the case. Enjoy!
When will you be in the Keys?
Welshman
senior member
Congratulations Momma on your certification.
5mm not enough for 49 degrees. You either needed 7mm or to have added a 5mm vest. You never want to feel cold when diving - instead of concentrating on diving properly you're thinking "I'm cold!" - that's what leads to mistakes.
As for diving in the keys with a skin do you mean one of the 0.5mm skins? If I was you I'd wear a full 3mm wetsuit unless you're just doing one dive a day. Wear an 0.5mm skin and you will be feeling cold by the end of the day.
You will never overheat in the water unless you're sitting in a hot spring which is warmer than your body temperature.
5mm not enough for 49 degrees. You either needed 7mm or to have added a 5mm vest. You never want to feel cold when diving - instead of concentrating on diving properly you're thinking "I'm cold!" - that's what leads to mistakes.
As for diving in the keys with a skin do you mean one of the 0.5mm skins? If I was you I'd wear a full 3mm wetsuit unless you're just doing one dive a day. Wear an 0.5mm skin and you will be feeling cold by the end of the day.
You will never overheat in the water unless you're sitting in a hot spring which is warmer than your body temperature.
BigDiver
Guest
When I did my open water test the water was about 46degrees. I had on a two peice 7mm suit with a 5mil hooded vest. Talk about having bouancy problems. I was like a cork. If I remember right I had 32lbs of weight and still had quite a hard time getting down.
Like everyone is saying it will just take practice. I don't dive with the two peice anymore, but still dive with a 7mil suit and 5 mil hood. The great thing is that my weight is down to about 22lbs-24lbs.
My advice.... dive, dive, dive
Like everyone is saying it will just take practice. I don't dive with the two peice anymore, but still dive with a 7mil suit and 5 mil hood. The great thing is that my weight is down to about 22lbs-24lbs.
My advice.... dive, dive, dive
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