Open Water Questions...

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3) Also one aspect I am worried about is the mask removal, from what I gather alot of people struggle with this exercise, I sometimes have problems with my eyes and soreness so I am slightly worried about having my eyes open in the salt water. Does anybody have any advice or opinions regarding this
I can understand ones apprehension with no mask swim; I see a number of students that worry about that particular skill. Understand that you will work up to that one skill in small steps. You may learn to clear a mask on the surface with a small amount of water in the mask, then in the shallow end of the pool, then you try one that is completely flooded, then you take the mask off and breathe for a set time, then you take the mask off and swim around, replace it and clear it. One additional task I have students do is to practice breathing without a mask on the surface, usually with just a snorkel and then switch to the regulator. If you're still worried, fill up the bathtub and breathe from just your snorkel in the tub.
As for eyes in salt water, just keep them closed and trust your buddy or instructor will not run you into something. ;)
 
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Yes, there is a "no mask swim". There is nothing that prevents your buddy from leading you during the no mask swim. My students do it with their buddy leading them. They can have their eyes open or closed - whatever they are comfortable with.

Bill

This is the way our class was. We had the no mask swim with our buddy. Because it bothers me to have air bubbles going into my eyes I closed my eyes while exhaling and opened them while inhaling and was able to keep a straight path. My eyes always hurt in chlorine etc too with no mask/goggles and that passes quite quickly the more you do it. My main problem with that skill wasn't the eyes but rather consciously reminding myself that my nose does not exist and to keep breathing through my mouth.
 
2) I have read abit about the course and what it involves but how does everybody think this course is to somebody who has never dived before?

She'll probably be OK, but if you can get her into a Discover Scuba class before you go, you can make sure she likes it, and those are fun and cheap. Also, go ahead and print out the medical form for each of you and get it filled out with a physician. A lot of people have one of the conditions listed on the form, but in most cases it's still OK, as long as you have talked it through with your doctor. For example, I've had vertigo, but it was not one of the types that's a problem when diving, and it was a long time ago, so my doctor gave me the green light.

3) Also one aspect I am worried about is the mask removal, from what I gather alot of people struggle with this exercise, I sometimes have problems with my eyes and soreness so I am slightly worried about having my eyes open in the salt water. Does anybody have any advice or opinions regarding this?

Yep, you can keep your eyes closed. Most people open their eyes for at least a moment, but it only takes a few blinks to get them back to normal after you clear the mask. You'll learn how to replace your mask and straps by feel.

I did have problems with the mask removal, because water kept getting into my nose, and then I'd inhale a little bit of water, and feel like I was choking! After barely pulling off that skill the first day, I took the advice you already saw, breathing through a snorkel with no mask on (eyes closed) in the tub, in a pool, or in my case, in the kitchen sink! Either it'll be easy, like it was for most people in my class, or you can work through it before you get to class. Some people just have a harder time shutting off their nose, while breathing in through their mouth, than others. It took a good half-hour spread over a few days for me to get the trick. I still don't like it, but I was able to get through the rest of the mask-off skills and the checkout dives. I'll have to make myself practice that at the end of every dive for a while, because people do kick each others' masks off by accident on a regular basis.

Actually, for most people the swim without a mask is no problem. I breezed through that, because you do work up to it. It's easier to keep your nose clear of water when you're looking down a bit, like when you're swimming.
 
I did my OW without taking a DSD mainly due to it not being offer before my university classes in Victoria started. Having grown up for 25 years in Alberta there really is not much diving there( if I believed in a god I would have a few choice words of him about the place of my birth and where I lived). I can say I didn't have much issue with any of the drills besides the buoyancy ones(big lungs in a pool really do not help much with that one and not having learned breath control yet). The biggest thing wit he no mask trial is breath calmly and slowly if your breathing heavily you will get water up your nose. As for replacing your mask its pretty simple once you get the hang of it. The biggest thing if you need to and your not comfortable with a skill talk it over with your instructor and see if you can work on it a bit more.
 
Also, with the mask removal, if you find yourself panicking because water is going up your nose (and when this happens it really does make you choke) just pinch ur nose!! Take a moment to calm down with some relaxed breathing and then get on with the exercise. :) I remember when I was 15 (3 years ago) I was (and still am) unable to open my eyes under water.. just can't stand it :dontknow: but you just do it by feel anyway. I think it's probably a good thing anyway in case you ever find yourself in extremely low viz situations.

I'm so jealous; wish I was going to Egypt!! You're gonna have a blast!
 
I just finished my open water in Cabo and I had a lot of the same fears.

The mask removal isn't really that much of a problem, and the maskless swim wasn't that hard either.

Chlorine always burns my eyes, but the salt water didn't seem to affect them and I kept my eyes open for the swim.

The only parts that I found difficult was getting myself to calm down and stop hyperventilating, the weight removal (for some reason when I was upside down, I never thought to just kick back down) and the CESA (my problem was that my BC was too tight not allowing me to take a full breath before starting my ascent).

You'll have fun, remember to equalize early and often (bloody nose on my last day from trying too hard to equalize).

John
 
Haha, now you're reminding me of the first time I tried to take my weight belt off underwater. I fell over on my left side, when I tried to bring them around to the front. As I was kicking to right myself, both legs cramped up. I ended up dropping the weights because I was only in 12 feet of water, and I just wanted to fix the cramps.

It was more comical than anything... I laughed at myself once I got past the embarrassment.

The next time I kept the weights *really* close to me.

I also eventually learned how to work out problems under water, instead of bailing to the surface. Very very important skill.
 
I don't have a lot to add to the good things that have already been said, except to agree that pool water is MUCH harder on the eyes than salt water is.
 
I don't have a lot to add to the good things that have already been said, except to agree that pool water is MUCH harder on the eyes than salt water is.

The one and only thing I disagree with you on so far. I find the salt much more of a problem in my eyes. Probably what we are used to. I never see salt water, but am always around a pool somewhere
 
Regarding materials, I will respectfully disagree with most of the replies thus far. There is no need for you to both have your own manual unless you need to read it at the same time (or unless you live far away from each other). Knowledge reviews/quizzes can be photocopied. As for the DVDs, I would again disagree. It is NOT a PADI requirement. Neither my OW or AOW manuals came with DVDs. That said, I would assume that the manual that includes the DVDs include the DVD content as a part of the course, but obviously, the non-DVD version is completely self-contained and has no such requirement.
 

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