OW & Cert dives this weekend, any last minute hints or reminders?

[BlueWaterHue]

I have been reading SB for a relatively short amount of time (especially given that I started OW class less than a month ago and never looked seriously into diving until then) and have learned alot, but still not enough! We are going to Catalina Island this weekend to do our OW dives and the cert. dive the following day. I think I should do okay, but I noticed that the last time I did a mask removal/replacement I kind of got a little flustered and got water up my nose. I guess I just need to relax a little before I do the skill. Any other advice for doing the skills and whatnot in actual OW instead of just a pool? How intimidated were you going from the pool to the sea? Any advice is appreciated!!

Angela

 

[spectrum]

Have fun, keep your cool, you have prepared and now it's time to show your stuff. Everyone of us is a mere mortal just as you and you are every bit as worthy. We look forward to a WaHOO post latter in the weekend.

Good luck!

Pete

 

[anzac65]

Don't worry about your mask Angela. I just completed my open water with no problems at all in Cayman; I hadn't been near any water since my doing the pool work and exams eleven months earlier in the UK.

I was stressed about the mask but don't be. My advice is to use your first dive (there are no skills in this, except of course diving, buoyancy and so on) to practice blowing out through your nose a few times. (ie clearing your mask even if it doesn't need to be cleared).

Now, when you do the mask skills in the following dives just remember START BLOWING OUT THROUGH YOUR NOSE BEFORE YOU LOOK UP. No water will go up your nose. That's a promise. Think breathe, relax.

Oh, one more thing. I think you'll be surprised how relaxed you are in open water. I know the vis and so on is fab in Cayman, but I found it TOTALLY RELAXING compared with the pool.

Good luck, remember your training and ENJOY.

Nick.

 

[Diving Doc]

Everybody else has already said it!!! Relax, remember the drills from the pool session.

Biggest tip I can give you, concentrate on your breathing. Once you have control of your breathing then do the skill, you'll be amazed how much easier that will make it for you. Take your time, the skill does not have to be completed in micro seconds!! Thats when you get flustered.

ENJOY IT!! You will do fine!

 

[jpcpat]

Remember, this is recreational diving, so have fun. Conditions are not all that different from the pool. If you need to pause during a skill, then do!

 

[Fabulous]

Your instructor is there to help you. Before the dives talk freely with them. Probably one thing that I learned from my OW was to visualize the hand signals and demonstration that the instructor will give you before each dive.

As has been pointed out, control your breathing and there is no need to rush.

Good Luck

 

[BlueWaterHue]

Thanks, everyone. I guess that's stuff I already know, but you know how sometimes knowing and doing don't always line up . I'm sure I will be fine, I know I've got to be at least a *little* better off than one of the girls in my class who had to opt out of the dives this weekend because she simply wasn't comfortable with any of it. (At least I hope I can fake it 'til I make it). Thanks again, any more info is helpful!

If you had any trouble with a particular drill or anything let me know!

Ang

 

[PePaw]

Relax, enjoy, good-luck !

 

[Jon C]

BREATHE!

You'll do fine. Typically, people get laser vision on the instructor and that is just fine. You might not see all the neat stuff around you, but the next dive will be more relaxed, and so on.... Enjoy the experience. Check in with a post-dive report.