charlesml3
Contributor
Gang,
OK, let's see if we can make this work. I'm looking for good tips. Little things that just make things easier or more manageable. PLEASE, no flames. No "I'd never dive with anyone who did that" remarks. If those start, the entire thread will just dissolve into a long, stupid debate. Some of these may be a big "duh" for most of you but remember, we were all newbies at some point...
Here are some of mine:
-I do a lot of drift diving so I carry my own signal tube. I usually inflate it at around 20', go negative bouyancy and reel myself up to 15' for the safety stop. I tied a knot in the line at 15' to make things easy.
-Carry what you need, but resist the urge to "kitchen sink." I was on a dive once with this lady that had crap clipped all over her BC. Fish charts, sponge charts, tables, a slate, light, etc. It was WAY more than she needed and I could see her struggling with all of it on the dive.
-Always clip your computer/spg in the same place. You should be able to put your hand on it without looking for the hose. This really make things easier and more comfortable when you just "know" where that guage is.
-On a night dive, choose a light that's appropriate for the dive. Those 1.21 jigawatt lights are overkill on a shallow dive in clear water. They also scare off most of what you want to see.
-If your mask fogs no matter what you do to it, try this: Use a cigarette lighter to heat the inside of the glass. Don't get it too hot and keep the flame moving. Clean it with some soap or something afterwards. I swear this works. I threw my mask in the trash can after a dive once because I was so frustrated with it. A DM pulled it out and did this trick and I've been using that same mask since then!
OK, let's see if we can make this work. I'm looking for good tips. Little things that just make things easier or more manageable. PLEASE, no flames. No "I'd never dive with anyone who did that" remarks. If those start, the entire thread will just dissolve into a long, stupid debate. Some of these may be a big "duh" for most of you but remember, we were all newbies at some point...
Here are some of mine:
-I do a lot of drift diving so I carry my own signal tube. I usually inflate it at around 20', go negative bouyancy and reel myself up to 15' for the safety stop. I tied a knot in the line at 15' to make things easy.
-Carry what you need, but resist the urge to "kitchen sink." I was on a dive once with this lady that had crap clipped all over her BC. Fish charts, sponge charts, tables, a slate, light, etc. It was WAY more than she needed and I could see her struggling with all of it on the dive.
-Always clip your computer/spg in the same place. You should be able to put your hand on it without looking for the hose. This really make things easier and more comfortable when you just "know" where that guage is.
-On a night dive, choose a light that's appropriate for the dive. Those 1.21 jigawatt lights are overkill on a shallow dive in clear water. They also scare off most of what you want to see.
-If your mask fogs no matter what you do to it, try this: Use a cigarette lighter to heat the inside of the glass. Don't get it too hot and keep the flame moving. Clean it with some soap or something afterwards. I swear this works. I threw my mask in the trash can after a dive once because I was so frustrated with it. A DM pulled it out and did this trick and I've been using that same mask since then!
