Post your best diving tips!

[vladimir]

http://scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=99833

 

[BarryNL]

-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.

- Don't hang off your DSMB. Just use it as a reference and control your buoyancy normally.

 

[Thalassamania]

Vinegar/alcohol is even better.

What we used for earwash on the Tektite project back in 1969 was equal parts of 15% Tannic Acid (15 gm. diluted to 100 ml), 15% Acetic Acid (15 ml diluted to 100 ml) and 50% isopropol or ethanol (50 ml diluted to 100 ml) in a wash bottle. Mineral oil in the ears before the dive and Tektite solution after. I've done this since '69 and never had any problems with my external auditory meatus.

 

[mwhities]

What we used for earwash on the Tektite project back in 1969 was equal parts of 15% Tannic Acid (15 gm. diluted to 100 ml), 15% Acetic Acid (15 ml diluted to 100 ml) and 50% isopropol or ethanol (50 ml diluted to 100 ml) in a wash bottle. Mineral oil in the ears before the dive and Tektite solution after. I've done this since '69 and never had any problems with my external auditory meatus.

Can you put that into Layman's terms? My fiance/boss (edit dd) lady says I can't dive until after the wedding and might not be much since the last two dives (two different locations 5 dives each) I got an ear infection.

I appreciate any help.

Michael

 

[fairybasslet]

Pee in your wetsuit.

 

[TheRedHead]

Buy a small dry bag and keep the items you want to stay dry in the dry bag.

 

[Drewski]

Hmmm...

Fortunately, I haven't had problems with my "meatus" either, probably because I switched to a drysuit instead of that damn tight wetsuit...

Seriously, the ear stuff was good advice. I used equal parts of grain alcohol, vinegar and distilled water for my solution and it worked fine also.

I'd also make a suggestion for people doing their own boat diving. String a trailing line of about 100' using 1/2" or 5/8" yellow poly. Clip one of those 20" bright orange net floats on the end. It makes a great catch line if you miss the boat.

Also, if you use the anchor line for a descent line, rig another 1/2" or 5/8" poly from the platform, around the side of the boat, to the trailer eye or directly clip it to the anchor line. Use this line to pull yourself around the boat in heavier current. Wait a few minutes at the surface breathing on snorkel or with your face out of the water to "calm down" before descending. This will help you use less air on descent and decrease the chance of CO2 retention HA.

Peace...

 

[Drewski]

Can you put that into Layman's terms? My fiance/bodd lady says I can't dive until after the wedding and might not be much since the last two dives (two different locations 5 dives each) I got an ear infection.

I appreciate any help.

Michael

Try equal parts of distilled water, GRAIN alcohol and vinegar in one of those small eyedropper bottles. When you get out of the water, use 3 drops in each ear. The vinegar kills the bugs, the alcohol dries out the ear and the distilled water keeps the solution in liquid form while in your ear for a few minutes.

My doctor gave me the formula after treating me twice for ear infections following diving...

 

[Thalassamania]

Can you put that into Layman's terms? My fiance/bodd lady says I can't dive until after the wedding and might not be much since the last two dives (two different locations 5 dives each) I got an ear infection.

I appreciate any help.

Michael

If you have access to any High School or College chem lab you can make it. Or you can likely get a pharmacist to make it up (get you doc to write it out as a perscription) or just get the stuff you need from any Chemical Supply company

1) Tannic acid (crystals), weight out 15 grams, transfer to a 100 ml flask and fill with water.

2) Acetic acid (liquid) put 50 ml or so of water into a flask, slowly add 15 ml of glacial acetic acid then dilute to 100 ml with water.

3) mix 50 ml of alcohol with 50 ml of water.

Combine the three solutions.

I suspect that that mixing equal parts of distilled vinegar and isopropyl will be fairly close.

 

[justleesa]

Don't forget to take your motion sickness pills early and don't eat or drink things with high acidic levels such as OJ, cranberry juice etc before the dive. You can guess how I know