Pretty New Diver Looking for Tips to Better Handle Future "Situations"

[Diverlady13]

Thank you so much. This all sounds like really solid, helpful advice. I get the sense first that diving a few days after Elsa contributed to this being extra unpleasant as someone prone to motion sickness and newer to diving. I am going to time meds better and get better meds for the future. I never used to get seasick (though carsick for as long as I can remember), so this was a huge eye opener.

It sounds like we may well have been with the same operator, since you mention different crews. I think this place is/was one of the biggest operators down there, and it really showed in us being "numbers." Maybe that will be just fine for me... someday. I'm too new, and I recognize now that I need something a little different for now. I think another huge thing for me is, I DO know how to set up my own gear, etc., and I'm comfortable doing so. But since I did not have as much experience, it still felt a little new and different and not "old hat," so it was easier to get disoriented in the chaos. I will just need to practice a lot more, and with meds to keep the nausea in check, I believe this will get easier for me!

Thank you again, so much!

It will definitely get easier! If you don't have your own gear already, when you get to that point things will get even easier. We travel with all of our own stuff, so setup has become very smooth as we don't have to figure out a new configuration every time. I do find quite often that staff and crew are ready to jump in and help, but I tend to prefer to set up my own gear. My BCD is a little different than most - having 2 locking straps - which seems to confound the crew sometimes as they tend to want to put it really low on the tank. (Mostly that happens on boats with those big plastic tank holders. My BCD usually gets in the way of those locks.)

I do hope you get the nausea sorted out. I didn't mention it before, but I also carry a ziploc bag of candied ginger. Usually the Dramamine helps me completely, but on a particularly rough day, the ginger just gives a bit of extra help. I bought a huge bag from nuts.com....it will probably last me the next 5 years!

Like others have said, maybe try some Caribbean diving in order to build up some experience (if you can get away). It's not always like glass, but tends to be calmer than the Atlantic. We've had terrible luck with weather in the last several months....in West Palm, Key Largo, and Mexico we've had a number of dives canceled due to tropical storms.

 

[Diverlady13]

Thank you for your additional feedback. Do you mind explaining--what were some of the red flags the fellow who ended up OOA ignored? Was the dive classified as advanced, or...? Also, do you mind sharing some things that would lead you to call a dive?

Sure! I'm happy to expand on that. We were on a bull shark dive in Playa del Carmen. (Still don't know how I feel about these types of dives, but that's not relevant for this.) I'd call it somewhat advanced in that the dive was to 85 feet, the current was quite strong that day, and there were big sharks. Keep in mind that this couple were brand new divers (with only 5 dives - certified less than 24 hours before this dive). Our boat had to pull quite a ways away from the down line and we drifted to the line and then had pull ourselves down and then across the ocean floor. Basically every part of this dive was brand new to this couple. The man was a bit apprehensive about the dive to begin with (after having listened to the dive briefing on land). Part of the issue on these dives is that they don't want you to just surface if you get low on air. Your guide is supposed to notify the feed staff and then take the diver up while a safety diver watches for shark activity.

The poor guy was clearly terrified and it didn't help that he was almost immediately bonked in the head by a shark. I wasn't watching him the entire time, but he was only checking his air when his guide asked. He was breathing really fast, so that air went quick. By the time he or the guide noticed that he was getting low, he had to have been really low on gas. Didn't help that he was a big guy taking big breaths.

In this situation, I really felt that this couple should not have even been allowed to do the dive. They were just too new for a fairly demanding situation. At the same time, in places where guidelines are not followed as strictly, an individual does need to be able to recognize their own limits, particularly in situations where a mistake could be fatal or severely debilitating. Of course, I'm speaking from my own life experience. If it had been me and I'd been brand new, I wouldn't have signed up for that dive to begin with...and I'm a risk taker. I also have decades more life experience than they do, so perhaps I am more adept at weighing the risks and benefits of various situations.

Things that would make me call a dive? Hmm.....if I don't feel well, I'll call a dive. Typically I'll still try to dive if I feel seasick because it's almost always better under the water. If I'm overly tired or just feel kind of crummy, there's no reason to dive. If I feel like the conditions are well beyond my experience level, I'm happy to sit out the dive. If the visibility is crap, I'll sit out simply because I don't love that kind of diving. I'll also call a dive if I just have a bad gut feeling about the situation or a dive operator OR if a guide wants me to do something dangerous. An example of that would be a cavern guide trying to take me into the cave zone. I love caverns and I am very interested in cave diving, but I'm not cave trained so I'd thumb it.

The whole atmosphere was pretty frantic

Yes. That was my experience as well, particularly on the trip where we didn't change moorings due to the weather. They wanted us out of the water and then immediately back in. I didn't mind the quick turnaround as both dives that day were pretty shallow, but one still needs time to change tanks and do their own safety check. I can't remember which dives in particular, but there were a couple incidents of people splashing unprepared and I do feel like it was because everyone felt rushed. One person jumped without their mask on one dive. Someone else's cylinder was turned off. Don't know exactly what happened there as the crew was checking. Sure, these things happen and could happen with any dive op, but the more rushed things are the more likely it is that mistakes are made.

 

[Diverlady13]

Thank you! My biggest fear for needing a downline was if I could equalize well, but basically, I did fine with that and did not need to! But, it is SUPER helpful to know many boats don't have them. Where was that shark dive with the downline and lines across the floor? Someday, that might be really neat for me to try! (After LOTS more experience!)

The shark dive (bull sharks) that we did was in Playa del Carmen. I'm still deciding how I feel about these dives. I loved every second of it, but I wonder how it affects the sharks' behavior. OTOH, that dive really helped me overcome my fear of being in the ocean with these large, magnificent creatures. Intellectually I already knew that they aren't just vicious machines, but maybe I just needed to experience it. We also saw many sharks while diving in Belize (just regular dives where there happened to be sharks present) and I enjoyed that so much.

By the way, I think those lines on the bottom in Playa are relatively new. I was grateful to have the line to hold onto. That day there was strong current even near the bottom and we really did need to hold onto the line.

 

[Belzelbub]

When you mention a full reg set, does that mean BCD and regulator? I have a great mask and fins. No computer yet--that was going to be my next purchase. I was waiting to buy a wetsuit and BCD until I had a little more experience, but maybe I shouldn't....

If you can afford it, AND are fairly confident you’ll stick with it, buying your own gear can be useful, as you would be familiar with it. That is definitely a good thing.

A computer as a next purchase is not a bad idea. After that, I’d probably do regulator next.

 

[Diverlady13]

but I am also really grateful that I was able to stay pretty calm

You did great! Maybe you even learned a bit about yourself. I tend to be kind of high strung in certain situations, but when the $*^t hits the fan, I am generally the one who is calm and knows what to do. Maybe it's because I'm really detail oriented, so that when I learn something new, I retain all of the small details.

 

[Diverlady13]

Thank you so much! I like that formula for tablets and wave height. Do you still feel a bit of nausea when you dive, once you've taken the tablets? Or do they just make everyone A-okay? I found the mental anxiety over whether I'd get sick again on day 2, after day 1, to be tough!

I just did a little Googling about Palm Beach. It sounds like there is often great visibility, but mostly drift diving. Is the current pretty similar, do you think? Or is it calmer, or worse? I probably need more experience before doing the Atlantic much, but I am sure looking forward to the practice!

I think it is almost all drift diving in WPB. We were supposed to dive with Pura Vida in November, but hurricane season ran long and our dives got canceled. I was kind of worried about the drift diving there anyway because we hadn't done much of it. We're actually taking the drift diving course in a few weeks - back to Mexico! I'm not sure it's necessary, but we have some trips planned where the currents are reportedly pretty strong, so it can't hurt to take the course and pick up more information than we might get just from signing up for drift dives. Plus it gives us an excuse to go back to Mexico to dive with our new friend Eduardo and practice our Spanish! (Those dives will be from Cozumel.)

 

[uncfnp]

@Pittsburgh_Mom @Diverlady13

There is a wealth of information on drift diving the southern coast of Florida on Scubaboard but most of it is scattered throughout various threads. If either of you are interested it might be worth its own thread instead of going off topic here. Your call.

 

[Diverlady13]

@Pittsburgh_Mom @Diverlady13

There is a wealth of information on drift diving the southern coast of Florida on Scubaboard but most of it is scattered throughout various threads. If either of you are interested it might be worth its own thread instead of going off topic here. Your call.

Thanks! I'll do some searches. We're diving in Mexico again in August, but thinking about booking a trip back to WPB. We have friends that live in Stuart, FL and have been meaning to get back there to see them anyway. If diving gets called off due to weather, we still get to see our friends.

 

[Edward3c]

@Pittsburgh_Mom As others have said don’t beat yourself up. Selecting operators at any new destination is a bit hit and miss. I’ve had good dives with ‘bad’ operators, and poor dives with ‘good operators.

You might want to consider having your own kit. It won’t take many trips to pay dividends, one being you know how it works and maintained.

With over 1,000 dives I still get seasick, I’m so much better at calling the dive, by not getting on the boat. The moment at operator starts saying it will be O.K. I inform them when I get seasick I go unconscious therefore they’ll either have to put back into port or call out rescue. Surprisingly they prefer I not dive.

Go at you own pace, you’re the paying customer.

 

[Pittsburgh_Mom]

@Belzelbub and @Edward3c, thank you both for the suggestions. Sounds like some more purchases are in order... and that is not a bad thing! Plenty of great resources here and online to help me narrow that down, and some great shops near me to try on some items. I think computer and reg next!

@Edward3c, I love what you tell them... I will hav to keep that in mind in the future! Thank you again!