Priority of skills to master for new divers

[DiveToFeelAlive]

For someone that felt the OW course in 1 weekend was rushed in terms of feeling 100% comfortable with even somewhat basic skills, and probably taking the course the most seriously of my group of 7... I know I said it before but all of you are awesome to share your views with me I want to feel like I'm safe and thinking about things properly and some of the things mentioned I wouldn't think of otherwise, so at least now I'm aware:
- progression of free diving / breathing--> scuba
- orally inflating a BC

And anything else from additional tips, etc..

Thank you! ❤

 

[johndiver999]

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Yes, you should equalize 'early and often'. Start as soon as you drop below the water, rather than waiting until your ears begin to bother you.

I thought your advice/perspective was excellent (as usual). However, I think the comment above is a little off the mark.

I have learned that it is often very beneficial to equalize BEFORE the descent. A lot of freedivers do this, since they need to descend very quickly and efficiently.

If you can put a tiny puff of air into your ears a second before you begin the descent, often your ears will hold this very small over pressurization for several seconds - definitely works for me. One of the best techniques for ear clearing and avoiding problems is not to just avoid pain or discomfort, but to keep the ears a tiny bit over pressurized on the descent.

It is all too common that new people push their ears, especially if they are highly motivated. New divers need to be taught to try to completely avoid any pain or even discomfort on descent. If you can maintain just a tiny bit positive pressure on descent, there is no chance to feel any discomfort. Never the less, the most important piece of advice is to avoid any discomfort on descent.

 

[lowwall]

I have learned that it is often very beneficial to equalize BEFORE the descent. A lot of freedivers do this, since they need to descend very quickly and efficiently.

That's not equalizing, that's creating positive pressure. Since the pressure will drop back to ambient as soon as you open your airway, you'll need to maintain the positive pressure including pinching your nose as your head goes under water.

I'm not saying this is a bad idea, just that it's more involved than doing a quick Valsalva before descending.

I'm in the camp of doing the first equalization at 1 or 2 feet (half meter) and then every couple of feet through the first half atmosphere. I increase the distance as I continue to descend.

However you do it, I agree that it's vital to stay ahead. If it hurts at all or won't clear, then ascend a few feet and try again. Repeat until it's successful and then do it more often as you restart your descent.

 

[johndiver999]

That's not equalizing, that's creating positive pressure. Since the pressure will drop back to ambient as soon as you open your airway, you'll need to maintain the positive pressure including pinching your nose as your head goes under water.

I'm not saying this is a bad idea, just that it's more involved than doing a quick Valsalva before descending.

I'm in the camp of doing the first equalization at 1 or 2 feet (half meter) and then every couple of feet through the first half atmosphere. I increase the distance as I continue to descend.

However you do it, I agree that it's vital to stay ahead. If it hurts at all or won't clear, then ascend a few feet and try again. Repeat until it's successful and then do it more often as you restart your descent.

The bolded comment is not accurate, at least for me and many people I know. Once you (gently) over pressurize; the air can stay in there for a short period. So you don't necessarily need to continuously equalize or actively provide positive pressure.

Even if you don't hold the pressure naturally, it is a good idea to check your ears before descend and make sure the tubes are open. If the air immediately leaks out after that, is is no big loss - you just have to be more diligent about equalizing again when first descending.

Perhaps you have noticed the affect on ascent? When coming up the over pressure is automatically vented from the ear (or should be). However, (at least for me) it is not a completely continuous process. I can generally feel the pressure build and then there is a point of detectable release. Often this is enhanced or precipitated by movement of the jaw or dropping of the rear of your throat - is what I call it. The same thing happens during commercial air travel.

As you ascend, you can often feel that the pressure is not equalized and you have to wiggle your jaw to release the excess pressurized air from your ear.

 

[Skulmoski]

Hey everyone,

After completing my open water this past weekend and trying to educate myself more on diving in general, safety, how to mitigate risk, and learning about all the gear... I've been thinking about what skills are the most important to master.
Happy to read any tips / comments

Congrats! There is a lot to learn and the good thing is that one can continue to dive throughout your entire life. (I dived cenotes last year with Under The Jungle dive centre and my guide dived a dry suit and wore a diaper. Great! I can continue to dive in my Otter when I am old and incontinent. LOL.)

Might I recommend that in addition to developing your skills, continue your diving, training and learning. Competence is both skills, knowledge and experience applied. You might also look at the TDI Tech Diving learning and certification pathways.

Cheers

 

[Julius SCHMIDT]

I carried my gear in the car and went shore diving in 5-10 metres every chance I got but in all types of conditions and got smashed and bashed and twisted around so got used to mask dislodgements and reg rippings and tank clangings and got creeped out by all the creepy stuff trying to creep up on me and even eat me in my head and almost out of breath and all at a shallow depth so I could pop my head out of the water, I never did, and when I finally calmed down I had divemanship and then all the technical stuff and buoyancy was a cinch

So somewhere like this for one

and somewhere like that for the other

Make it a lifestyle

 

[divad]

The 1st priority skill is: Do not breathe the water. .

You say Patato.

 

[MichaelMc]

You say Patato.

I was suggesting two points:

1) Embolizing will put you in the hospital, drowning will kill you. Also, various things are paths toward drowning, such as running out of air.

2) What level of analysis are we asking the question at?

Do not breathe the water (watch your gauge, keep track of and clear your regulator) and do not hold your breath are rather basic. And very important.

Yet once we understand those basics, what are the next interesting questions? And levels of questions? And how do we make sure we do not forget the basics, that pressure gauge.

There have been many good answers. How people might lay out the scuba skills in layers is interesting to see.

 

[divad]

I was suggesting two points:

1) Embolizing will put you in the hospital, drowning will kill you. Also, various things are paths toward drowning, such as running out of air.

2) What level of analysis are we asking the question at?

Do not breathe the water (watch your gauge, keep track of and clear your regulator) and do not hold your breath are rather basic. And very important.

Yet once we understand those basics, what are the next interesting questions? And levels of questions? And how do we make sure we do not forget the basics, that pressure gauge.

There have been many good answers. How people might lay out the scuba skills in layers is interesting to see.[/QU....................

 

[rsingler]

For someone that felt the OW course in 1 weekend was rushed in terms of feeling 100% comfortable with even somewhat basic skills, and probably taking the course the most seriously of my group of 7... I know I said it before but all of you are awesome to share your views with me I want to feel like I'm safe and thinking about things properly and some of the things mentioned I wouldn't think of otherwise, so at least now I'm aware:
- progression of free diving / breathing--> scuba
- orally inflating a BC

And anything else from additional tips, etc..

Thank you! ❤

A fascinating discussion with lots of great input!
One tiny bit of additional input to put things in perspective. Some skills are critical at the beginning and always (never hold your breath). They are usually quickly learned and only dangerous when forgotten.
Others are more subtle, but critical to your enjoyment of diving. In that category I would place trim and peak performance buoyancy. Some never master them, but still seem to muddle along.
My last bit of suggestion would be things that have an obscure reason for learning, but carry a hidden importance that is often never taught, because a problem is relatively rare. That brings me to "orally inflating your bcd".

Yes, it's nice to have the hose pop off and be able to continue your dive. At any given depth, whatever air you had in your bcd will be sufficient if you were neutral, and there will be no need to add more orally unless you wish to go deeper. During ascent, gas will be expanding, and you will vent your bcd as you were taught early in training.

As an equipment geek, here's my contribution. Why is it really taught at all? Not for the reason you'd think.
You need to orally inflate because the hose is disconnected or the inflator doesn't work.
Why doesn't the inflator work? Because the inflator is the single most failure prone part of your kit.
Why the hose disconnected? Because the inflator is the single most failure prone part of your kit. When it won't quite turn off and your bcd keeps receiving air, you need to disconnect the hose.
When you press the button to give your bcd a blip of air, and instead the valve sticks wide open, you need to get that hose disconnected ASAP, or you will have an uncontrolled and dangerous ascent!

The inflator fails from neglect and salt water.
Your $1000 regs get a loving soak after a dive trip. They get tuned every year and serviced every three years. BCD's come into the shop with their regs for service only about 1/3 of the time.
Instead, your bcd gets a quick spray down and a pull on the butt dump valve. Maybe it gets dried in the shade, maybe not. Either way, salt crystals slowly form in the workings of the inflator mechanism. Valve parts corrode. And it keeps on working until the day it doesn't.
A wide open inflator valve can kill you. Somewhere down your priority list, practice hose disconnection.

As for your bcd, after a trip fill the bladder via the oral inflation hole, or unscrew the butt dump. Rinse out the bladder, and put some fresh water back in. Screw on the butt dump and check it for leaks.
Empty it not only by pushing on the exhaust valve button, but on the inflation button as well. That will allow a tiny stream of fresh water to flush out the critical inflator valve mechanism, and slow the inevitable onset of potentially life threatening corrosion.

Safe diving!