Questions before OW dives

[Iamdoodling]

Hi everyone,

I am brand new and have a few questions. My husband and I just finished our class/pool sessions and next week we head to Monterey, CA for our OW.

I guess rather than questions I am just looking for pointers. My only "problem" skill (which I practiced) was ditching and replacing my weightbelt. But I am planning on buying my own weight-integrated BC this week so all I have to do is BC removal and replacement.

I am mostly concerned about mask removal and replacement. Any tips? I find that I want to start breathing through my nose as soon as my mask is off. Definitely don't want to choke on that wonderful salt water.

I feel pretty confident about my other skills. I know that it will be extremely cold but we are wearing the new Henderson hyperstretch 7mm wetsuits. 7mm core warmer and hood (along with gloves, boots, etc.)

Really looking for some pointers and reassurance.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Walter]

Get in the pool and practice no mask breathing. All you need is your mask and snorkel. Practice, practice, practice. If you aren't comfortable with your ability before your open waters dives, don't go. One tip which usually helps is when you have your mask off, visualize drinking through a straw.

DSSW,

WWW™

 

[SubMariner]

First of all, congrats on completing your confined water & knowledge development! Those are the HARD parts.

The big thing to remember is that you already know how to do the skills... just put what you learned in confined water to use in open water.

Yes, the water WILL be cold in O/W. Keep that in mind before you have to do the mask re & re. Sometimes it helps to splash some water on your face to acclimatize yourself beforehand.

Just relax when you take off your mask. Concentrate on breathing in/out through your mouth. Remember when you put your mask back on that you will have to put the strap on OVER the hood, but the skirt gets tucked INSIDE the face opening.

If you have the opportunity to practice mask re & re before your O/W, do it. The more practice, the better! Keep some positive pressure in your nose (as though you were going to breathe OUT) and it will keep the water out. Worst case scenario: if you still have problems, you can always use one hand to pinch your nostrils shut and continue with the skill. But this is only a "last resort".

I would also practice in confined water removing & replacing your weight system if you change from the belt to the wt integrated BC prior to your OW dives. This is because your whole weighting/balance scheme will be changed. Add this to the new exposure protection, and you may find things a bit awkward.

In fact, wearing the ALL your new gear at your practice session will help you be more confident & comfortable in O/W.

Relax... have fun!

~SubMariner~

 

[Ontario Diver]

There is a lot of good information on this site. Including a lot of people that can help out, on almost any topic.

I had the same problem with mask removal. For me, I found that breathing out through my nose helped out alot. Another thing was to "kiss" the water without my mask (get my face wet), so that there is less of a shock when your mask comes off.

Check out this thread for more info : http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=171&highlight=mask+removal

Another point, I have a WI BC, but found it more comfortable to still wear half my weight on a belt, so work on those weight belt skills. You have to know them even to help out your buddy.

Have a lot of fun with the OW dives, they are a lot of fun!

 

[Ferrara]

When your mask is off LOOK DOWN. That keeps the bubbles out of your face which helps most people. when it comes to weightbelt removal, stay horozontal, let your body support the weight. Roll into and out of the belt holding it by the free end. It sounds like a no-brainer but I see the same mistakes often. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Weight removal and replacement in a weight integrated BC is a bit trickier than it sounds.

If you are at the surface, removing the weights makes the jacket MUCH more buoyant. If the BC was full when you began this exercise, you may find yourself pushed face down in the water. So, 1) be sure you have enough air in your BC to be comfortably supported, without having too much; and 2) have your regulator in your mouth to breathe from while doing this at the surface.

At the bottom, when you remove the weights, from your BC (or when you remove your weight belt, YOU will tend to float up. This is fine if you are ditching your weights for an emergency buoyant ascent, but not so great if you find yourself getting out of control. Hold the weights close to your torso as you are replacing them to stay in control. If the bottom where you are performing your task is not prone to damage, you may also want to dump all of the air from your BC and be negatively buoyant.


Good luck, and enjoy!

 

[Zept]

Having weight in your BC also makes a difference when you have to take the BC off and put it back on again. You must put air into your BC before you take it off, otherwise it will sink!

I think you'll only have to do this skill at the surface, but I could be wrong -- check with your instructor. Doing it at depth is difficult, especially if you need a lot of weight (and I expect you will, with a 7mm suit).

Hope your OW dives go well,


Zept

 

[TexasMike]

IMO, I still think you should become comfortable with the removal and redonning of a weight belt even if you plans are to purchase and use a weight integrated BC.

The reason is that I can still see occasions where you will use a weight belt. Mostly on trips/vacations where you do not bring weight and what's provided is not compatible with your BC's weight system.

Also, it's one of those "core" skills (like mask replacement) that I feel each diver needs to know how to do.

 

[SaltyWhale]

Hi Iamdoodling

Great to hear of you being a diver soon.

Mask Removal: Try to look downwards when the mask is off your face. This helps to trap the air in your nostril and not letting water sip in. Only face up when you are exhaling to clear the water from the mask.

And do take Submariner’s advice on pinching your nostril as a last resort, if the unlikely event you encounter a problem.

Removal & Replacement of Weight System: It is very common that when beginner performs this skill they’ll tend to face the problem of losing balance especially with thick and buoyant suits.

The only advice I could offer is when the weight is removed; try holding it in the position that it rest on your chest while leaning slightly BACKWARDS. When ready to put on, try to have it quickly secured and have it resting at your back while leaning FORWARD then take your time on buckling it, while the weight belt holding you down.

Remember Open Water Course is supposed to be a fun and enjoyable experience for you. Good Luck...!


Zept, you are right. For the PADI OW training, Removal & Replacement is only required at the surface (Dive #3) but I am not too sure of other agencies though.

 

[Iamdoodling]

Thank you so much for all the great advice!

I bought an weight-integrated BC yesterday (Seaquest Diva LX) and hubby and I are going to the pool tomorrow night for a few hours.

We also got our hood and core warmer so I want to try fully suited up in the pool before we get to the OW on Saturday. Lot's harder to re & re mask with a hood on!

So tomorrow night I am going to practice, practice, practice. Sitting on the bottom without my mask on and breathe, breathe, breathe.

As for weight ditching, my new BC has an awesome and very easy to use system. I will keep you posted after tomorrow night.

Thanks again for EVERYTHING