Erbun
Registered
While browsing I just saw a post on this topic and thought I should share my experience as you never know who may read what and benefit from it.
I was doing a dive this weekend, fairly shallow, thank goodness. Towards the end of the dive my buddy signaled to follow. Now I want to add here that I think I was slightly overweighted. At the bottom it took a couple of good squirts of air to trim off. I will call this mistake number 1. My buddy was beneath me as he signaled and I started to follow. I went to spin over to follow and when I raised a couple of feet I started to raise. Here is mistake number 2 and 3. Mistake number 2, in my opinion anyway, was to go head down to swim after without dropping air out of my BC. Mistake number 3 was not knowing my rental gear as well as I should have. As I said I am super newbie. While inverted trying to swim down, I continued to go up. I tried to dump air as fast as possible, however I was unaware of the dump at the bottom of the BC, in this position the top, where you want air to come out of. That being said Had I remained calm, Mistake number 4, I would have realized I was trying to dump air out of what would be the bottom of the BC, gone into a feet down position, and been able to dump air.
So as you can imagine, I wound up on the surface. I have to major things I am thankful for here. Only being at 25 ft, and CESA training. (Although instead of a hmmmmm, it was probably more of a AHHHHHHHH). This was singularly the scariest moment of my life, yet I am thankful for it because I am blessed to have this happen at a time and depth where I am ok, and I can assure, I will not forget the lessons listed above that I am taking away with me.. To say them once more I will list them here.
1: Work on you weighting. Proper weighting prevents improper BC control.
2 + 3: Pay attention to where your air dumps are located at and know your gear so you are aware of this before a dive.
4: Remain calm. Panicking leads to missing and not remembering things that you normally would.
So in all, I am posting this in hope that someone will learn from my mistakes. I am a brand spanking new born when it comes to diving, but already it is quickly becoming the love of my life (aside from the girlfriend of course), and I would hate to see someone who may become a great dive buddy one day get turned away from this sport from not knowing how to prevent this or worse, get injured.
I was doing a dive this weekend, fairly shallow, thank goodness. Towards the end of the dive my buddy signaled to follow. Now I want to add here that I think I was slightly overweighted. At the bottom it took a couple of good squirts of air to trim off. I will call this mistake number 1. My buddy was beneath me as he signaled and I started to follow. I went to spin over to follow and when I raised a couple of feet I started to raise. Here is mistake number 2 and 3. Mistake number 2, in my opinion anyway, was to go head down to swim after without dropping air out of my BC. Mistake number 3 was not knowing my rental gear as well as I should have. As I said I am super newbie. While inverted trying to swim down, I continued to go up. I tried to dump air as fast as possible, however I was unaware of the dump at the bottom of the BC, in this position the top, where you want air to come out of. That being said Had I remained calm, Mistake number 4, I would have realized I was trying to dump air out of what would be the bottom of the BC, gone into a feet down position, and been able to dump air.
So as you can imagine, I wound up on the surface. I have to major things I am thankful for here. Only being at 25 ft, and CESA training. (Although instead of a hmmmmm, it was probably more of a AHHHHHHHH). This was singularly the scariest moment of my life, yet I am thankful for it because I am blessed to have this happen at a time and depth where I am ok, and I can assure, I will not forget the lessons listed above that I am taking away with me.. To say them once more I will list them here.
1: Work on you weighting. Proper weighting prevents improper BC control.
2 + 3: Pay attention to where your air dumps are located at and know your gear so you are aware of this before a dive.
4: Remain calm. Panicking leads to missing and not remembering things that you normally would.
So in all, I am posting this in hope that someone will learn from my mistakes. I am a brand spanking new born when it comes to diving, but already it is quickly becoming the love of my life (aside from the girlfriend of course), and I would hate to see someone who may become a great dive buddy one day get turned away from this sport from not knowing how to prevent this or worse, get injured.