Rusty Diver syndrome

[bradlw]

20 years since diving...used to be a very proficient diver. SSI Divecon, many IANTD tech certs up to full Trimix.... I dove fairly frequently.

I've been thinking lately of my uncertainties as I've been daydreaming about getting back into it...... it's funny to me the things that I seem to have forgotten...things I just knew intuitively and didn't give a thought about.....

Add in the variables that are unknown.... my cold tolerance these days (or lack thereof), my BMI distribution (actualy lower now than back then), etc...

My recent question here about air integrated computers got me to thinking, I used to have a sense of what sort of air consumption cushion I have based on depth.... pressure at which to head to the anchor line on the way up to end with 500psi on the boat. Unknown

Which sort of wetsuit will work for me given the conditions....do I need my shorty? I used to have one of those farmer john 2-pc....do I need the jacket alone or both pcs? unknown.

How much weight I need for this suit or that? unknown

How I used to like to rig my gear. I used to have all that dialed in tight. Now I think I remember mostly but not sure anymore......

Looking forward to going through a refresher while my kids get certified!

 

[inquis]

It will come back, of course, and seeing things through your kids' eyes is awesome. Enjoy!

 

[rx7diver]

It's like riding a bike. Don't worry.

The only things of consequence that have changed regarding my own recreational diving in local waters during the intervening years between 1986 (when I did my open water course) and now, are the use of a slower ascent rate, the use of a DSMB, and the option of using recreational nitrox (which I almost never use).

rx7diver

 

[SlugLife]

Welcome back! I'm sure many of these things will become familiar again quickly enough.

I used to have a sense of what sort of air consumption cushion I have based on depth.... pressure at which to head to the anchor line on the way up to end with 500psi on the boat. Unknown

I'd suggest a little game. "Guess your air remaining." It's okay to be wrong. But the more you play it, the better you'll get. Plus, the more often you check your air, the more accurate your guesses will usually be, because you just checked it a few minutes ago.

 

[DonFlorida]

Slug. This is a great idea that I will now institute just to check myself! I always have way more air left than I thought I would. (Yup. That’s a good thing) I spent 30+ years using SCBA (not a typo) now that I’m using SCUBA I seem to be very good a conserving air.

 

[SlugLife]

Slug. This is a great idea that I will now institute just to check myself! I always have way more air left than I thought I would. (Yup. That’s a good thing) I spent 30+ years using SCBA (not a typo) now that I’m using SCUBA I seem to be very good a conserving air.

Firefighter? I learned what SCBA was when I saw a couple free SCBA tanks pop up locally. Turns out those tanks aren't meant to get wet, so I let someone else take them.

 

[Marie13]

Slug. This is a great idea that I will now institute just to check myself! I always have way more air left than I thought I would. (Yup. That’s a good thing) I spent 30+ years using SCBA (not a typo) now that I’m using SCUBA I seem to be very good a conserving air.

You’re not skip breathing, are you? There was a fire fighter in my OW class 7 years ago. He kept skip breathing, apparently out of sheer habit. The instructors kept telling him to stop.

 

[JMarc]

Welcome back. Two years ago, I started to dive again after an interruption of more than 20 years and it was one of the best decisions I made. With what you describe your skills were, you may be surprised of how much is muscle memory, at least I was and I wasn't an as accomplished diver as it seem you were (just CMAS *** and 50-60 dives a years for a few years, and a less avid diver for some years beforehand)

 

[Fred Tagge]

You’re not skip breathing, are you? There was a fire fighter in my OW class 7 years ago. He kept skip breathing, apparently out of sheer habit. The instructors kept telling him to stop.

Skip breathing is standard when stalking underwater, for fish feel bubbles with their lateral line. A single bubble will spook most fish. OTOH a stalk begins with lungs half full or less just to maintain buoyancy so busting lung is improbable as long as the stalk is going down, not up.

 

[steinbil]

My recent question here about air integrated computers got me to thinking, I used to have a sense of what sort of air consumption cushion I have based on depth.... pressure at which to head to the anchor line on the way up to end with 500psi on the boat. Unknown

Learn how to calculate mingas/rock-bottom, and make a little table in your wetnotes for different depths and normal tank sizes, for what it takes to share gas with a buddy to the surface. Being on the boat with a certain tank pressure is a pointless exercise, but with gas planning you won't arrive on the boat with less, unless you have an emergency.