Will I or won't I. I am not sure. I sure didn't come close today. Nothing else has been a problem, but I haven't figured out how to do this one. Going to try again tomorrow.
Skin Ditch and Don
- Thread starter twinkles
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
I found it was easier to break it up into parts. Start out without swimming away from your gear and just swimming down and putting it back on and doing the controlled ascent. Once you master that, move away a few feet and do it again. Keep moving away until you're 20 yds from your gear. What helped me the most was to make sure and take my time swimming to my gear. Trying to swim fast really eats up your air.
Let us know how you're doing.
Let us know how you're doing.
Biggest tips: *Slow* *down*, and take a *smaller* breath.
If you take a large breath, you'll be struggling to get down, which will build up too much CO2 too quickly and make you abort. Same thing if you go too quickly.
For a complete breakdown with lots more info, look at "[thread=215898]Need help please with NAUI skindiver ditch and recovery[/thread]". That thread was very useful in explaining how to approach the skill. (Don't skim it; read it. :biggrin
If you take a large breath, you'll be struggling to get down, which will build up too much CO2 too quickly and make you abort. Same thing if you go too quickly.
For a complete breakdown with lots more info, look at "[thread=215898]Need help please with NAUI skindiver ditch and recovery[/thread]". That thread was very useful in explaining how to approach the skill. (Don't skim it; read it. :biggrin
OP
Thanks Clayjar. I am going to study it before I go back to the pool. I am wondering if there are exercises to build up breathhold tolerance. I was doing some little exercises, runnng back and forth and putting on my fins while holding my breath. At about 22 seconds be start to get very anxious to breath. Therein is my problem. I can remember as a kid being able to hold my breath for 60 seconds. (Fortunately I did complete the 25 yard swim, but it seemed line the end was more certain.) I am really beginning to fear that this might be my gate that I can't get through (and that is probably not helping any).
I had the same fears. I never have been one to hold my breathe for very long. I always lost those contest. My best advise would be to relax.
Then make your plan as to how to attack this problem. Obviously the first thing you want to get is your air. After that it is easy. If your next worry is mask, go for that.
Let us know how it turns out.
Then make your plan as to how to attack this problem. Obviously the first thing you want to get is your air. After that it is easy. If your next worry is mask, go for that.
Let us know how it turns out.
OP
My last post was rather incoherent. Sorry about that.
Actually, your air is the last thing you go for, since in the skin ditch and recovery, your air is at the surface.
Anyway, if you can't hold your breath for a minute, there are breath-holding exercises you can use to improve that. It's all in being calm and relaxed (even in the face of having to go to and from the bottom).
If it takes you a bit longer than it takes some other people, that's nothing to worry about. Just keep at it. You don't have to do it the first time, and you'd be well-served to keep working at it until it's just another trivial skill (like mask clearing). It'll make you a better dive leader -- even if it's not as directly relevant, it's valuable nonetheless.
OP
Well I still didn't get the cigar. But I got closer. I probably tired a dozen or so times today. At least today, I got to the point I can get the gear off and on the bottom. And one time today I got the fins on, and the mask on, but not the snorkel in my mouth and the mask wasn't clear. But that was my best attempt.
Every other time something seemed to go wrong. My fins would float away, I put the mask on upside down...something. On my last attempt, I grabbed the mask by the snorkel and apparently yanked so hard the snorkle came out of its clasp--I had a snorkel and no mask.
Keys girl I think you were mixing this skill up with the SCUBA ditch and recovery, but I still appreciate you responding. Had no problem with SCUBA ditch and recovery. Did it first time and kept doing it until it was smooth. Secret to smooth seemed to be to ride the tank like a pony so that your unit wasn't floating around while you put on your mask, fins and weight belt.
In any event I am going to spend the week practicing breath hold exercises. I just did 53 seconds in a resting position.
ClayJar, I got glimpses of insight into your advice to stay calm and relaxed. Yesterday I couldn't even get my gear off on the first dive, much less back on on the second dive. Today I was able to take it all off and stack it with the fins upright, straps under fins, and didn't feel rushed. I just couldn't make that breakthrough on the second dive. I was always frantic to get everything on.
My buddy who is going through the course got it after a couple of trys. He said he just decided he was either going to do it or drown.
I think I have the weighting about down, which seems important, including a couple of ankle weights to help me get into a less energy intensive position.
Next Saturday I have to get it...this is my last watermanship skill.
Every other time something seemed to go wrong. My fins would float away, I put the mask on upside down...something. On my last attempt, I grabbed the mask by the snorkel and apparently yanked so hard the snorkle came out of its clasp--I had a snorkel and no mask.
Keys girl I think you were mixing this skill up with the SCUBA ditch and recovery, but I still appreciate you responding. Had no problem with SCUBA ditch and recovery. Did it first time and kept doing it until it was smooth. Secret to smooth seemed to be to ride the tank like a pony so that your unit wasn't floating around while you put on your mask, fins and weight belt.
In any event I am going to spend the week practicing breath hold exercises. I just did 53 seconds in a resting position.
ClayJar, I got glimpses of insight into your advice to stay calm and relaxed. Yesterday I couldn't even get my gear off on the first dive, much less back on on the second dive. Today I was able to take it all off and stack it with the fins upright, straps under fins, and didn't feel rushed. I just couldn't make that breakthrough on the second dive. I was always frantic to get everything on.
My buddy who is going through the course got it after a couple of trys. He said he just decided he was either going to do it or drown.
I think I have the weighting about down, which seems important, including a couple of ankle weights to help me get into a less energy intensive position.
Next Saturday I have to get it...this is my last watermanship skill.
Not much I could do to help me with the fins; I just had to get in the zone, so to speak. When it came to the mask and snorkel, I went back to my basic class (and to those with which I'd assisted) to remember a useful tidbit: You don't need a strap to clear a mask.
When I went back down, I put my fins on as calmly as I could. Then I *immediately* started swimming up diagonally toward the surface. As I started swimming up, I pressed the mask to my face and cleared it -- partially or completely didn't matter, just that I could see at that point was psychologically relaxing. Then as I continued to ascend, I pulled the strap over my head and stuck the snorkel in my mouth. Finally, I made sure my mask was clear as I leveled out at the surface and blew the snorkel clear.
I found that starting my ascent early worked quite nicely, and going diagonally gave me plenty of time on the ascent to get the mask clear and snorkel in place. I actually ended up slowing down and just cruising underwater just a bit before sliding onto the surface.
Anyway, just a couple tidbits which may or may not be relevant.
When I went back down, I put my fins on as calmly as I could. Then I *immediately* started swimming up diagonally toward the surface. As I started swimming up, I pressed the mask to my face and cleared it -- partially or completely didn't matter, just that I could see at that point was psychologically relaxing. Then as I continued to ascend, I pulled the strap over my head and stuck the snorkel in my mouth. Finally, I made sure my mask was clear as I leveled out at the surface and blew the snorkel clear.
I found that starting my ascent early worked quite nicely, and going diagonally gave me plenty of time on the ascent to get the mask clear and snorkel in place. I actually ended up slowing down and just cruising underwater just a bit before sliding onto the surface.
Anyway, just a couple tidbits which may or may not be relevant.
When I did it for my instructor exam I found out jus thow much air you have when you need it. After getting the fins on I felt myself floating up and was so determined to complete the exercise I kicked BACK DOWN to be sure I had enough time to get the snorkel in and clear the mask. Even the examiner was impressed and said that it took balls to do that. I was worried about it as well so we decided to practice it. First couple times I had results similar to yours. Took it in stages and finally got it. But I have to say that once you do it, it is not that bad. Do it once and it's like a wall is broken down. You feel like a million bucks and your confidence goes up. And when it comes time to do it, you don't think about it, you just say ok and do it. And as clayjar said going diagonally helps alot. You need to keep moving in order to get it. Stop to do anything for more than a split second you'll float and clear too late or not clear at all. WHen we do the mask snorkel recovery with ow students it's what I tell them. Pick it up and put it on on the fly. Stop and you'll never get it.
Similar threads
