Some things that I haven't learned yet

[Soakedlontra]

"Annoying" is a state of mind. If you decide not to be annoyed by a little bit of water inside your mask, you won't be.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

You said it! I certainly know something about that! After doing a whole dive with my nostrils underwater inside a leaking spare mask!:depressed:

If I had not shifted my focus from the annoying sensation of the lower part of my nose being submerged to the wonderful view of a bed of orange sea pens I wouldn't have been able to dive at all!

 

[sibermike7]

I usually wash my mask with soap and water after each dive

If you use baby shampoo and don't rinse it completely, so much the better.

I have never thought that some water in the mask could actually help you to get rid of the fog!::shocked2:

He's right. It does work. If you are in a horizontal position, WAIT, it just hit me (WHACK!) I'll bet it was bothersome because the diver was vertical and the water was pooling at the bottom of the mask (still shouldn't be a problem, but...)! If horizontal, it floats across the lens and "wipes" it clean. Works!

 

[Soakedlontra]

I started a thread last year that included a survey to find out what most drysuit divers used to control buoyancy and the conclusion I reached was, do what you feel comfortable with. For some divers using both the suit and BC was too much task loading, for others, no problems. I personally like to use my BC instead of my suit. I put enough air in my suit to stay warm and prevent squeeze and then I use the BC for buoyancy. I have to remember on ascent that the "bubble" in the suit will expand, but I try to come up pretty slow so that it doesn't expand too fast anyway.

Of course, you'll have to play with this after you get your little card that shows that you can if need be use the suit for BC!

In the September issue of Dive Training Magazine there are a couple of letters about dry suit and buoyancy control. Apparently the magazine published an article about it last June, which I haven't seen yet. The debate goes on...

I think the agencies should explain better what is the relationship between the air in the suit and the undergarment instead of skipping over it and pontificate that you have to control your buoyancy just with your suit!

 

[sibermike7]

Just got back from the most arduous buoyancy dive I have ever been on. It is a former Soviet prison that was using inmates to remove the gravel creating a HUGE gravel pit. Well (as expected) they hit water, lots of it. They had pumps running 24/7. One Friday they lost power - completely and the whole prison complex flooded. It is still underwater. They built a new prison on higher ground and abandoned the old site. Now you can dive the former prison. You go down to about 20' feet and cruise about 5 minutes until you reach the first concertina covered first wall that extends to just 5' from the surface. We practice crossing these fences without getting tangled in the barbed wire and without surfacing! there are about 4-5 fences you cross then you enter the prison area. (In and out, up and down, through the windows and doors, etc.) It is like diving wrecks and caves. Totally AWESOME!!!

 

[Soakedlontra]

At last I have my own dive computer!

Now I have to learn how to use it properly. It's a Suunto Gekko, the same kind as my regular buddy' s. I have used it few times already.

No more 'dilly-dally'! I have to nail down how to understand all those numbers on the display without getting confused especially the ones that tell me about the decompression limits. A subject that I still don't understand very well without the help of my buddy.

 

[TSandM]

Whatever happened with your suit? Do you have it back yet?

 

[Soakedlontra]

Whatever happened with your suit? Do you have it back yet?

The suit is back but I haven't had the chance to try it because now I have back pain!:depressed:

I may be able to go diving tomorrow if I don't feel too bad! I couldn't do any lifting at all so Sam will have to do it for me. I think it should be OK if I wear the he harness and back plate with the tank in the water...We will see.

Good night

 

[Soakedlontra]

I did go diving yesterday despite my stiff back. My buddy had to do all the heavy work for me and I donned the the tank, BC etc in the water.

The left sock of the dry suit did not leak but the exhaust valve did:depressed: so I have to rinse it again and hopefully it will be the end of the matter.

My OSystems gloves kept my wrists dry but my hands were cold, the underlining gloves were too thin! I have to buy an heavy duty pair. The fact that you can raise your hands to keep them warm with air is all well and good. However the warmth lasts as long as you keep your hands up! What do you do? Keep your hands up for the whole duration of the dive?

It was difficult to see the computer display at night. I think next time I will wear my pistol grip light on the left hand. Taking it off from my right hand doesn't appeal to me because there is the danger to drop it! or I may get a longer lanyard, if I can find it.

Still even with the light on the computer display I found it difficult to see the ascent rate in the dark. I guess I have to learn how to 'feel' it without the help of the computer and getting better at reading the computer too.

 

[TSandM]

Betty, that's a lot of the reason why so many of us dive canister lights with the lighthead on a Goodman handle. With the light on the left hand, it's pretty easy to illuminate the gauge on ascent. I don't know whether it would be easy to see an ascent rate indicator, though; I use depth and time as my indicators.

 

[sambolino44]

Betty, that's a lot of the reason why so many of us dive canister lights with the lighthead on a Goodman handle. With the light on the left hand, it's pretty easy to illuminate the gauge on ascent. I don't know whether it would be easy to see an ascent rate indicator, though; I use depth and time as my indicators.

Hi, Lynne. This reminds me of the time you mentioned being able to judge your depth by monitoring your air consumption. I don't know how you do that, so this goes under, "Things I Haven't Learned Yet". I mean, I understand the concept, but whenever I've had trouble maintaining depth or ascent rate in "blue" water it was hard enough to maintain control even watching the computer's depth readout and ascent rate graph. It seems to me that it would take too long for the number on the depth gauge to change before you're already going too fast.

I'm not doubting that you can do it, but for me, at this level, it's kind of like watching Eric Clapton play guitar and thinking, "Is that even the same instrument I play?"