Surf Entry

[rjpv]

So I'm in the midst of my OW certification class, and during my very first OW dive last week our dive site (very popular for classes due to its easy entry and descent) was a bit rough.

So I guess I'll tell my story then ask for advice. I'm a pretty tall guy and my dive buddy is a pretty small girl. Her chest deep water is the worst place to be in terms of the waves breaking, but thats where we are as she tries to put her fins on. I am roundly unhelpful - sure I can hold her up when there aren't any waves, but when the wave tosses me around a bit I just end up tossing *her around*.

So we do this for a while, drink some sea water, and one of the DMs comes over to help out. He is also a pretty small guy, but he has helpful tips we forgot (like... hold your snorkel in your mouth during a wave, stupid). Eventually buddy gets her fins on and I put mine on in record time and we get out past the waves.

Ahh, life is good past the waves. Inflated my BCD a bit more and swam slowly to the descent point (I was pretty tired after the waves). Feeling much better at the descent point, my buddy and I are to descend first down the anchored line in about 20ft of water (poor visibility) along with the same DM as before.

The descent goes fine - boy the line makes it easy - but on the bottom there is surge, something I did not expect and after the pool wasn't really prepared to deal with. I completely empty my BCD, thinking I'll settle more firmly, but I don't (I thought I was underweighted and tryed to hand-signal this to the DM, but when I asked on these boards it sounded like maybe I wasn't and thats just the way it is supposed to be).

So anyway, here we are, poor visibility, the DM going up and down, just me and my buddy for a while, not holding onto the anchor so other students don't descend onto our heads. I decide to hold onto my buddy's BCD so she doesn't float away.

It turns out at the time she was fairly seasick, and by holding onto her I was making things worse. Oops. But anyway, I was fine and once we started actually swimming against the surge things got much easier (also we descended another 10 or 20ft).

So we swim around a bit, ascend, head to shore and all that. A wave hits me right as I'm taking a fin off and I lose it - rats! But not only does it turn out to float, it is neon yellow and the DM spots it and goes back into the waves to fetch it (isn't he nice! He told me I was lucky since quite a few fins don't float).

At this point several in our class are really seasick from all the rocking and the conditions are getting worse so we call it a day. To be honest I was ready to go out again, but oh well.

Anyway, back to my question. Surf Entry. Any tips I wouldn't know from the manual that are helpful? I thought it made sense to swim past the waves before putting on your fins, but my instructor said it can be difficult to swim fin-less with all your gear, and a lifeguard in the class said he was trained to rescue divers that tried to do that.

Also - any tips for NOT losing one fins in the surf? I'd really like to avoid that next time.

 

[immersed]

Sounds like you had some pretty smart people responding to your weight thread . If you have so much weight on that you can stay firmly planted in heavy surf, that means you have to add a bunch of air to your bc to get neutral. The more air you have in your bc, that's more that is going to be compressing and expanding with your depth, so that's more changes you have to counteract - it becomes a vicious circle. In your diving after certification, one of your goals is to stay off the sea floor.

I was taught in OW classes to walk backwards with fins on, but later an instructor told me it's often better to walk sideways.

In particularly heavy surf I've used my regulator instead of snorkel - then waves crashing over your head don't interfere with breathing, and you can actually just roll into whatever position is convenient to get the fin on and strapped.

If a fin is not on my foot, its strap is strapped and it's looped on my forearm. Under the conditions you described, I would have held on to it at the front of the foot pocket with hand #1, used hand #2 to loosen the strap enough to slide it below my heel, pulled the fin off with hand #1 and immediately slid it onto hand #2's forearm. Hand #1 is the one opposite the foot in progress. Personally I like my 'regular' straps, but if this is a situation you're going to be repeating, you might want to consider spring straps.

As you discovered, neon yellow's a great color for a fin.

I think it's good that you held on to her, but maybe it would have helped her if she'd held on to you instead.

 

[Walter]

I was taught in OW classes to walk backwards with fins on, but later an instructor told me it's often better to walk sideways.

Good point! I try to get past the breakers before putting on my fins. I walk foward, then turn sideways and brace my legs for the breakers. If the waves are breaking where it's chest deep, go a little farther to put on your fins. Use your mask and regulator to put on your fins if it makes it easier, you can duck below the surface when donning fins.

In particularly heavy surf I've used my regulator instead of snorkel - then waves crashing over your head don't interfere with breathing, and you can actually just roll into whatever position is convenient to get the fin on and strapped.

Excellent!

 

[spectrum]

Tell the instructor you want a rough water entry certification for all this.

There are lot's of options for geting fins on but doing it in heavy surf zone IMO is not one of them.

*Doing it onshore and walking in backwards or sideways while bracing each other is one. Regulator in mouth, and air in your BC. Make sure you have a compass heading. If you get knocked over in 4 feet of water, start swimming out past the surf together.
*You should be able to float and do a figure 4 with your leg and get them on unassisted, as should she. You should not need to remain in what would be the shallows for you.
*Remember that you have a buddy and be there to help each other, it sounds like you are doing this. What you can do independently on 95% of your dives may require some help under some conditions.
*Consider spotting each other while doning and doffing fins. If one gets away the chances of recovery will be much higher.
*Remember that you are there for each other.

While getting in and out do not hesitate to use your snorkel and when in doubt your regulator. Breathing from you cylinder at 1 atmosphere will not deplete it much. In fact compared to swinging in sandy turbulent surf you mouth is probably the best place for the regulator. Many shore dives have been cut short when sandy surf sent a second stage into freeflow. Breathing from your regulator lets you take you mind off of drowning and lets you focus on your fins and buddy.

A few months a go Dive Training magazne covered entrys and exits very thoughly. If you don't have those issues (2) ask you LDS if they have any back issues tucked away.

Seriously plan your entry and exit together, including what-ifs.

Congratulation for coping and completeding an OW cert dive under those condtions.

Pete

PS If you can add some detail to your profile we can better visualize how heavy your exposure protection is and focus answers a bit more.