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BettyRubble
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Thal, I'll look up the thread you mentioned. I'm sure there is good content there for me to hash through.
Thanks!
Surprise Surprise . . Newbie has a mishap . . .
- Thread starter BettyRubble
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Thal, I'll look up the thread you mentioned. I'm sure there is good content there for me to hash through.
Thanks!
Great job!
I would suggest practicing with ALL the dumps on your BCD until you get familiar with locating the pulls and their location is second nature. It can be a little tricky at first finding a particular dump if you are not familiar with them. Usually you'll find some kind of knob or ball on the string. However, I have often borrowed gear from tech divers which have cut off the "knob" from the butt dumps on their wings because it is a snag hazard. The first time I did that I was trying like crazy to find my dump and I thought that it was snagged in my gear and "buried" because it was hard to feel just the thin little string through thick gloves.
However, after awhile (with practice) I could find it easily.
I also have split my weight up since I dive with a well-insulated drysuit and lots of lead. That is a great idea.
A good opportunity to "tweak" your weight is at the end of that dive since your tank was pretty empty!
On an "empty" tank, holding your breath (full lungs), and no air in your BCD you should float vertically with the water crossing the lenses of your mask in the middle. If you breathe out, you'll start to sink. Again, you should not need any air in your BCD for this.
For what it is worth, I have seen weight belts come loose because the latch was not designed for a particular thickness and thus never would "positively" engage the belt (or it was a cheap latch). If this was what happened, you could have latched the belt and it just came loose over the course of the dive (not your fault). It's possible.
Lot's of good info here in these posts!
Your coolness and quick-thinking without panic is admirable!
I would suggest practicing with ALL the dumps on your BCD until you get familiar with locating the pulls and their location is second nature. It can be a little tricky at first finding a particular dump if you are not familiar with them. Usually you'll find some kind of knob or ball on the string. However, I have often borrowed gear from tech divers which have cut off the "knob" from the butt dumps on their wings because it is a snag hazard. The first time I did that I was trying like crazy to find my dump and I thought that it was snagged in my gear and "buried" because it was hard to feel just the thin little string through thick gloves.
However, after awhile (with practice) I could find it easily.I also have split my weight up since I dive with a well-insulated drysuit and lots of lead. That is a great idea.
A good opportunity to "tweak" your weight is at the end of that dive since your tank was pretty empty!
On an "empty" tank, holding your breath (full lungs), and no air in your BCD you should float vertically with the water crossing the lenses of your mask in the middle. If you breathe out, you'll start to sink. Again, you should not need any air in your BCD for this.
For what it is worth, I have seen weight belts come loose because the latch was not designed for a particular thickness and thus never would "positively" engage the belt (or it was a cheap latch). If this was what happened, you could have latched the belt and it just came loose over the course of the dive (not your fault). It's possible.
Lot's of good info here in these posts!
Your coolness and quick-thinking without panic is admirable!
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Deefstes
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I enjoyed reading this account and the good responses. Thanks BettyRubble and I'm glad all ended well and that you learned something. This was probably a more valuable dive to you than the first one.
I don't have much to add as much of what I was thinking when I read your report has been discussed by others already. Perhaps allow me to add just one thing.
I'm not much more experienced than you are so these comments are merely from one noob to another but I do get the impression that, as soon as I go vertical, I don't have as much control over my buoyancy anymore. This would make sense because not only does any fin movement push me upwards but also, whatever air is in my BC then moves to the top of the BC, expanding further and buoying me up even more.
I don't have much to add as much of what I was thinking when I read your report has been discussed by others already. Perhaps allow me to add just one thing.
Yup, I'd say you'd be doing well to familiarise yourself with the kidney dump valves and use them more often. I find that use my hose button very rarely nowadays and prefer to use the kidney dump valve. If you're in horizontal trim it's easy enough to use either but in order to use the hose you often have to tilt your body vertical to some extent in which posture you lose the ability to correct for buoyancy by finning.
I'm not much more experienced than you are so these comments are merely from one noob to another but I do get the impression that, as soon as I go vertical, I don't have as much control over my buoyancy anymore. This would make sense because not only does any fin movement push me upwards but also, whatever air is in my BC then moves to the top of the BC, expanding further and buoying me up even more.
BioLogic
Contributor
I'm no great fund of expertise either, but one point from Rescue class seems worth making here. The primary reason for failure of this type of buckle is overlapping the belt with the buckle frame when closing. It doesn't seal completely. I give my belt a good yank in the pre-dive check now and my buddy does the same. It's come off in my hand once...
The other way I've lost that belt style (fortunately on a dock) was when donning my BC I let the edge of the jacket catch under the belt end and pull side of the buckle.
The other way I've lost that belt style (fortunately on a dock) was when donning my BC I let the edge of the jacket catch under the belt end and pull side of the buckle.
You made several mistakes, but you kept your head and dealt with your problem quite well. Additionally, you thought about what happened and realized what mistakes you made and are working on how to correct them.
As for your request for a recommendation on fins, I love my Lightning Jet Fins.
Some BCs have a shoulder dump that is positioned at the highest point in both vertical and prone positions.
As for your request for a recommendation on fins, I love my Lightning Jet Fins.
ScubaDocER:
Some BCs have a shoulder dump that is positioned at the highest point in both vertical and prone positions.
Thank you for your posts, Betty.
I thought you did great for a new diver. Hope I'd do as well. You were fortunate to have experienced divers with you. You can learn a lot just by watching them and/or discussing things post-dive.
I get cold and so wear much more neoprene than others (I am always in a tropical location) - about as mich as you do in the quarry and I always keep some non-ditchable weight in pockets on my tank (which is usually steel). I far prefer steel tanks to aluminum. Check out some threads on steel versus al.
I get cold and so wear much more neoprene than others (I am always in a tropical location) - about as mich as you do in the quarry and I always keep some non-ditchable weight in pockets on my tank (which is usually steel). I far prefer steel tanks to aluminum. Check out some threads on steel versus al.
halocline
Contributor
Definitely consider splitting up weight so that some of it is non-ditchable. Any sort of quick release weight system has a risk of becoming accidentally lost. The safety you gain at the surface for this, you unfortunately pay for by increased risk of an uncontrolled ascent. I have to say I'm impressed that you are only using 10 lbs in a 7 mil suit; would you please post the rest of your rig, like what kind of BC, and what tank you're using?
Most new divers would probably not realize anything was going on until it was too late. You did well, and you learned something potentially very valuable.
Most new divers would probably not realize anything was going on until it was too late. You did well, and you learned something potentially very valuable.
james croft
Contributor
A 7mm suit is pretty thick but will compress at depth which puts some slack in the belt. I believe a buckle that has a load on it stays closed better as opposed to a buckle that does not have a load on it. I also like SS buckles as opposed to the plastic ones. I also use weight belt buckles that are spring loaded to compensate for wet suit compression. The ones I use are made by Tekna and are pretty old but I believe Trident has made a copy of this buckle. I also have some weight belts that have a feature with surgical tubing that take up slack in the belt.
A weight belt that I like a lot uses a vintage wire bail buckle on a rubber weight belt. I have never had it snag or fail and is very comfortable as the rubber belt expands and contracts with the suit. I think I may also have gotten the belt from Trident, but am not 100% sure on that. This buckle makes it very simple to put a weight belt back on underwater.
Looks like you handled yourself well. I would just work on drilling on weight belt removing/replacing in a shallow area until it becomes second nature.
A weight belt that I like a lot uses a vintage wire bail buckle on a rubber weight belt. I have never had it snag or fail and is very comfortable as the rubber belt expands and contracts with the suit. I think I may also have gotten the belt from Trident, but am not 100% sure on that. This buckle makes it very simple to put a weight belt back on underwater.
Looks like you handled yourself well. I would just work on drilling on weight belt removing/replacing in a shallow area until it becomes second nature.
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