Things I learned the hard way

[bamamedic]

non-diving related: buying clothes for your girlfriend is never a good idea. if you get something too large, your girlfriend thinks you think she's fat. if you get something too small, your girlfriend thinks you think she's fat. if you happen to get something that fits just right, she'll think it makes her look fat.

Now this is some good advice!

 

[Srrh]

My first dive after being certified OW 3 yrs ago, was 110 feet dive of Coz.

I Lost the group, ran out of air, had an uncontrolled ascent in the panic that followed, and obviously, surfaced very far from the boat.

Lesson learned the hard way: DO NOT overestimate your capabilities, even if the DM says "it's ok...."

 

[Web Monkey]

• If it's stupid, it's still stupid even if an instructor, DM or other diver tells you it's OK. Over the past 8 years, I've been told:
  • It's OK to go diving with a torn (torn off) BC inflater hose.
  • It's OK to go on a 90' dive with a 1/2 a tank, then split up from my buddy and go run lines in different directions.
  • It's OK to go diving on the ocean, even though there's a small-craft advisory out
• Once you jump off the boat, there's no guarantee it will be there when you surface. Be prepared to attract attention
• If there are other divers on the dive, the DM is not your buddy even if the boat captain says "You can buddy up with the DM"
• If more than 1 person is your buddy, nobody is your buddy (excluding specifically trained 3-man teams).

Terry

 

[Vicksburg Diver]

DIVING: When one thing goes wrong at the beginning of a dive, other things are sure to follow. To wit: While gearing up on boat, inflator on BC sticks. Make the decision to dive with it using the oral inflator. Buddies are waiting on achor line and I am hurrying like madman to suit up and catch them. Huffing and puffing from suit up, I put 1-2 breaths into BC and over the side I go. Not enough air to be positive to enable me to check all my gear. Decide to put anouther couple of breaths into BC. HINT: Always turn your back to the waves and swell when doing this. Take out reg to inflate the BC and take a nice mouthful of water, followed by another. Put reg back in mouth and deflate and go to anchorline to do check. Lesson: Never get in a hurry.

 

[tuner fish]

When packing for your liveaboard trip, put the things you "can't do without" in your carry on luggage.

 

[ScubaGil]

Diving: Never dive sick, even with a slight head cold. This got me into vertigo and an uncontrolled ascent. Was at around 10m when all of a sudden not feeling well turned into wow...why is everything spinning?

Non Diving: Be careful what you wish for.

 

[diver 85]

2 things(1 from diving & 1 from boating but can be applied to diving).....Never 'misuse' your snorkel as your 2nd stage AND 1 day we're offshore about 40 miles a little west of where we normally fish/dive when it gets cloudy for the rest of the day..It's mid afternoon and time to head back(due North) to shore......Well, me & my brilliant mind instinctively thought North was one way and my compass said it was NOT...So I start heading 'my way' about 6-7 miles and see some rigs(that I didn't recognize)....I pull into to them and find out OH ***** I'm heading South, straight to Cuba no less(or so it seemed), lol.......Quickly made a 180 and NEVER questioned my compass since.....

 

[Grish]

non-diving related: buying clothes for your girlfriend is never a good idea. if you get something too large, your girlfriend thinks you think she's fat. if you get something too small, your girlfriend thinks you think she's fat. if you happen to get something that fits just right, she'll think it makes her look fat.

This might be one of the smartest things I've ever seen a guy write. it's hopeless, don't even bother trying!

Diving: Do not dump ALL of your air out of your bcd before ascending. I learned that one back in my OW checkout dives on the first dive we did that went below 20 feet. As it was, I was probably overweigted, and I was right near a rock wall so I could see that no matter how hard I was kicking (and believe me, I was KICKING), I was going nowhere. Rather than add air and then get scolded for trying to take the elevator ride up, I just kept kicking away with everything I had, barely watching that wall move down. Finally I got to about 20 feet and because I was still kicking with all my might, I shot right up to the surface. I made that mistake once and once only, but the DM who was with us still gives me (lighthearted) crap about it and tells open water students about my little blunder (thankfully adding afterward, "And now look at her, she's a fantastic diver").

Life: We all take a certain amount of responsibility for the patterns in our lives...not accepting that hinders growth and learning.

 

[The Surly Mermaid]

Diving.... When the thought "I've never seen a compass that wrong before" goes through your mind.. It's NOT the compass !!

Non Diving.. Never, NEVER, if the bottles are the same shape and size, put your hair gel and Warming KY Jelly next to each other in the bathroom before you do your hair.

Non-Diving 2 ... Palmolive dishwashing liquid is very good at getting Warming KY Jelly out of hair.