Things they don't teach in SCUBA school

[Kharon]

In a big surf on a rocky shore it may be your only choice. What better alternative do you suggest - even on a sand beach - in big waves?

In big surf on a rocky shore (or ironshore) I wouldn't dive. If I can't remove my fins in chest deep water and walk in (forwards or backwards) I'll take my dive elsewhere. I'm not that much in need of a dive that I will beat myself up and risk injury to splash.

 

[Don Quixote]

About mask fogging, learned something new recently on the dive trip to Raja Ampat. We dive from rigid inflatables and the motor fumes can be too much. I tried to breath through my nose by opening my mask a little so I can smell and detect if it is fumes I am breathing. This causes the mask to fog underwater even with anti-fog coating. Tried to flood and clear the lenses but the fogging persisted. Somehow, breathing through the mask will alter the anti-fog coating.

 

[Wiggsy]

Correct set up, use and deployment of a SMB would be pretty handy also. A lot of new divers have never seen one yet alone know of its use and importance.

 

[TMHeimer]

Don't pee in your wetsuit hanging on the safety stop line-or for that matter within 10 minutes of dive end.EVERYONE on the boat WILL know you've peed. -AND the poor Divemaster that has to wash your rental suit will not be impressed.
DO be absolutely clear the signals THAT dive leader wants used for air levels. Every leader is different. From "I don't care Your air your problem" to accurate checks wanted every 5-10 minutes (deeper dives)

I can attest to the pee thing. Also if you pee use baby shampoo on the wetsuit (pants especially) when rinsing. I may have mentioned that a proper size/strength hose down one leg and out the bottom will increase pee flow out somewhat (not attached anywhere... just down the leg). Can't recall any mask fogging ever with that same baby shampoo on it--even if exhaling through the nose. Now I gotta pee.

 

[captio2000]

There are 3 types of divers: those that pee in their wetsuit; those that lie about not peeing in their wetsuit; and those of us that wear drysuits (with or without pee valves). LOL

One thing they don't teach you in OW class is when you do pee in a wet suit you tend to sink

---------- Post added January 9th, 2016 at 10:00 AM ----------

One thing most instructors don't discuss much but you figure out after a while is inertia/momentum. Once you start moving in a direction you tend to keep going in that direction if you don't do something to stop it. This works to your advantage for kick and glide swimming in trim. It seriously works to your disadvantage if going up or down and you are having buoyancy issues.

Ditto the comment about practicing disconnecting and connecting the LP inflator hose - I had a student with a leaking hose abort a dive, thank goodness they were already shallow. This is also good practice for the drysuit diver that jumps in without connecting the inflator hose - oops, how did we miss that on the buddy check?

 

[Littlerayray]

Speaking of peeing in a wetsuit do not rinse your reg in the bath of fresh water if you see someone rinsing there suit in it chances are they peed in their wetsuit and contaminated the bath it's not gonna hurt to wait till you get home/hotel

 

[tursiops]

One thing they don't teach you in OW class is when you do pee in a wet suit you tend to sink

Really? How does that work? You replace water with pee and that makes you heavier? You lose some fluid from your bladder and that makes you heavier? My guess is you just relax after peeing and that allows you to compress a bit more....so get denser.

 

[timz]

Really? How does that work? You replace water with pee and that makes you heavier? You lose some fluid from your bladder and that makes you heavier? My guess is you just relax after peeing and that allows you to compress a bit more....so get denser.

Yeah... i only rinse my reg with water that comes out from tap.

After you mentioned it, I'll be extra careful.

 

[TMHeimer]

I probably mentioned this before, but if you soak your stuff in a bathtub or bin it makes sense to then rinse it all with tap water or a hose, no? The fresh bin water must become a bit salty after you start putting equipment in there.

 

[CT-Rich]

I have been spitting in my mask forever and it works great for me. I use toothpaste on masks only when they are new. As for peeing, I'll cop to it occasionally, but I avoid voiding in the last 20 minutes in the water and will open the zipper to get the water circulating.... I relatively cold water it doesn't happen very often. I just can't imagine rushing to finish a dive so I could get out the water so I can tear off my wetsuit to pass water....

I don't do anything special to rinse my gear, the wetsuit and regulator have been in the same water for the same dive, I am not going to kid myself into thinking that they need to be separated for rinsing....