Third time was the charm

[Rampantmarine]

Got my Open water certification back in July and tried twice to get out for the first post certification dive. First was scrubbed as the planned site was too shallow with too much boat traffic. The second saw a thunderstorm roll in as we arrived at the dive site and the third time was the charm.

Following a compass underwater was so much harder than on land. Both my daughter and I (dive buddy and we took the class together) used our compasses and still ended up off course and it seems we have an inclination to turn left. All in all even though our plan was to try to hit 40 to 50' from a beach entry we still made it out to 31' before hitting our prearranged turnaround air time. We arrived back with more than expected air due to our circular route.

What did we find out - my air had been turned off after setting up the rig and having lunch (this I do not recall) but a last minute gear and buddy check found that out. We agreed we need to work on hand signals as we had some confusion. Writing on a slate with lobster gloves is not easy and produces words which are hard to read. Reading these words on the slate without contacts is also not easy. We need to take better compass bearings as we leave the beach so we go in the direction we wanted.

No fish to be seen and nothing other than a dead crayfish and some weeds that are a lame excuse for a kelp forest. But still had a great time. Will watch out for a navigation course next year as the open water course season locally is going to close soon.

 

[gcarter]

My favorite dive buddy - my son - tends right & I tend left. All the more reason to hone the nav skills.

Enjoy diving with your daughter!

 

[TMHeimer]

You have to really keep the compass straight and maybe tap it to get the correct reading. I usually do this first on the surface then at depth to confirm. Current can play havoc with it unless you compensate (which is either a rough estimate or a fairly complicated procedure to follow). Assume there was no real current and that you dived in a Manitoba lake--where, may I ask? --L. Winnipeg? I wasn't a diver all those years in MB, but would think that you wouldn't need the lobster mitts there this time of year. I use thick 5 fingered gloves unless the water temp. gets below 40F (+5 C), then I resort to the mitts.

 

[Rampantmarine]

We did west hawk and I probably didn't need the mitts yet and have a five fingered pair on the shopping list. Probably a bit lighter than the 7mm mitts as well. Didn't really notice the thermocline until almost thirty feet which was quite a bit deeper than July.



July the cold hit at about 17 feet. And then you did need some glove and hood for sure.

 

[TSandM]

I'm a big fan of buddy checks! It seems as though this is one of the first things people jettison after their classes. I'm glad you had an experience that reinforced their value.

Navigation takes a while. Remember that depth contours, as well as headings, can be very useful navigational information. You'll get better with time and practice.

 

[Rampantmarine]

Thanks, I did have the importance of buddy check reinforced, we are both ultra cautious and hopefully it develops into a habit. We both realize that our C-Card was just a learners license. I actually think the contour is what threw us off - we likely followed along the contour of the lake instead of going deeper.

We both can't wait to practice more both in the water and in the pool this winter. My Daughter was mentioning things she wanted to work on in the pool this winter.

 

[spectrum]

Navigation is equal parts skill, confidence and site knowledge. If one is lacking the others must take up the slack.

Leapfrogging to landmarks in visual range is a good hedge against current.

Learn to rotate your compass as a check. It should stay on heading. If the card rotates you have it jammed and need to hold it flatter.

Pete

 

[TMHeimer]

Yeah, it's a lot easier if you know the site. I always use the compass if the site is new, but not very much otherwise. Leapfrogging landmarks is a great method--you can do this as well if not in a current. If the landmark is far enough away you can avoid looking at the compass as much as normally. Natural navigation is probably every bit as usefull at times as the compas. If sunny, I often check the sun's location regarding my travel direction. Other stuff like sand ripples (usually parallel to shore) and fauna can help-- ei. eel grass (sea grass) means you are shallow near shore. A lot of this is not relevant if deep diving from a boat. If on a metal wreck the compass is affected. Best idea there is look back to see where you came from occasionally and always have a good idea where the anchor line is (or you will be making an ascent without a reference and also may be a ways from the boat). I've found that keeping tabs on that line is not as easy as you may think.

 

[Rampantmarine]

Great tips on navigation - thanks everybody. I found I did resort to watching where my shadow was on the bottom and the angle of the sun to help especially on the way back. Our first dive was supposed to be straight out north and back south (can't get more simple than that) and still managed to head more northwest. Next trip in two weeks so see if we improved and I can aim off to account for my left leaning tendency (funny I always thought I was more right).

TMH : The Temp was also 57F (13) and we expected 48F (8C) like our dive was last time that's why the lobster mitts. I expected to spend much more time in the less than 8C.

Finally getting the hang of that computer and log. Amazing what one can do with only two buttons.

 

[fjpatrum]

My favorite dive buddy - my son - tends right & I tend left. All the more reason to hone the nav skills.

Enjoy diving with your daughter!

Or switch which side of your buddy you swim on and meet in the middle. No worries about buddy separation that way.