DiveLikeAMuppet
Contributor
Don’t learn bad habits before the intro to tech.
Before your intro, I would focus on revisiting your recreational skills to make sure you can focus on your intro to tech.
Do a weight check (always at the end of the dive) - notice how it feels in a drysuit and learn to dive a drysuit with just enough gas to relieve the squeeze. In general, be very comfortable in your drysuit. Spend some time without a mask. Sort out your gear logistics and routine. If you dive from a car - find a system that works for you to organise your gear.
After Intro to tech, book a bigger dive, trip or a course (AN/DP), and spend your time working on your skills so that you can dive it and the end of your 13 weeks. It's important to have a goal, not just train for training's sake. Work on ascents, buoyancy, fining techniques and sidemount skills. Go over things, up and down (within reason) and keep neutral. Learn to work as a team and focus on your teammates when things happen. Dive in different places and different conditions - shore, boats, quarries. Learn how "going diving" works in your area - it makes bigger dives much easier when you already know where to park, how to get on a boat or where to buy good sandwiches (seriously).
Most likely you won't be handling a stage or gas switches in your Intro course, that's AN/DP. If you never dived sidemount, it will take you more than few dives to learn it properly. Same for learning proper fining techniques.
Oh and plan that AN/DP before you start doing too much backgas deco (everyone does that ...) And don't overthink it, have fun
Before your intro, I would focus on revisiting your recreational skills to make sure you can focus on your intro to tech.
Do a weight check (always at the end of the dive) - notice how it feels in a drysuit and learn to dive a drysuit with just enough gas to relieve the squeeze. In general, be very comfortable in your drysuit. Spend some time without a mask. Sort out your gear logistics and routine. If you dive from a car - find a system that works for you to organise your gear.
After Intro to tech, book a bigger dive, trip or a course (AN/DP), and spend your time working on your skills so that you can dive it and the end of your 13 weeks. It's important to have a goal, not just train for training's sake. Work on ascents, buoyancy, fining techniques and sidemount skills. Go over things, up and down (within reason) and keep neutral. Learn to work as a team and focus on your teammates when things happen. Dive in different places and different conditions - shore, boats, quarries. Learn how "going diving" works in your area - it makes bigger dives much easier when you already know where to park, how to get on a boat or where to buy good sandwiches (seriously).
Most likely you won't be handling a stage or gas switches in your Intro course, that's AN/DP. If you never dived sidemount, it will take you more than few dives to learn it properly. Same for learning proper fining techniques.
Oh and plan that AN/DP before you start doing too much backgas deco (everyone does that ...) And don't overthink it, have fun
