Transitioning to Technical

[down4fun]

I was reading tstormdiver's dairy about her cave training and was motivated to share my own journey. I know that for myself i find and read everything I can about women who have taken on advanced types of scuba diving and the struggles they faced and overcame.

Tstormdiver I hope that you are flattered, not offended by my following your lead to post my journey in the women's forum.

So to catch you up:
Feb 14, 2009: I took a cavern class a three years ago, but did not finish. I needed a couple more practivce dives to perfect some trim issues before I could get my card. Unfortunately I was geographically relocated and never finished the class. Life has come full circle and I am back in S FL and getting ready to repeat the cavern class combined with intro to tech. So I took my doubles out yesterday on a 2 tanker doing a couple of reefs just to practice. Still head heavy. If I stop moving I do a head stand. I can hover...only if I keep the fins in motion to keep my feet down.

Feb 15, 2009:dove again today. shore dive, very shallow but great for practicing. I was light on yesterday's dives so I "MacGyver"d a tailweight and it really helped. i could hold still with out finning and hover. My feet would still start to rise but very slowly so there is improvement already. I need to fashion some sort of permenant tailweight.

Feb 23, 2009:Was out again yesterday in the doubles praticing. 2 dives 80-90ft. Had the new tail weight from DSS attached to the bottom bolt really helped the trim. I felt pretty good in them yesterday. Except for the fact that I feel like an 18 wheeler going thru the water. Not thrilled with my wing. It is a Halcyon 40# explorer and it does tend to trap air. I am learning the shift my shoulders and roll to move the air, but think I prefer a donut wing.

Until next weekend

Mar 1, 2009: I was back at it again yesterday. Took my doubles out to a wreck in 90ft and then a reef. I am getting much better at the shoulder roll to equalize the air in my wing. I feel like I did pretty well. But my actions are still slow. And the dives take concentration as opposed to diving in my single where I am completely relaxed and enjoy the dives. I still feel like dives in doubles are work. I have to think and work at controlling myself and position in the water. I know that with more practice I will become more relaxed and comfortable in them.

the ladder yesterday was a B!#&$. I'm have to get back to the gym and increase the strength in my legs.

Mar 15, 2009:So I was out again in my doubles yesterday. Seas 2-4, a wreck 110 and a reef. As everyone said it would, with each dive I am getting more comfortable in them. I had talked to one of my dive buddies, who is in my opinion a accomplished cave diver and tech diver, about drills and helping me become a better diver in the doubles. He was on the boat with me yesterday. So we are on the wreck doing our own thing and from out of no where he comes up and gives me the out of air sign (he's on a rebreather so i know it's a drill). Ok, OK wait I know this one! I pop into action: grab my primary take it out of my mouth, duck my head donate it to him, put the backup in my mouth, purge and begin to breath with out much change in trim or bouyancy...I am so proud and then I stop. But i wasn't finished and to prove his point he begins to back up from me and can't because I haven't deployed the rest of my long hose. Okay, time for more practice. Second dive easy reef, worked on reaching back to grab my valves learning by memory just where they are.

all in all a good day I thought.

Class is on for April hopefully!

 

[tstormdiver]

I am not offended in the least. Thank you.:blush:

I admire anyone who can share their triumphs & their struggles. Let's face it, any goal worth obtaining is rarely easy. In the journey to better ourselves, to be able to share the triumphs & struggles allows us be open & honest with ourselves (at least it is this way with me) as we review our experiences. I have enjoyed your journal thus far, please keep it up. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. I'm rooting for you!:cheerleader: You go girl!:blinking:

On your trim issues, if you haven't already, you may want to consider a couple of things. I had some of the same problems during my cave course. You may want to maybe look at raising your bands a little. I had mine set a bit low to make reaching the valves easier. My instructor moved them 1 1/2- 2" up. I have found out that since the bands were moved, the valves are actually easier to reach now, than before (go figure). By moving the bands up, it moves the weight of the tanks back. I practiced in a pool session & was still a bit "top heavy". In a second practice session in the pool, I then moved my back plate to the center hole, as it had been on the top hole. By moving the back plate, it also moved the weight of the tanks even further back. That seems to have trimmed me out almost perfectly. It seems that even small moves can make a huge difference. I was able to hover in 3- 4' of water in the pool with my feet up for several minutes with having to kick or anything to balance myself out. I would say it is a 98% improvement on what I started with in the cave course. I was even able to do some "stage bottle ballet" (dropping off & picking up my stage bottle) without altering my buoyancy or balance much at all. The difference is remarkable. These may or may not help you but it is worth looking at.

Don't be ashamed to have to take a little time to get used to your doubles. It took me almost 1 1/2yrs form the first time I dove them until I flt comfortable enough in them to finish up my Adv. Nitrox course in them. just keep plugging away at it. It will come.

PS. If scheduling works out, I'll hopefully be able to finish up my cave course in late May.

 

[TSandM]

If you aren't already using them, negative fins help a lot with the head-heavy issues.

When you start doing heavy ascent work, you're going to begin to appreciate the mass of the doubles, even if you feel like a hippo swimming them. Their inertia makes hitting and holding stops a lot easier than in a single tank.

But I empathize with the ladder stuff. I have a mental ranking of dive boats, based on their ladders! The gym, as distasteful as it is, does help a lot.

I'm enjoying your tale, as I have enjoyed Tammy's. I think it's great for women coming up behind us to have our stories to read. I know people like chickdiver and scootergirl were role models for me.

 

[tstormdiver]

I know people like chickdiver and scootergirl were role models for me.

As you have been for me!:blinking:

 

[TSandM]

Another thought I had about head-heaviness is to look at the profile of your wing. Wings that are broad across the bottoms of the U tend to put lift around your waist; wings with a larger upper arc tend to put more lift across your shoulders. My Deep Outdoors wing is ideal for balancing steel doubles, because it has quite a large upper arc. I've also learned to put some gas in the dry suit across my shoulders and into my upper arms.

 

[down4fun]

Thanks for all the tips. My bands are as high up as they will go on the tanks. I am diving Al 80's luxfer which are know for beeing light in the butt. These are actually borrowed tanks, mine are catalinas but they are full of trimix in someones garage and until these use the gas up they gave me these to use. So the cat's might be a little better for me.

My wing only has one set of holes so there is no adjusting there.

I am in jetfins with spring straps.

My wing though does seem to have most of it's lift at the hips not the arc.


So short of buying a new bp/w i have decided to try and just dive, dive, dive and see how much of it works out with time. My instructor seems to think that just diving the rig will work out most of my issues. We'll see.

I am diving wet right know, so that may be another option.

Thanks for the support gals!

 

[tstormdiver]

Wow! That doesn't leave you much room for adjustment.... I see now why you needed the weight, especially with aluminum tanks. I have to definitely admire your working with the best you have at the time. Keep it up!

 

[down4fun]

So the winds finally laid down enough to get out diving yesterday. I took my doubles out on a wreck and a reef. The wreck is called the Tony and I had a max depth of 90ft. Viz was 50 feet or so, moderate current, but plenty of places to duct in out of the current. I am feeling much more comfortable in my doubles and did some easy penetration (really swim thrus as there is ambient light visible) into the engine room and up a deck or two and out. I am much wider in doubles and have not yet mastered the ability to visually determine what openings I will fit through. A couple of times I had to turn sideways in order to make entry. None the less it was great fun.

The second dive on the reef was pleasant and I am correcting trim and air trapping issues with less thought than before. Since the addition of the tail weight my trim seems to be relatively good. Of course being the perfectionist that I am, it will never be good enough, just like my hovering abilities will never satisfy me either.

I have not begun to really practice any skills, as up until now I was just trying to get some dives in and build some sort of comfort level. After this weekend's dives though, I do feel my comfort level has risen significantly and perhaps the near future will hold some drills with friends I trust.

And I joined a gym today! Besides the usual wanting to drop a few pounds and look better in a swimsuit, I also want to increase my strength for getting on/off the boat and hauling gear, as well as work on my cardiovascular status. If my dreams come true this summer could hold some beginning tech dives and I know that the better shape I am in the easier the dives will be and the better my risk against DCS.
Hope you all are diving and having fun.
Kim

 

[TSandM]

Of course being the perfectionist that I am, it will never be good enough, just like my hovering abilities will never satisfy me either.

Welcome to the club!

You're going to enjoy the results of going to the gym. It makes a big difference very quickly.

 

[down4fun]

So I finished my cavern class. Here is a copy of the report I put in the cave section:

We did the theory portion two weeks ago and then headed down to Key Largo to Jules lodge for some skills. I was comfortable in the doubles thanks to my practice dives. I ran almost 400 feet of line all over that place, practice tie offs, wrap, zero vix touch contact drills, helicopter turns, backward frog kick, accents 1 foot at a time, shooting a bag then accending 1 foot at a time. It all went real well. Both the instructor and I were pleased at my progress.

So this weekend we headed to the caves

Day 1 dive1: Ginnie Springs the Ballroom. Gear check, bubble check, OOA drill (little shaky on the bouyancy). Then I ran the reeel all over the basin, at different elevations per the instructors request, then she asked for my mask, I gave it to her and did my zero viz exit. Went pretty well, could feel myself getting light as I got shallower, let some air out, never lost contact with the line, I did manage to undo a wrap but not lose the line. I felt her pull the line tight and so I continued on. Feeling myself at the primary tie off I wait, she puts my mask in my hand I clear and get the ok sign...whew. We go up. She critiques my skill, but approves of how I did. Next reel in all but the primary tie off and go into the ballroom, make some tie offs, wraps, etc. She turns the dive. That went ok.

Dive 2 Devils Eye. Bubble check, gear check, OOA drill (little better) gas plan. I lead. My primary tie is pretty good, second one a little weak. I seem to have trouble finding great tie offs. We make it all the way to the cave entrance and turn. A little wobbly but not bad. I am suprised at the amount of flow coming from the cave. I guess I didn't think you would feel it. She says I am doing well.

Lunch and fills. Awe full tummy, full tanks I am happy.

Dive 3 Devils Ear. She informs me the flow is a lot stronger, get negative and make my ties and entrance. She also wants me to indicate when I think we have reached the end of the cavern zone. This dive there is no prompting and I lead us thru the gear check, bubbble check, OOA and then gas planning. We drop in and wow. It is a lot stronger I am shocked. But I manange to make my primary tie and get us into the cavern. Again the tie sites do not just pop out at me but I make my secondary and then proceed on. At one point I am struggling with the task loading, the flow, the light, the reel. I feel my frustration builing for the first time. I stop and tell myself I am fine. I got tons of gas just take my time. I make the tie and continue on to where I think the cavern zone ends. She pushed us on a little bit further. We turn the dive and exit. Which goes pretty well considering the flow. Debrief. She says I picked some very hard tie off places, but did them well. We talk about the task loading and that I was a bit conservative on where the cavern zone ended. She informs me I have passed the class. WooHoo. I still need to practice the newly aquired skills but have met the competancy level needed for my cert.

Dive 4 FUN DIVE She will lead on a cavern dive into the eye. OMG what a difference to follow. I am completely relaxed and actually seeing the cavern. This is fun. Everything goes well, we turn and exit.

Day 2 My Instructor is going to take me on a cave dive
Dive 5 Devils Eye. We gear check, bubble check, OOA (much better) and then gas plan and discuss the dive. She will lead. We drop in and I feel my heart pounding. This is it, I am doing a cave dive. Holy crap. She had told me she would go high in the cave to avoid some of the flow and I follow. I feel myself start to relax. And soon I am enjoying the cave as I follow her lead. As we get to the lips I recognize it from her discribtion earlier, and then the keyhole. Somewhere around this point I am checking my gas and the bolt snap comes off in my hand. The cave line had broke. I am can make a temporary tie, but am thinking to myself "I hope this doesn't count as a gear failure because I am not ready to turn the dive". She sees me fixing the snap gives me the okay and we continue on. We get to the Hill 400 jump she shows me the jump and we turn. I have done well on my gas consuption and still have 300# before thirds. We exit with my leading out. Goes pretty good for my first ever cave dive. We debrief. She was happy with my ability to solve the spg issue without being all over the place. It was an amazing dive, I was thrilled.

We go to lunch and get fills.

Dive 6 Devils eye. Same dive this time I will lead. We gear check, bubble check, OOA (nailed it), and gas planning. We discuss the dive and that on the exit we may tie the reel at the lips bypass so she can show it to me. We drop in. My heart is pounding I feel the stress level has gone up now that I am in the lead. I remember to go up in the cave to avoid most of the flow. Relaxing a little. I see lights. I move to the side and see a group of three exiting. 2 are doing an airshare exit. Probably the students I saw topside earlier. It was cool to see divers actually doing what I have read and learned about. We continue on thru the lips, next set of lights. A couple of scooter divers. I think to myself I am a long way off from being able to manage a scooter in a cave. The good thing is there is no rush (and no money for a scooter right now LOL). We continue on. Thru the key hole, past Hill 400. I monitoring my gas. Next set of light a group of three making there exit. I move to the side. But somewhere in watching them managed to let me feet drop and kick up a little silt. My instructor points it out, I get my butt back up where it is supposed to be and hope that I haven't looked like a complete idiot student in front of the other divers that I know she knows. We continue on. The deeper we get into the cave the more I am checking my gas. I can feel I am getting more anxious the farther in we get. We are at 700ft, I am 100# from thirds and I turn the dive. Immediately I fell a bit more relaxed to know we are exiting. Again I remind myself I have gas, the exit I already know goes much quicker than the entry, and try to get myself to relax a bit more. When we get back to the keyhole I am feeling much more relaxed. We reach the lips bypass and my instructor ties off her reel and we go a little ways to view the jump lines. Back to the main line and finish our exit. We debrief in water and I am physically and mentally tired. I would like to steel a tube from one of the college kids and just sleep right here in the water. But we get out and go get something to eat and discuss the weekend.

Overall I am pretty happy with how things went. I was not perfect, but did not expect to be. On the positive side I made no serious errors. My instructor is quite please with how I did and this just makes me smile inside from ear to ear.

I will in the future take Naui Cave 1 from her. I am sure this was not my last cave dive. But for now the next class on the schedule is Naui Tech 1 with the same instructor.