Lisa0825
Contributor
TSandM:One of the things I've learned the hard way is that, if you can't go down at the beginning of the dive, you can't STAY down at the end. Essentially every dive I've done where I had to be helped down, or had to swim down at the beginning, has ended with buoyancy problems due to inadequate weight. This was true even at the beginning, where some of my descent problems were definitely technique-related.
Lesson learned!LOL! There was another couple who never got all the way down, and then were too tired from trying to get more weight and go back in. Hey, at least I was able to keep my feet down. I had floaty feet syndrome during certification and couldn't stay upright for anything!
cummings66:Being totally relaxed is the key to success. After getting ready to dive, float in the water a couple minutes and relax, enjoy the moment. Try to avoid being the last diver in because typically they're not going to get any rest, be near the first and you'll have time to relax. Do as you did and be close to ready so that all you have to do is pull up the wetsuit, don the BC, reg and mask and hop in. Put your MOF (just kidding), just hang there and watch the others kit up and you'll find it helps.
As choppy as it was, it was definitely more relaxing below the surface than at the surface! LOL@ MOF!
On the first attempted dive, I did take my mask off my face briefly.... It got water inside, and I couldn't get enough control of my breathing to purge it, so I took it off, shook it out, and put it back on!
vondo:Just wanted to say "Good for you" for not diving that first day. After spending a bunch of cash to get down there, taking off work (I presume), a bunch more cash to stay in a hotel, and another bunch of cash to be on that boat, it can be really difficult to say "Not today," so good for you.
It's also amazing how many of the accident reports we see begin with "I should have known better, I wasn't getting a good vibe..."
Yeah, I blew some cash on the trip, but oh well, at least I lived!LOL! I thought about doing the second dive on Sunday, but my legs were so tired from finning, that I figured I'd just be happy with having gotten ONE dive logged.
Some "shouldas" that I can come up with are:
1) Instead of getting to town just in time to jump on the boat, make sure I have time to try equipment on leisurely and find out if I can try them in water before going out on the boat.
2) Get weighting figured out before any future dives.
3) If I'm not ready to go in, DON'T go in.
4) If I start to feel tired, cut the dive short, don't push it.
I may be a flaming liberal, but I'll happily be a conservative diver!