What are the "who knew"s of scuba?

[lv2dive]

I started diving for the simple reason I thought it would be fun... and that is still a huge part of it, of course. But it has become... more.

Who knew, that on any given dive, one could be getting one or more (or all) of the following types of stimulation/fulfillment?:

• mental
• emotional
• physical
• spiritual
• intellectual

 

[Kryssa]

Who knew I had all this extra money laying around

 

[Brewone0to]

Who knew I had all this extra money laying around

I'm guessing that this is no longer an issue.
Who knew that we would find purpose for all the math classes in school?
Who knew that a pair of $1200 primary lights would still need $400 worth of backup lights?
Who knew that most of the first gear setup would eventually end up in a box?

 

[mstachowsky]

As the proud new owner of a 7mm wetsuit, I think I can add one more:

Who knew it is impossible to flatter yourself while wearing a wetsuit.

Although in hindsight that's obvious

 

[renalea]

The first time I bled underwater, I was at about 70' and about 500 yds from shore. This black stuff kept coming out of my thumb. Thought I was going to die! Called the dive right then and there and when we were nearly back to shore and at 10', my blood was red again and I realized "Oh yeah, colors change at depth! Let's go back and finish our dive!" My husband was not happy with me! Wow, that was a long time ago.

I was shocked to see first hand the change of colors at depth:

Real quick. Scraped a coral was bleeding,blood was green. Took a bit, at first thinking it was algae from the coral till I kept rubbing it away it kept coming back. I'm an alien

 

[Sly New Girl]

Who knew I'd be getting my buddy a tee that says, “Have pity, I'm drowning” to soak up some of the water inside of his dry suit?


To those who know this is apparently no big deal. Come to find out dry suits leak. And while debating overhauling the old or buying new you can just switch to wearing t-shirts and pajama bottoms inside of your dry suit!
For me (who knows a whole lot of nothing) it was a bit of a shock. All I could equate it to was the dodo-brained fishermen I've seen wearing hip waders while sitting in a float tube.


Who knew scuba diving could be so hazardous for those who know a whole lot of nothing?


Again; no big deal to those who know whats what.
I'm learning that most of the initial plans I had for scuba are the equivalent of wearing hip waders while fishing from a float tube that leaks like a sieve.


Who knew there were actually people who claim they don't pee in their wetsuit because its icky? And yet, they'll swim in water that's full of fish poop, even swallow the odd mouthful of it, without giving it a second thought?

 

[TMHeimer]

*********


Yeah, but the ocean (even a lake) dilutes all that a whole lot. The wetsuit will smell. I've never had problems resulting from salt (or fresh) water in the mouth. BTW for the guys: an "external" catheter works well for wetsuit peeing--but you can't do it while in the water as the hose fills with water and you have to deal with the ambient pressure thing. But during the SI, no taking that wetsuit partially off and back on!!!) in November just to pee. Who knew?

 

[JamesK]

Are you actually talking about putting a pee valve on your wetsuit, or just the condom catheter with a hose? As for the pressure issue, that is why the dive gods made the Halcyon Streamline P-valve. Oh, and if you wash your wetsuit, and I don't mean just rinse it, after each day of diving you don't get the smell.

 

[TMHeimer]

Are you actually talking about putting a pee valve on your wetsuit, or just the condom catheter with a hose? As for the pressure issue, that is why the dive gods made the Halcyon Streamline P-valve. Oh, and if you wash your wetsuit, and I don't mean just rinse it, after each day of diving you don't get the smell.

Catheter and hose--pee valve costs a fair bit. I can see that washing the wetsuit well with soap, etc. will easily work. I'm just not crazy about the time during and after the dive until you shower up...

 

[Sly New Girl]

*********


Yeah, but the ocean (even a lake) dilutes all that a whole lot. The wetsuit will smell. I've never had problems resulting from salt (or fresh) water in the mouth.

My wetsuits don't stink. But I'm still a terrible person, because I consider being in the water when I have to pee kind of handy actually. And I'm wondering how effective dillution is when I'm upcurrent from my buddy, who already thinks I was raised by barbarians?