We (Wifie and I) wrapped up our classes on Saturday, then headed to Catalina for a Sunday and Monday of diving bliss...
GEAR:
My Wife (Jaye) - DUI TLS350 (Ms. off the rack...) and SuperModel Pug's Black 300 wt undies. Libra BC, HP Steel 80, 18# weight
Me: Rental Mobbys, my DUI Grinchwear (My 50/50 is still being cut and won't be ready for a few more weeks...) Black Diamond BC, HP Steel 100, 20# weight
ABOUT US:
I'm not a pro (as I had 44 dives going into this weekend) but I don't consider myself a swing-and-miss beginner. I'm not bouncing off the bottom, my buoyancy is in control and I have never had a problem navigating back to the boat (!) I'm focused and committed to becoming a safe, compitent diver. Jaye has about 70 dives since `93. Took a refresher course when we got married 4 years ago, after taking all those years off. Since August I have about 25 Dives, and Jaye has about 8.
SUNDAY (3 Dive Boat trip)
Early boat (6:30 AM...) to the Island. Watched the Sun rise on the way to the landing. It was a beautiful day, as the rains finally stopped pelting So Cal. Hit Avalon, hopped onto the King and did three dives Sunday. We used the rental Alu 80's - so I added 6# (26# total) and Jaye added 6# (24# total)
Dive 1: Mellow, froo froo guppy diving. The boat had some experienced divers, but mostly novices. Buoyancy is really not an issue for me, and the weighting is pretty good. Its funny to have 26 pounds, after diving with 16 with my 7mm and steel cylinder. Jaye is corklike anyway, and the additional 6 was not enough.
Dive 2: Not really good viz - guess we're on the run-off side of the island. Added 2 more pounds to Jaye but she was cork city. I think she was over-compensating for the extra weight. She just had issues staying down. I'm not talking the famous feet-first uncontrolled ascent - she got upright, did the chicken wing, dumped her suit (I checked the valve and it was 100% open - I popped it a few times to make sure - heard it click down but no more gas came out)...I can't figure it out. I saw her dump her lungs... maybe I'm under estimating the buoyancy of an AL 80 when it hits 1000 at only 20'. For me, I noticed that I can better judge depth with a drysuit. I use very little gas in the suit, and was weighted comfortably. I did notice a list to one side...the side where the pocket is that had my safety gear (whistle, sausage, mirror, divealert, etc....) Memo to self: even this out on both hips in the drysuit hip pockets.
Dive 3: Jaye was perfect. Same weight (26) and she pulled it together. It was a perfect dive. She descended well, ascended perfectly, was trim, level and in control. How this can change from dive to dive sort of spooks me. We didn't burp our suits last dive (forgot) so I'm thinking maybe there was residual air trapped someplace?? I was very confident, and felt great. Its amazing how our gas consumption has changed. 3 years ago in her Steel 80 and my Steel 100, we used to even out (because I was a big gas hog when I started diving) Now she finishes with 650 in her 80 and I have 1000+. Now in the rental Alu 80's, starting at the same pressure/volume... she'll hit 950 while I'm at about 1200. I though it was from filling and venting her new Drysuit, her BC, etc. She told me that she simply has to breath more than I do...she said she tried to match my breathing for a little while, and it was tough for her. I told her to breath comfortably, and I'll have an extra few hundred pounds...no biggie. Diving a lot more than her this summer has made all the difference. That a subject for another thread. You gotta dive, to dive better (and yes, I'm one of those divers that consider using gas more efficently a part of diving better.)
NIGHT DIVE (Casino Dive Park)
I was SOOOOOOOOOOO fired up for this one. It was surgey at the Casino dive part on Sunday night. Jaye had never done a night dive - and she was a little shaky. We got kitted up and down the steps and the tide was out, and she could see those first few big rocks on the right side between sets in the moonlight - and it sort of freaked her out. I did a giant stride meets Mark Spitz (sort of a horizontal giant stride) and rode an outward surge...it was a simple entry and I was bobbing like a cork, waiting for her. her body language did not look confident as she stood on the step, and I asked her if she wanted to abort. She said yes, so I climbed out. I was a bit miffed, but cooled down. Actually, I was probably more than a bit miffed. I began to realize that our confidence levels and in some areas, our abilities levels have grown apart. (that's another thread...when one buddy advances quicker than the other...and they're married!) I decided I needed to grow up a little as I climbed the steps, asked her to forgive me for being a dick and told her that she made the right decision. If she's not 100% cool with the dive - abort. Over breakfast on Monday, she shared something interesting - she said she aborted not because of the rock-n-roll entry. It was because, as she saw me doing the belly-flop, she realized that there was nothing she could do to assit me if there was an emergency. (we were likely the only ones in the part on Sunday night...we didn't see any other gear.) She wasn't strong enough to get me out of the water if there was a problem, nobody else was around (except the kids necking or getting high in their golf-carts.) In retrospect, I totally respect her for that decision. It pissed me off that night at the bottom of the stairs, but she made the right choice.
MONDAY (Casino Dive Park)
Dive 1 We finally got to use our steels. I dropped back down to 20#. She dropped to 22#. The first dive in the part was glorious. Like we've done a zillion times before. Went to the SE corner and dove the Sue-Jac. I wanted to get the suit into about 75 - 90 feet of depth after all of the 30' and 50s' from the day before. I think it was Pug, or maybe Aquamaniac...someone recently talked about a lights-out ascent...being so in touch with your surroundings and your own body that you can ascend slow enough and monitor your speed through your own body-water contact to stay within the limits. I find that I'm in much better touch with my surroundings in the drysuit. I can feel so much better the differences between 20' and 30' - between 40' and 60'....its amazing. There is so much more articulation in a drysuit than in my 7mm....wow. I love estimating depth, and looking at my depth meter and going from being in the parking lot to being in the ballpark. A few dozen more dives will make a huge difference, I'm sure...but after only 4 I can see improvement already. Jaye was wonderful on this dive. She knows the park very well, she wasn't terribly over-weighted (now with her own Steel) and overall, it was just a good damn dive.
Dive 2: Of course the fill station isn't open on Mondays (who knew...) so I schlepped into town to rent a couple of Alu 80's. Feeling full of myself I only added 4# this time. It was fine for me. Makes me wonder if I'm overweighted for my Steel, now? I'll drop a few more next time out and get it dialed like I had my 7mm dialed. Jaye went in with 24# and when she hit about 1200, she was grabbing the kelp to keep from flying out of the water. Man, was it frustrating. We did a surface swim from the far end of the park, against the mid-day current back to the steps. She felt bad, I was trying not to glare (and was no doubt unsuccessful) and it was not a good scene. I don't get it how she can be fine one dive and cork-city the next. AAUUGGHHH.
Conclusions:
* Watching all of the wetsuit divers shiver in the wind on deck between dives was wild. We didn't even take out the towel the entire day. Towel-free diving. Too funny. In water comfort is overrated, as water temps were about 58 - 60 (and I'm fine in that in my 7mm.) You guys diving in the 40's and low 50's are probably the true recipients of the warmth dividend. But the comfort BETWEEN dives and AFTER was wild. Totally worth it.
* I thought it would take up LESS room in my bag. It takes up MORE - with the undies, boots, etc. I busted a pull on my zipper trying to close the damn bag. I see a larger bag in my future.
* Being in touch with the water and being able to feel the water communicate to my body through the small pressure nuances (not just my ears, but also all over, now) was amazing. I want to dive again just to go through that sensation again.
* trim, neutral buoyancy, descent, ascent - all were no problem for me in the drysuit. Although I witnessed first hand some of the issues people talk about (Jaye's rocket to the moon) I personally didn't have any of these issues - no clown feet, no super squeeze, no Michilen Man...none of that. I loved it.
* I need to be sensitive to the fact that the only regular dive buddy I've ever dived with can't meet all of my diving needs right now. She dresses slower, she takes forever to ascend the first time, one dive she's fine, the next she's all over the place, she sucks through an AL80 about 500 - 700# faster than I do, night diving for now is a no no... We need to dive more so she can get more dives in, plus I need to find another buddy for times when I just want to "hit it", you know? I don't mean push safety, but I'd like to dive deeper, I'd like to stay longer, I'd like to dive more in a day...she's whooped after 3 guppy dives and I was ready for another one. I'm jonesing for Lobster, and she's just not into it. Anyway - this is a drysuit report, not a dive buddy report - She's my best friend and I hate being an AH to her when I'm so wrapped up in my learning and my time on the water. I need to find a way to make it OUR time when we're together, and find another buddy to I can have "my" time.
* I need to pee more. Maybe that's common knowledge, but man. After every dive...? Probably has to do with a warmer core temp, increased pressure, etc? Who knows. You guys in doubles must be doing Depends or Pee Valves. After 45 - 70 minutes with a single, I had to go as soon as I hit topside. At the deco stops you guys talk about, I'd likely burst!
Lastly - drysuit diving rules. I highly recommend taking a class (it helped a ton) dedicating a weekend just for discovery..which is what this was. This was all about starting to become confident, safe and competent in the new exposure suits.
I wish the Mobbys Rental fit me better - it was a medium (I take a large DUI with a longer torso, shorter arms and legs) and my shoulders were too big for it and my torso a little long. I didn't have the range of motion I like, but it is a fine suit. The attached rubber boot was lame, as it was too small around my ankle - I now have nice ankle blisters.
ALL OF YOU have contributed to my knowledge and my focus these last few months, as I was preparing for this weekend and the drysuits. Nothing beats on-water (better: IN water) experience (as my buddy situation showed me) but being focused and knowledgeable sure helped me have 5 trouble free, in-control and confident Drysuit dives this weekend. Thanks to ALL OF YOU!
More soon.
Ken
GEAR:
My Wife (Jaye) - DUI TLS350 (Ms. off the rack...) and SuperModel Pug's Black 300 wt undies. Libra BC, HP Steel 80, 18# weight
Me: Rental Mobbys, my DUI Grinchwear (My 50/50 is still being cut and won't be ready for a few more weeks...) Black Diamond BC, HP Steel 100, 20# weight
ABOUT US:
I'm not a pro (as I had 44 dives going into this weekend) but I don't consider myself a swing-and-miss beginner. I'm not bouncing off the bottom, my buoyancy is in control and I have never had a problem navigating back to the boat (!) I'm focused and committed to becoming a safe, compitent diver. Jaye has about 70 dives since `93. Took a refresher course when we got married 4 years ago, after taking all those years off. Since August I have about 25 Dives, and Jaye has about 8.
SUNDAY (3 Dive Boat trip)
Early boat (6:30 AM...) to the Island. Watched the Sun rise on the way to the landing. It was a beautiful day, as the rains finally stopped pelting So Cal. Hit Avalon, hopped onto the King and did three dives Sunday. We used the rental Alu 80's - so I added 6# (26# total) and Jaye added 6# (24# total)
Dive 1: Mellow, froo froo guppy diving. The boat had some experienced divers, but mostly novices. Buoyancy is really not an issue for me, and the weighting is pretty good. Its funny to have 26 pounds, after diving with 16 with my 7mm and steel cylinder. Jaye is corklike anyway, and the additional 6 was not enough.
Dive 2: Not really good viz - guess we're on the run-off side of the island. Added 2 more pounds to Jaye but she was cork city. I think she was over-compensating for the extra weight. She just had issues staying down. I'm not talking the famous feet-first uncontrolled ascent - she got upright, did the chicken wing, dumped her suit (I checked the valve and it was 100% open - I popped it a few times to make sure - heard it click down but no more gas came out)...I can't figure it out. I saw her dump her lungs... maybe I'm under estimating the buoyancy of an AL 80 when it hits 1000 at only 20'. For me, I noticed that I can better judge depth with a drysuit. I use very little gas in the suit, and was weighted comfortably. I did notice a list to one side...the side where the pocket is that had my safety gear (whistle, sausage, mirror, divealert, etc....) Memo to self: even this out on both hips in the drysuit hip pockets.
Dive 3: Jaye was perfect. Same weight (26) and she pulled it together. It was a perfect dive. She descended well, ascended perfectly, was trim, level and in control. How this can change from dive to dive sort of spooks me. We didn't burp our suits last dive (forgot) so I'm thinking maybe there was residual air trapped someplace?? I was very confident, and felt great. Its amazing how our gas consumption has changed. 3 years ago in her Steel 80 and my Steel 100, we used to even out (because I was a big gas hog when I started diving) Now she finishes with 650 in her 80 and I have 1000+. Now in the rental Alu 80's, starting at the same pressure/volume... she'll hit 950 while I'm at about 1200. I though it was from filling and venting her new Drysuit, her BC, etc. She told me that she simply has to breath more than I do...she said she tried to match my breathing for a little while, and it was tough for her. I told her to breath comfortably, and I'll have an extra few hundred pounds...no biggie. Diving a lot more than her this summer has made all the difference. That a subject for another thread. You gotta dive, to dive better (and yes, I'm one of those divers that consider using gas more efficently a part of diving better.)
NIGHT DIVE (Casino Dive Park)
I was SOOOOOOOOOOO fired up for this one. It was surgey at the Casino dive part on Sunday night. Jaye had never done a night dive - and she was a little shaky. We got kitted up and down the steps and the tide was out, and she could see those first few big rocks on the right side between sets in the moonlight - and it sort of freaked her out. I did a giant stride meets Mark Spitz (sort of a horizontal giant stride) and rode an outward surge...it was a simple entry and I was bobbing like a cork, waiting for her. her body language did not look confident as she stood on the step, and I asked her if she wanted to abort. She said yes, so I climbed out. I was a bit miffed, but cooled down. Actually, I was probably more than a bit miffed. I began to realize that our confidence levels and in some areas, our abilities levels have grown apart. (that's another thread...when one buddy advances quicker than the other...and they're married!) I decided I needed to grow up a little as I climbed the steps, asked her to forgive me for being a dick and told her that she made the right decision. If she's not 100% cool with the dive - abort. Over breakfast on Monday, she shared something interesting - she said she aborted not because of the rock-n-roll entry. It was because, as she saw me doing the belly-flop, she realized that there was nothing she could do to assit me if there was an emergency. (we were likely the only ones in the part on Sunday night...we didn't see any other gear.) She wasn't strong enough to get me out of the water if there was a problem, nobody else was around (except the kids necking or getting high in their golf-carts.) In retrospect, I totally respect her for that decision. It pissed me off that night at the bottom of the stairs, but she made the right choice.
MONDAY (Casino Dive Park)
Dive 1 We finally got to use our steels. I dropped back down to 20#. She dropped to 22#. The first dive in the part was glorious. Like we've done a zillion times before. Went to the SE corner and dove the Sue-Jac. I wanted to get the suit into about 75 - 90 feet of depth after all of the 30' and 50s' from the day before. I think it was Pug, or maybe Aquamaniac...someone recently talked about a lights-out ascent...being so in touch with your surroundings and your own body that you can ascend slow enough and monitor your speed through your own body-water contact to stay within the limits. I find that I'm in much better touch with my surroundings in the drysuit. I can feel so much better the differences between 20' and 30' - between 40' and 60'....its amazing. There is so much more articulation in a drysuit than in my 7mm....wow. I love estimating depth, and looking at my depth meter and going from being in the parking lot to being in the ballpark. A few dozen more dives will make a huge difference, I'm sure...but after only 4 I can see improvement already. Jaye was wonderful on this dive. She knows the park very well, she wasn't terribly over-weighted (now with her own Steel) and overall, it was just a good damn dive.
Dive 2: Of course the fill station isn't open on Mondays (who knew...) so I schlepped into town to rent a couple of Alu 80's. Feeling full of myself I only added 4# this time. It was fine for me. Makes me wonder if I'm overweighted for my Steel, now? I'll drop a few more next time out and get it dialed like I had my 7mm dialed. Jaye went in with 24# and when she hit about 1200, she was grabbing the kelp to keep from flying out of the water. Man, was it frustrating. We did a surface swim from the far end of the park, against the mid-day current back to the steps. She felt bad, I was trying not to glare (and was no doubt unsuccessful) and it was not a good scene. I don't get it how she can be fine one dive and cork-city the next. AAUUGGHHH.
Conclusions:
* Watching all of the wetsuit divers shiver in the wind on deck between dives was wild. We didn't even take out the towel the entire day. Towel-free diving. Too funny. In water comfort is overrated, as water temps were about 58 - 60 (and I'm fine in that in my 7mm.) You guys diving in the 40's and low 50's are probably the true recipients of the warmth dividend. But the comfort BETWEEN dives and AFTER was wild. Totally worth it.
* I thought it would take up LESS room in my bag. It takes up MORE - with the undies, boots, etc. I busted a pull on my zipper trying to close the damn bag. I see a larger bag in my future.
* Being in touch with the water and being able to feel the water communicate to my body through the small pressure nuances (not just my ears, but also all over, now) was amazing. I want to dive again just to go through that sensation again.
* trim, neutral buoyancy, descent, ascent - all were no problem for me in the drysuit. Although I witnessed first hand some of the issues people talk about (Jaye's rocket to the moon) I personally didn't have any of these issues - no clown feet, no super squeeze, no Michilen Man...none of that. I loved it.
* I need to be sensitive to the fact that the only regular dive buddy I've ever dived with can't meet all of my diving needs right now. She dresses slower, she takes forever to ascend the first time, one dive she's fine, the next she's all over the place, she sucks through an AL80 about 500 - 700# faster than I do, night diving for now is a no no... We need to dive more so she can get more dives in, plus I need to find another buddy for times when I just want to "hit it", you know? I don't mean push safety, but I'd like to dive deeper, I'd like to stay longer, I'd like to dive more in a day...she's whooped after 3 guppy dives and I was ready for another one. I'm jonesing for Lobster, and she's just not into it. Anyway - this is a drysuit report, not a dive buddy report - She's my best friend and I hate being an AH to her when I'm so wrapped up in my learning and my time on the water. I need to find a way to make it OUR time when we're together, and find another buddy to I can have "my" time.
* I need to pee more. Maybe that's common knowledge, but man. After every dive...? Probably has to do with a warmer core temp, increased pressure, etc? Who knows. You guys in doubles must be doing Depends or Pee Valves. After 45 - 70 minutes with a single, I had to go as soon as I hit topside. At the deco stops you guys talk about, I'd likely burst!
Lastly - drysuit diving rules. I highly recommend taking a class (it helped a ton) dedicating a weekend just for discovery..which is what this was. This was all about starting to become confident, safe and competent in the new exposure suits.
I wish the Mobbys Rental fit me better - it was a medium (I take a large DUI with a longer torso, shorter arms and legs) and my shoulders were too big for it and my torso a little long. I didn't have the range of motion I like, but it is a fine suit. The attached rubber boot was lame, as it was too small around my ankle - I now have nice ankle blisters.
ALL OF YOU have contributed to my knowledge and my focus these last few months, as I was preparing for this weekend and the drysuits. Nothing beats on-water (better: IN water) experience (as my buddy situation showed me) but being focused and knowledgeable sure helped me have 5 trouble free, in-control and confident Drysuit dives this weekend. Thanks to ALL OF YOU!
More soon.
Ken
