Helter Skelter
Registered
Well I have been so eager to finally take my 1st breaths underwater and finally had my first water dives for my Open water certification. I don't really know how to explain this but we went threw checking and rigging our gear and how to dawn it in the water. We were still floating and breathing from the regulators and then we just descended maybe 2 ft in 4 ft of water at the shallow end of pool. I think I maybe had 6-8 very shallow breaths and thought to myself there is no way I can put sixty feet of water over my head and do this. My instructor said for the first 2 mins I stared at the side of the pool straight pass him and my eyes were wide but I was still giving a okay signal. He said I looked deep in thought. I figured out right away I wasn't taking full breaths but really had, and it was hard, to make myself breath fully. As I was think I couldn't do this and trying to make myself take slow deep breaths I figured what the heck I am going to get this if it take 40 grand and 3 years to pass. So I simple let more air out of my bcd and headed a little deeper so I was all the way underwater. My instructor said that was about the time that he signaled me again and it was if I was a total different person I signal back with a grin from ear to ear. Needless to say If I was not real determined and maybe had been peer pressured into it I would of got out then. But I relaxed and by the end I could not get that grin of my face. And that is coming from the guy that didn't smile 5 hrs earlier when he took his photo for his Padi file. I told him then I am pretty simple guy and not much more than my wife or kids really make me smile and that's not real often.
My favorite part was taking my mask all the way off again I had a second I thought breath idiot and poof my body just closed my naval passage and boom It was easy. My instructor said that its still hard for him to keep the water from his nose from time to time but I made it look really easy. Only bad part is I wear contacts and I really would have loved to have my eyes open while doing it. but instead I just sit there enjoying it in till it tapped me and tapped my mask on my arm a couple times. He said I was grinning the whole time.
Hardest part for me was oral inflation. There was a few things I told him might make that easier in the lake. One I am 6'2" tall add flippers and the fact I am in a 9ft deep pool and it seem like Id come up and get a puff or two then sink hit my fins on the pool bottom , killing the power and rise of my kicks, and I struggle to get back above the water. Add that to the fact That I really felt my inflator hose was too short and where the vest straps held it in place was too low on the vest. I think I prefer either 6 more inches in length on the hoses strap be at the top of my shoulder like on my instructors wing bcd. Come to think of it now I really had to tug to get it over sealed in my mouth it seem like and I may have been releasing air some times cause pull on it would release air too. Ill have to rethink this one.
Lastly I used a atomic venom mask which I liked but the snorkel seemed to pull on the mask, or hit me in the face or neck every time I moved my head and leak water unless I tighten the straps up a bit . And before I really new it the area in between my eye brows was contacting the frame to the lenses. I really could not feel this or was distracted until it started to hurt. I had no bruising but 3 days later its still tender but should be gone in the next 24-48 hours.
Overall I think I could easily dive 2 days a week the rest of my life. It is truly a amazing feeling I told my wife that after I am done I WANT her and my son to take the discovery scuba course. If they can hang in It will be a day to never forget there whole life and Ill have a close buddy cause one of them will like it so much they will feel like they have to get certified.
Some more thoughts id like to pass on. I would have been very disappointed with my mask and snorkel if I would have bought that brand or size. I am thinking I want to try a flex snorkel, winged bcd (But not sure about a crouch strap). split fins. And I am no so sure I want a computer on a cord now. Even though I don't like watches One on my wrist is something Id like to try. I have 4 dive shops close and 8-10 in a 2 hr radius. I plan On renting everything in ever brand around here before I buy anything. Lets say about the only thing I could buy right now and be happy with for sure Would be wet suit boots. But I took a size 11 in the brand I used and I wear a size 12 in everything else on land.
Scott
Helter Skelter
My favorite part was taking my mask all the way off again I had a second I thought breath idiot and poof my body just closed my naval passage and boom It was easy. My instructor said that its still hard for him to keep the water from his nose from time to time but I made it look really easy. Only bad part is I wear contacts and I really would have loved to have my eyes open while doing it. but instead I just sit there enjoying it in till it tapped me and tapped my mask on my arm a couple times. He said I was grinning the whole time.
Hardest part for me was oral inflation. There was a few things I told him might make that easier in the lake. One I am 6'2" tall add flippers and the fact I am in a 9ft deep pool and it seem like Id come up and get a puff or two then sink hit my fins on the pool bottom , killing the power and rise of my kicks, and I struggle to get back above the water. Add that to the fact That I really felt my inflator hose was too short and where the vest straps held it in place was too low on the vest. I think I prefer either 6 more inches in length on the hoses strap be at the top of my shoulder like on my instructors wing bcd. Come to think of it now I really had to tug to get it over sealed in my mouth it seem like and I may have been releasing air some times cause pull on it would release air too. Ill have to rethink this one.
Lastly I used a atomic venom mask which I liked but the snorkel seemed to pull on the mask, or hit me in the face or neck every time I moved my head and leak water unless I tighten the straps up a bit . And before I really new it the area in between my eye brows was contacting the frame to the lenses. I really could not feel this or was distracted until it started to hurt. I had no bruising but 3 days later its still tender but should be gone in the next 24-48 hours.
Overall I think I could easily dive 2 days a week the rest of my life. It is truly a amazing feeling I told my wife that after I am done I WANT her and my son to take the discovery scuba course. If they can hang in It will be a day to never forget there whole life and Ill have a close buddy cause one of them will like it so much they will feel like they have to get certified.
Some more thoughts id like to pass on. I would have been very disappointed with my mask and snorkel if I would have bought that brand or size. I am thinking I want to try a flex snorkel, winged bcd (But not sure about a crouch strap). split fins. And I am no so sure I want a computer on a cord now. Even though I don't like watches One on my wrist is something Id like to try. I have 4 dive shops close and 8-10 in a 2 hr radius. I plan On renting everything in ever brand around here before I buy anything. Lets say about the only thing I could buy right now and be happy with for sure Would be wet suit boots. But I took a size 11 in the brand I used and I wear a size 12 in everything else on land.
Scott
Helter Skelter