My open water class experiences

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Marie13

Great Lakes Mermaid
ScubaBoard Supporter
Messages
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Location
Great Lakes
# of dives
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Report from first pool session: I was going to do the 300 meter swim, but I've never snorkeled before and I couldn't get comfortable doing it. I ended up doing the 200 meter, mostly on my back, with the instructor next to me (I think he was hoping I wouldn't drown!). I had some issues getting comfortable under water again, but once I did, I was pretty okay. I don't really like swimming in the deep end of pools, but I'm fine underwater. Much better underwater. Got down to the bottom of the deep end and I was just sitting there chilling out. Once I got the mask clearing thing down, although it took me at least one try, I was fine. Pool was danged cold even though I had a long sleeve t-shirt and leggings over my bathing suit. I am beat. This is quite character building for me. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

It was like I had this hump I had to get over. I also had weighting issues. The shop only gave me 8 lbs with my rental gear. I was having issues descending so the instructor gave me 2 more lbs on one side. Saturday we're going to be in dry suits, so who knows how that will affect my weighting. I'm getting a BP/W. I was emailing with Mike from DRIS today (my LDS) and he said to get it before Saturday's pool session, so I could train with it in the pool, so they're webbing it for me tomorrow and they'll help me adjust it on Saturday morning when we get our dry suits at the shop (and air refills) before the full day in the pool.

Once I got past the couple of issues, I was fine and having fun. I did a Discover class two weeks ago and I did fine, but then it took me about 20 minutes to get comfortable underwater. We stayed 5' or shallower then.

I made one big mistake when we were ascending from the bottom of the deep end - I hit the inflator button on my BCD and up I went. Now I know what they mean by "rapid ascents"! Better for this to have happened in the pool than on a real dive.

Instructor is perhaps a bit older than I am (I'm 47) and the other students were a fit couple in their late 20s/early 30s and a fit guy in his 40s. Let's just say the most active I am is on the shooting range. So it was quite the contrast. The woman half of the couple was having big issues with the cold water. She had on a long-sleeve t-shirt and leggings over her bathing suit and was really shivering.

I'll report back on Saturday's full day in the pool.
 
People's tolerance of cold varies amazingly. I saw a guy diving in cutoffs and a tshirt and a girl wearing two layered 7mm wetsuits on the same dives. This was in Hawaii, so about 70 degree water.
 
The instructor said the pool was "balmy." Supposedly about 82F. Hah! The other girl in the class mentioned she was glad I had mentioned about the cold water during our online review class on Monday. The guys were just in swim trunks. I've got some natural insulation, and I was still cold on top tonight. The UnderArmor leggings really helped keep my legs warm, though. I love cold winter weather, just not cold water.
 
Glad to hear it went ok. Don't stress over the rapid ascent, I am quite sure everyone has done one when learning by confusing the inflater/deflater buttons. Heck I did it after my OW when I bought my own BC (was used to one type and the buttons on the new one were in a different place). Swapped out the inflater and never had the problem since.

You managed the swim ok (told you you would:yeahbaby:).

Good to hear you are learning in the gear you will dive in - that makes a difference when you get out there as an OW. You will have that comfort of knowing every bit of the gear.
 
Hah! Yes, you did! :D. I think I probably took me 25 minutes to complete the swim. I felt bad as I was the last one and I was holding the class up. Apologized for it. Felt like I was the problem child until I got past my issues.

I am so sore this morning.
 
Hah! Yes, you did! :D. I think I probably took me 25 minutes to complete the swim. I felt bad as I was the last one and I was holding the class up. Apologized for it. Felt like I was the problem child until I got past my issues.

I am so sore this morning.

You will be stiff until you get used to the weight of the gear etc. Once you get a few dives in though, you will wonder why you had them. Tanks that I used to feel as very heavy don't feel quite as bad now (might be that my OW check out dives had a walk to and from the van that was about 1/4 mile to the shore and I had to lug the tank, bcd, weight etc down).
 
I have a wheeled cart that I put everything into. I can lift a tank to get it in and out of my car and put it in my cart, but there is no way I'm carrying it for any length of distance. Simply too heavy for me at this point. I've also got a bit of sciatic in my left hip and carrying heavy things makes it worse
 
One thing that helped me sort out the inflate from the deflate button is to always start with just a little tap of the button. You can hear if you inflating. As a matter of fact, That is all I do to adjust my buoyancy the water. Very small taps on the inflator. Most buoyancy adjustments for me require 2-3 quick pops of the inflator. If you are having to press and hold the inflator you waited too long to make your adjustment. It does take practice though.
 
82F is a great pool temperature for swimming laps. But plenty of us would get chilled from standing or floating around in dive gear during a class.

As for confusing the inflate/deflate buttons, it can even happen to divers with many dives under their belt. Not long ago, I was on a dive when we experienced a strong up-current, I was tired, feeling cold and a lack of dexterity in my hands, frustrated with having had to fight the current for much of the dive, maybe breathing too shallowly and thus retaining CO2, and I hit the inflator when I meant to hit the deflator. I realized immediately I had just pressed the wrong button and couldn't believe I had done it.
 
The instructor said the pool was "balmy." Supposedly about 82F. Hah!

82 is balmy for a lap pool. Diving wells are kept close to 90 and are 15+ feet deep, making them a much better option, but you/LDS have to have access to one.

There is a simple trick to building tolerance to cold water: finish your showers on 100% cold, but a) it takes a while and b) it only works for a short time. I'd be cold too if I breathed down an Al80 just sitting on the bottom of a lap pool in speedos.
 
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