Came up too fast

[firstdive2005]

Hey Stormchaser, how's the info hitting you? It's sort of easy for those of us that have done what you just went through to see the answer or at least get darn close.
I think the part about doing a bouyancy check next time there with a little more weight is pretty much dead on. Time underwater is our only fix for comfort. And that will surely help the pounds to go, comfort and calm diving. Like noted, your suit will compress after lots of dives and you wont be so bouyed by it-less weight needed again. I like the thought that maybe you started letting air out at depth then stopped and it expanded, very plausible. I'm thinking you may have given your bc a shot of air moving your hands all over trying to get control but only you can sense that. Like I said earlier and I'm sure you know this, it is extremely important to vent air from your lungs on a runaway to the surface.
I would advise to practise at your local dive hole or get to a pool once in a while to stay sharp with skills. I still go to the pool, and help people that are new, it keeps me tuned.
Who did you dive with when you where on Coz, they should have weighted you. But I guess that's spilt milk, keep up practise and the next questions will be different ones. good diving to ya.

 

[stakanak]

Can you explain this a little better? When you say "upright", were you vertical in the water? Because if you are in that position, any kicking you do drives you straight up. This makes you have to dive negative, because if you are neutral, you will simply swim yourself up the water column. Thus, if you are in a vertical or 45 degree position, any time you stop swimming, it is highly likely that you will sink. This has nothing to do with proper weighting, but has a lot to do with the physics of swimming.

...and if you were in a heads down position trying to swim downwards, the only dump that would work is the butt dump as all the air would be at the bottom of your BC.
I had a few "missed safety stop" mishaps in my first few dives without an instructor and it was always my fault. Please be aware, and get comfortable with your BC.
Get Wet!

 

[a_eclipse_guy]

Something like this happened to me on my first ow dive.... We did the neutral buoyancy drill.. It went perfect. Cam back to sit on the platform and I couldn't hold myself down to keep from going up.. Long story short I was breathing shallow and apparently held a lot of air in my lungs. I had no air in my bc with 15 lbs of weight at about 30 ft of water.. After that never has happened again to me.....

 

[tracydr]

One thing nobody addressed is heavy beer consumption and multiple deep dives. Setting yourself up for DCS. Stay hydrated and drink minimally on dive trips.
Also, learn to breathe right in your bedroom. While laying down practice inhaling with tummy going out, exhaling with tummy going in.
I'm amazed at how many people are cleless about proper breathing.
A beginners yoga tape or class can teach you a lot that will carry over to good buoyancy control and air consumption.
Try doing an easy dive without ever adding air to your bc, only using your lungs to rise up and down. It can be an eyeopener.
Question- how did you get AOW and nitrox with only a dozen dives, 7 in the last two days? If you don't have those cards then are doing deep, multiple dives/ nitrox without the training? Risky business, diving outside your current ability level. Did you at least have a computer that does nitrox and know what your max depth could be on the percent you were diving?

 

[DandyDon]

Lots of good replies, maybe a bit much for stormchaser but if he wants to do those dives, hope he likes all of this.

Waxahachie is not far from Athens scuba park. Really convenient for pre-trip practice dives, and as shallow as it is - good buoyancy practice will be easy.

One thing nobody addressed is heavy beer consumption and multiple deep dives. Setting yourself up for DCS. Stay hydrated and drink minimally on dive trips.

Yeah missed that. Good call.

Also, learn to breathe right in your bedroom. While laying down practice inhaling with tummy going out, exhaling with tummy going in.
I'm amazed at how many people are cleless about proper breathing.

Really...?

Question- how did you get AOW and nitrox with only a dozen dives, 7 in the last two days? If you don't have those cards then are doing deep, multiple dives/ nitrox without the training? Risky business, diving outside your current ability level. Did you at least have a computer that does nitrox and know what your max depth could be on the percent you were diving?

Well, Nitrox certs don't require dives anymore, not in a long time but as far as diving deep as a newbie - he was in Cozumel. It's the norm. South of the US, rules are really just guidelines mostly.

I do hope he was DAN covered. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...ut-dan-insurance-cheapest-plan-wrong-one.html

 

[stormchaser]

One thing nobody addressed is heavy beer consumption and multiple deep dives. Setting yourself up for DCS. Stay hydrated and drink minimally on dive trips.
Also, learn to breathe right in your bedroom. While laying down practice inhaling with tummy going out, exhaling with tummy going in.
I'm amazed at how many people are cleless about proper breathing.
A beginners yoga tape or class can teach you a lot that will carry over to good buoyancy control and air consumption.
Try doing an easy dive without ever adding air to your bc, only using your lungs to rise up and down. It can be an eyeopener.
Question- how did you get AOW and nitrox with only a dozen dives, 7 in the last two days? If you don't have those cards then are doing deep, multiple dives/ nitrox without the training? Risky business, diving outside your current ability level. Did you at least have a computer that does nitrox and know what your max depth could be on the percent you were diving?

I got nitox certified before the trip. OW only requires 5 dives.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

And how many dives did you do on your own before the trip? What dive plans did you make with your buddy? I hope to God you are not doing trust me dives with a DM who does not know you, your skill level, your abilities, and your actual training. Don's statement about the DM taking you on deep dives being the norm in Coz is one of reasons I will never go there. Or dive with certain ops in Grand Cayman or Belize. People die doing those dives they are not ready for.

As to your weighting question. How much pool time did you get and how many weight checks did you do during it? My students do at least 16 hours and a check at the beginning of every class so 6-7 and at the end of the last 2 if necessary. They also do their own checks under my supervision at the checkout site. What we do at checkout is with MSF and suit put on an empty belt. Then in 2lb increments adjust for neutral with just that. Then we add the bc and repeat the process. On dive 3 I have them adjust again if needed now that they are usually more relaxed and comfortable. I've had students decide they needed to drop 2-3 lbs on their own and I allow them to. Or if they need to, add a bit. BUT IT IS THEIR DETERMINATION NOT MINE!

How much pool time did you get with your new gear and how many times did you practice with all the dumps and releases with your eyes closed? Before I get in the water now with new gear I take it in the pool first for an hour or two just to check it out and get familiar with it. Speaking of pool how much time was spent on neutral buoyancy and trim? And performing skills while hovering in midwater while nice and horizontal? Or doing them while swimming? I may already know the answer but would still like to be proven wrong.

How many times did your instructor invite you to just come dive after your certification? I send invites out and have a standing one for all my students anytime I'm in the water and it is within their skill and training levels.

 

[udtfire]

go to your lds and get some after cert instruction due to the fact most classes are to fast to short or incomplete you should find a pro diver in the shop and dive with them. I have started doing dives with jr divers as a pro level buddy to address problems like yours. so go find a good buddy and dive dive dive be safe

 

[ktomlinson]

Doing a proper weight check is good advice that has already been given. This happened to me one time, I hadn't done a weight check and was diving with my shorty 3mm under my full 3mm, something I had never done before. I was underweighted and at the end of my dive I coudln't stop ascending I was nervous I would ascend faster as I came up, so I flipped upside down and kicked. Its not ideal, the situation can be prevented, and the training says to lay out flat to create drag...but flipping upside down and kicking worked for me that day.

 

[DandyDon]

Too many answers? Too many questions?

I got nitox certified before the trip. OW only requires 5 dives.

You're just new and having the same problems many of us have had. Get a bud and go dive Athens scuba park. It's only 70 miles.