Chronicles of the newbie

[alan_lee]

Well, it's almost 1am in Singapore (where I'm from), and the reason why I'm not asleep is cos I guess I'm overstimulated! Well, to the oldies who have so many dives under their weight belts, this sounds kinda silly, but I'm still buzzing from the excitement of my first pool dive! :blush: Gosh! I really love the feel of gliding effortlessly through the water, and while it was only in a 2m pool, I really enjoyed the serenity of just being under water. Am so glad I managed to perform all the drills comfortably and confidently (was kinda nervous initially), but am also mindful of things that might go wrong. 2 of my coursemates somehow had their 2nd stage pop out while performing the mask removal drill, and panicked, and rejected the instructor's octo. Gosh, kinda made me wonder if it'd happened in open water. It could happen to me too. Guess I gotta always stay calm and not panic.

Gotta get used to how dry the cylinder air is, considering how humid it is in Singapore (close to 96%)! :10: Throat felt dry after the session. One more pool session to go, then it's off for my open water next weekend! I'm amped!

After using the dive centre's BC and regs, it made me realise how important it is to have my own gear! I felt so uncomfortable with the stuff! Oh, here's another silly question: are all mouthpieces that hard to bite down on? My gums were a little sore afterwards.

Oh, and if I can't reach back and feel the 1st stage (when trying to retrieve my 2nd stage), does it mean my cylinder is mounted too low?

Well, that's me! Pardon me for my silly bubbly (pun not intended! :tongue2: ) enthusiasm, and thanks for reading and answering my questions! Cheerios!

 

[fishballer]

cool

the mouthpiece/gum issue. sea cure mouthpieces. you can mold them to your mouth, so it fits perfectly.

http://scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=SCI

or maybe you're just biting down way too hard. i remember in my first couple pool sessions i was clamping down hard on the mouthpieces. then i realized that hey, air comes through the 2nd stage even if i don't bite down with all my might. try relaxing a bit, moving your jaw a bit when you're underwater.

hope that helps.

 

[sasscuba]

Well, it's almost 1am in Singapore (where I'm from), and the reason why I'm not asleep is cos I guess I'm overstimulated! Well, to the oldies who have so many dives under their weight belts, this sounds kinda silly, but I'm still buzzing from the excitement of my first pool dive! :blush: Gosh! I really love the feel of gliding effortlessly through the water, and while it was only in a 2m pool, I really enjoyed the serenity of just being under water. Am so glad I managed to perform all the drills comfortably and confidently (was kinda nervous initially), but am also mindful of things that might go wrong. 2 of my coursemates somehow had their 2nd stage pop out while performing the mask removal drill, and panicked, and rejected the instructor's octo. Gosh, kinda made me wonder if it'd happened in open water. It could happen to me too. Guess I gotta always stay calm and not panic.

Gotta get used to how dry the cylinder air is, considering how humid it is in Singapore (close to 96%)! :10: Throat felt dry after the session. One more pool session to go, then it's off for my open water next weekend! I'm amped!

After using the dive centre's BC and regs, it made me realise how important it is to have my own gear! I felt so uncomfortable with the stuff! Oh, here's another silly question: are all mouthpieces that hard to bite down on? My gums were a little sore afterwards.

Oh, and if I can't reach back and feel the 1st stage (when trying to retrieve my 2nd stage), does it mean my cylinder is mounted too low?

Well, that's me! Pardon me for my silly bubbly (pun not intended! :tongue2: ) enthusiasm, and thanks for reading and answering my questions! Cheerios!

I was the same way when I got certified when I was 14, very excited I could not sleep! Started diving when I was 12 with my dad. I have been diving now for almost 25 years...man I am getting old fast! Main thing is too relax, whatever you are doing diving. You will be fine. Your own gear makes a world of difference! You might have the tank too low if you cannot reach the 1st stage or the BC could be getting in the way. Have fun with the rest of your lessons and great diving too you......

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Hi, Alan! Congratulations! I'm still new enough myself, that I understand your exhilaration!

I generally mount my tank so that it's high enough to reach the valve if I have to, but low enough so that I'm not bumping my head on the first stage. Keep messing with it and you'll find the happy medium.

If you have trouble with mouthpieces, you can get a Sea Cure mouthpiece that you can mold to your own teeth and mouth. Some people hate them, but by and large, most people really like them, and yes, it's good to have your own gear, but take your time and if you can, try out different things until you find a combination that you like and feel comfortable with.

And yes, when you're down there, being calm and cool goes a long way towards keeping a minor problem from becoming a potentially fatal accident.

Welcome to the scuba world and welcome to Scuba Board. Nice to have you aboard.

 

[alan_lee]

Hey hey! I knew my American friends would be awake!

fishballer: Re my mouthpiece, I dunno. I guess the problem came about cos I found that if I turned my head to my left, I could feel like my 2nd stage was gonna get tugged out of my mouth (hose felt real stiff too), which I guess is prob cos my cylinder was mounted too low on my BC. Would Sea Cure be softer to chomp on? Wonder if they'd ship to this tiny island in SE Asia.

stangscuba: WOW! You started at age 12! Gosh, I'm starting at age 34 (well, i turn 35 a day after my open water dive, on 22 May)! Actually, I started about 11 years ago but never completed my open water cos I came down with the flu. Oh well, now that I met the woman of my dreams who's got more than 200 dives, it helps that I got myself a diving buddy, and extra motivation to get certified!

fishwhisperer: Yea, it's kind of a catch-22 situation with the height of the cylinder, ain't it? Too low, then you won't be able to reach for the valve, but if it's too high, I'm gonna be bumping my head when I look up!

Cheers to all for the advice!

 

[IslandFrog]

I was 32 when I got certified, and I can remember telling my Mom right after my first night in the pool that I wish that I had done it 20 years earlier. You are already getting as good or better advice than I can give, so let me just say Welcome!

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Would Sea Cure be softer to chomp on? Wonder if they'd ship to this tiny island in SE Asia.

I'm sure you can find them. If not, Scuba Toys has them and will ship them: http://www.scubatoys.com/

The beauty of the Sea Cure, is that you mold it to your bite pattern, and it lays across all of your teeth, so even if you are a real reg-biter, it's not a problem. Plus, since it feels more secure in your mouth, you won't be tempted to bite it or chew it. Additionally, it eliminates jaw fatigue, and if you find that it's not quite comfortable, you can re-shape it to fit you better, and trim off the portions that are uncomfortable.

 

[herman]

Fun isn't it and it only gets better.

On the reg retrieval, are you lifting your tank with your left hand? If not, reach behind you with your left hand and grab the bottom of the tank. At the same time gently lift it and pull it to your left. This will raise the valve and move it closer to your right shoulder. That should make it easier to get to. It does not take much to move it to where you can get to it.

 

[rongoodman]

I find that a pint or two of Guiness after class helps with the dryness from the tank air.

 

[falloutx]

I was like that 1 mth ago when I took my lessons. Wait till the day you set off for your open water dives. That particular day will feel so long! Infact, I was rendered useless that day, all I can think of was 'Dive Dive Dive'. Sad to say, it gets worst after that. U keep thinking of the next trip

Advice that I got before my first dive "Stay calm..ALWAYS, just relax and enjoy your dive"

Don't chomp on the mouthpeice too much. My gf came up from the dive with a bad case jaw fatigue.

All in all...enjoy yourself! (When can I dive again....sigh)