My openwater qualifying dives, I was not good enough.

[LoonDiver]

...and when you get back in the water, make sure it is with a different instructor! Based on your other post about troubles with your OW class, the instructor you had did not have a responsible attitude at all. They should never have taken you into the water for your checkout dives in those conditions.

 

[cmburch]

Sounds pretty advanced for OW.

I can not remember specifics, but ours was in the protected Monterey Bay. In my class, we may lose half the divers doing those type of dives for OW.

I hope all is well with your ear.

It seems you have already passed OW and advanced to AOW during the first dives. I wonder what your AOW involves?

 

[kasdeva]

I have tried to describe the conditions accurately, I have no reference for what dive conditions can be like. Only three students passed the course in the end. Myself and two twenty-something year olds that are also tri-athletes. All the other course members bailed at some point in the process.

It does sound far-fetched, but this it what it takes to be a safe diver and a useful buddy in rough conditions.

Thank you for all the encouragement, I will persist.

 

[kasdeva]

Yes, there was problems with course as described in a different thread. For instance, I am now an open water diver, I have not done a CESA, nor was it discussed. This thread is not about a course that I think was fundamentaly broken to start with, but a frank look at my own ability to be a responsible diver in adverse conditions.

The course being broken is one of the reasons I will redo it.

This may sound self flagellating, but I will only start enjoying the marine life if I am well trained, fit and comfortable with all the aspects of diving. Both my life and the life of my diving buddy depends on this.

 

[Ana]

This may sound self flagellating, but I will only start enjoying the marine life if I am well trained, fit and comfortable with all the aspects of diving.

By all means, knock yourself out.

 

[boulderjohn]

Day one. ...
We do mask clear and regulator recovery in the shelter of a reef and then start the drift.
...

Needless to say, I apologized and asked if I could be excused from the next dive, I was not going to dive if I think if have a perforated eardrum. And so my diving course ends. That evening I am informed that I have passed my course and are now certified to dive.

In your other thread, I counted a minimum of 5 standards violations (if your instruction was PADI) in your pool instruction. I strongly suspect I would find more if you gave a more detailed description. I advised you to report this to the agency.

I will repeat that advice. Again, you have not mentioned the agency, but if it is PADI, then the first quote I kept above was a standards violation. As for the second quote, I don't care what agency you were with--it is a standards violation with any agency to pass a student who has not successfully completed all the dives and all the skills. (If you had already completed all the skills before that last dive, then that is also a standards violation.)

As I said in that thread, the only way an agency can maintain standards is if people report those violations.

 

[cmburch]

Doing a negative decent is advanced for a new diver. Many have problem equalizing when they first start out. It would seem that you may have already had some sinus congestion which may have made the seasickness and ear trouble worse. Throw in negative dropping straight into the water for the first time and it is a possible accident waiting to happen.

We went over CESA instruction many times and related accidents.

 

[Blackwood]

A leaking or dislodged or broken or lost mask is an annoyance, but not an emergency. As you've now learned the hard way, negatively descending and getting behind on clearing your ears is. It can be very hard to prioritize when the proverbial fit is hitting the shan, especially with practically zero experience to call on. In this case you chose poorly. But that's what experience is all about: learning both from your successes and from your failures. I doubt you'll repeat that mistake.

Get your ears checked out and try again. If your two threads are indicative of your general approach to diving, you have precisely the attitude I look for in a dive buddy.

BTW, I'd most likely not dive an inflatable in 7 foot seas. Just not worth it to me.

This may sound self flagellating, but I will only start enjoying the marine life if I am well trained, fit and comfortable with all the aspects of diving. Both my life and the life of my diving buddy depends on this.

Bravo.

PS - I equalize as I jump in even if I'll enter positive. The slight amount I dip under the surface before floating back up can be enough to hinder equalizing later on. I equalize in swimming pools. Your mileage may vary.

 

[boulderjohn]

BTW, I'd most likely not dive an inflatable in 7 foot seats. Just not worth it to me.

Marc--I have never even seen an inflatable with 7 foot seats. Do they make them?

 

[Blackwood]

lol. Nice. Fixed.