Skills to have polished before going to AOW

[Scott]

Golf balls should be standard pool equipment along with a toypedo.
Try balancing a toypedo on its nose in the palm of your hand and then move it to a finger tip.

 

[CNYMAD]

Thank you to all that have posted such helpful information. We were certified 30 years ago and stopped because of kids......life. We got back diving a few years ago and are having such fun again. Gear has changed as well as the challenges of being older. You have insired me to sign up for a buoyancy and trim skills class in a local pool before our March dive trip.

 

[swivel]

How do I get someone who is willing to help train me with the skills I learned after my OW class? I had an instructor who didn't really teach us much about buoyancy and descending. My whole class was over weighted during our check out dives and I remember all of us had to hold onto a line to stop us from descending too fast.

I would like to be the water as much as possible and lately I have been going through withdrawal because I want to be in the water so bad. I thought about paying for a guided tour but its just a guided tour. I have met another diver who is willing to dive with me this weekend but I am hesitant because I don't want to ruin the dive for him because I am a newbie diver.

Should I look for a private instructor? Take another class? Or should I just get use to my gear just by diving more?

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

I have met another diver who is willing to dive with me this weekend but I am hesitant because I don't want to ruin the dive for him because I am a newbie diver.

Go Dive with this person and let them know how you feel and that you may take some extra time sorting things out and if they have any suggestions you would be open to them. This is how you will get better... If they chose not to dive with you that is their right - however if they continue to dive with you - you will now have a new buddy.

Remember you can call the dive at any point for any reason. Later if you feel the need for a tuneup - contact an instructor - perhaps your buddy has one in mind...

 

[boulderjohn]

How do I get someone who is willing to help train me with the skills I learned after my OW class? I had an instructor who didn't really teach us much about buoyancy and descending. My whole class was over weighted during our check out dives and I remember all of us had to hold onto a line to stop us from descending too fast.

I would like to be the water as much as possible and lately I have been going through withdrawal because I want to be in the water so bad. I thought about paying for a guided tour but its just a guided tour. I have met another diver who is willing to dive with me this weekend but I am hesitant because I don't want to ruin the dive for him because I am a newbie diver.

Should I look for a private instructor? Take another class? Or should I just get use to my gear just by diving more?

It is really unfortunate that you had the experience you did. If that instructor was an employee of a shop, you can contact the shop management and tell them that you never worked on proper weighting. Ask them if they have any instructors who can correct that problem. Hopefully, if you approach it right, they will offer free remediation. If they want to sell you another course to correct the problem, you can tell them that you have been told that failing to teach proper weighting, both in the pool and in the open water, is a standards violation. Tell them you were advised (as I am advising you now) that it should be reported to the certifying agency. That may give them an incentive.

 

[hellhole]

Dive with that wiling buddy.. Tell them your 'newness' and hope they understand... Divers are mostly nice people... That willing buddy seems a nice person to start of with already since he/she agree to be your buddy

 

[swivel]

I will give this a try. We didn't do a buoyancy check in the pool. They just told us 10% of your body weight plus 15lbs. I was wearing a one piece so it was 10% plus 10 lbs. (24lbs) So, we took the same amount of weight to the check out dive.

I will definitely let my new buddy know and hopefully he still wants to dive. :/

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

I will give this a try. We didn't do a buoyancy check in the pool. They just told us 10% of your body weight plus 15lbs. I was wearing a one piece so it was 10% plus 10 lbs. (24lbs) So, we took the same amount of weight to the check out dive.

I will definitely let my new buddy know and hopefully he still wants to dive. :/

If you are using a 7 mill suit and Al80 tank that sounds close.

Estimated Diving Weight Calculator
this link can give you an estimate - I find it is always high by a few pounds for me - so use with caution but I would not go over the estimate...

Have fun - Attitude is almost everything in diving.

 

[Six Feet Under]

If you can find a flat surface (pool bottom works), get yourself in trim and practice your propulsion techniques and get your buoyancy down pat.

[video=youtube;a-p7Pm0tSWM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-p7Pm0tSWM[/video]

This video is a good demonstration of proper buoyancy control and trim, as well as various other things that may or may not relate to your AOW class depending on your equipment configuration.

 

[boulderjohn]

I will give this a try. We didn't do a buoyancy check in the pool. They just told us 10% of your body weight plus 15lbs. I was wearing a one piece so it was 10% plus 10 lbs. (24lbs) So, we took the same amount of weight to the check out dive.

I will definitely let my new buddy know and hopefully he still wants to dive. :/

A weight check is required by standards. The estimate you used there sounds way too high. You evidently weight 140 pounds. I recently certified a diver who weighted just about 140 pounds. He used a 7mm wet suit, and he needed 10 pounds (in fresh water).