what to expect on my first ocean dive

[Mcote]

Be very careful approaching the ladder, my 1st dive (and all but 1 of 8) the ladder was going 4ft up and down, (tip-timing is everything, time it, step on and hang on!!)

Mike

To this I will add, do not be in the area right around the ladder while anyone is on the ladder. When the boat is pitching, they may fall off and you don't want to be under them if that happens.

Marc

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Not even close to being universally true. Around here, the ocean is bursting with life, FAR more than in any fresh water dive area.

You need to find out about the particulars of where you'll be diving.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry. You can think what ever you like, but if you look at total bios mass per square yard, most shallow fresh water lakes will far exceed most reefs. It's just a question of available nutrients.

 

[jonnythan]

Yeah, I have to agree with DA. There is generally much more life in the shallows of fresh water. It's just all brown and boring.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

You're off by a factor of about 10.

You're 2.5% more buoyant.

It's a matter of semantics. Being 2.5% more buoyant refers to 2.5% of your total mass (body, tanks, etc) which may well equate to needing 30% more lead weight.

More importantly, salinity varies. I'd heard the water was saltier in Bermuda but I doubted that would have any impact on weight requirements until I dove in Bermuda and found I needed more weight than any other salt water dive I'd ever made in that same configuration.

---------- Post Merged at 01:32 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 01:31 PM ----------

Yeah, I have to agree with DA. There is generally much more life in the shallows of fresh water. It's just all brown and boring.

That's not entirely fair - I've seen lots of places that were green and boring too!

 

[jonnythan]

It's a matter of semantics. Being 2.5% more buoyant refers to 2.5% of your total mass (body, tanks, etc) which may well equate to needing 30% more lead weight.

More importantly, salinity varies. I'd heard the water was saltier in Bermuda but I doubted that would have any impact on weight requirements until I dove in Bermuda and found I needed more weight than any other salt water dive I'd ever made in that same configuration.

---------- Post Merged at 01:32 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 01:31 PM ----------

That's not entirely fair - I've seen lots of places that were green and boring too!

Or it could mean 300% more weight. Or even infinity percent more weight. Point is that your buoyancy increases by about 2.5% so you need to add around that much more lead.

 

[BuiltLikeABulldog]

Right I think that's only because the ecosystems of the ocean are so diverse. I'm about to start my grad studies in marine biology and my fiance is working with one of the world's leading scientists of deep sea coral reefs. And I can attest that if you take a cross section of the ocean from top to bottom at any place on earth. At least one area of that section will be teaming with life. Now remember 2.5% of the water on earth is freshwater (including glaciers that fish would have a tough time swimming in ) So you're able to fill that up a lot more easily than the 97.5% of the water on earth.
So looking at one section of the ocean at a depth of 0-400 feet. You might rarely see anything... Yet 2000-3000 feet... it could be an oculina reef covered with a thriving community of marine life.
Now you're also not taking into considering my person favorite and my future research subject of the floating marine invertebrates.... On a clear day, with good vis.. Look up towards the surface from a depth of 15-20 feet with the sun hitting... You will see BILLIONS of tiny organisms floating around... tiny jellies... plankton... polyps out finding homes.... just an absolutely (beware of the approaching irony!) GIGANTIC community of tiny organisms! I understand that freshwater has the same micro-organisms... But Just because they aren't covered in scales or fins, doesn't mean they aren't beautiful marine life that you should observe!

 

[TMHeimer]

Yeah, I have to agree with DA. There is generally much more life in the shallows of fresh water. It's just all brown and boring.

Agree with that.

 

[GlowWorm]

I'm diving in south Carolina. I believe at a ship wreck. The charleston 60. It's one of the shallower dives my LDS has, max at 70 ft I think. The only dive ive done was at fantasy lake in NC for my cert dive. There will be a dive master there

 

[van462]

If its the Charleston Tug done done by Coastal Scuba. It is a sunken tug that sits at 55' on the bottom with most of the structure and bait balls in the 25 to 40' zone. I dove it last week. Sea's were almost too calm that day(crew was calling the lake atlantic)and drove visibility down. I didn't wear a wetsuit and even with the thermocline I was comfortable at the bottom (granted I can go to about 76 degrees without being cold). Vis was around 20' + at 35' down and on the bottom maybe 10'. If you go down in the engine area I recommend a flashlight. The day prior they had around 60' vis.

 

[lowviz]

Scopolamine will be your brand new best friend.