Your personal experience

[SpaceCase]

New guy here so please bear with me.

The information in this subject area has been very informative, interesting and certainly educational. However, most of it is news from the media or 2nd hand "I heard about this...." and the infamous "My step-brother's 3rd cousin's fiancee's neighbor found out through her boss that...."

Being very new (never even been in the water with a tank yet), I would find a lot of added value if the veteran divers (those with at least a couple dives over their heads) would share their personal experiences (as some have). I'm even talking about the simple ones of not properly attaching accesories and loosing them to the most extreme cases of bodily harm. This way, if anyone had a specific question then they could get an answer directly from the person who experienced or witnessed the incident/accident.

I have personally found it a great learning experience to hear it from the source. Thanks in advance.

 

[Doc]

I have personally found it a great learning experience to hear it from the source. Thanks in advance.

How to avoid jumping in with no air...

Before stepping off the boat....

Look down at your spg tank pressure gauge. Watch the needle.

Take three deep breaths. Watch the needle.

If it goes down, down, down.... your air is turned off. Even if you can breathe.

If it bobbles and returns to the starting full tank pressure mark, your valve is partially opened. Even if you can breathe.

Underwater, you will not be able to breathe.

This works with old fashioned, analog dial gauges, but if you have a digital whizbang meter, better test it out.

Last thing you do, check the gauge. If it stands firm at full pressure, you'll have one less issue to resolve.

Doesn't matter if you just did the "lefty loosey" drill. Watch the gauge and suck.

I could relate the specific incident(s) in which this lesson was learned- the hard way- but I think you get the picture!

 

[DeputyDan]

Breathe through your regulator with the air off.

If you can draw air - you will be in a world of hurt underwater. There is a leak and you will be breathing water - under water.

 

[Diver0001]

New guy here so please bear with me.

The information in this subject area has been very informative, interesting and certainly educational. However, most of it is news from the media or 2nd hand "I heard about this...." and the infamous "My step-brother's 3rd cousin's fiancee's neighbor found out through her boss that...."

Being very new (never even been in the water with a tank yet), I would find a lot of added value if the veteran divers (those with at least a couple dives over their heads) would share their personal experiences (as some have). I'm even talking about the simple ones of not properly attaching accesories and loosing them to the most extreme cases of bodily harm. This way, if anyone had a specific question then they could get an answer directly from the person who experienced or witnessed the incident/accident.

I have personally found it a great learning experience to hear it from the source. Thanks in advance.

Murphy is your silent dive buddy. As soon as you think you got all the bases covered, he will be there to remind you that you don't.

R..

 

[fairybasslet]

Murphy is your silent dive buddy. As soon as you think you got all the bases covered, he will be there to remind you that you don't.

R..

Ain't that the truth. I have to do at least one stupid thing per dive trip, or have one stupid thing happen. It used to be one stupid thing per dive. I guess I'm getting a little better.

 

[Ayisha]

Make sure that you always unclip your dive light (camera, etc.) from your retractor and hand it up on the boat before you go up the ladder. This might prevent it from getting caught on the ladder, the retractor snapping, and the light falling into the dark abyss...

Make sure that if you have fin straps that "click" in place, that you actually hear the click, so it doesn't fall off your foot in the water...

Make sure that when you go down a line, that you take note of distinctive features around the line, so you know which line to go back up... Especially if there is more than one line...

Been there, done that... :yleyes:

 

[Taxgeek]

Here's one. I was feeling rushed because of a gate time recently, so I sped up. I should have slowed down. I managed to put the batteries in my camera the wrong way, and when I got down, I was like, "Hey, why won't my camera work?". That was nothing, just one dive where I couldn't use the camera, but it did teach me what it feels like to get just rushed enough to mess stuff up. Luckily it was the camera, and not something big that I goofed on, but it was enough that now I'll recognize that just very slightly flustered feeling and consciously slow down and be more methodical.

Let's see. I could write an encyclopedia on the many ways to fill your mask with water! :11: Rule: Don't use a slap strap with a hood (at least my hood). Rule: Don't push mask onto face too tight at the top on entry, unless you want water up your nose. Rule: make triple sure all your hair is out of your mask before entry.
Alternate rule: just get used to clearing your mask and getting water up your nose.

If you have integrated weight BC, check that your weight pouches are in after you enter the water. I've both left them on the dive deck (doh!) and had one fall out on entry (yes, the Seaquest ones with the plastic clip but no velcro) and fall into the abyss. I consider it a donation or sacrifice . . . and I carry an extra weight pouch and a cheapo belt now.

That's all the embarrassing little incidents I can think of that you might now be able to avoid after hearing them . . . thanks for posting the question, I like reading about things like this because it helps you learn by NOT doing!

Oh, and over time, you WILL jump in having forgotten each piece of equipment that it is possible to forget. And you WILL attempt to descend while breathing out of your snorkel. That's a fun one! (Thank god for those ping pong ball style snorkels). And you WILL have your reg kicked out of your mouth if you dive in groups.

The important thing with each of these little gear malfunctions and general f-ups is to be comfortable enough to be able to clear your mask, find and replace your regulator, untangle yourself from kelp, or fix whatever other minor problem arises, without becoming anxious or upset. If you can deal with that first problem easily, things have much less chance of spiralling out of control into a full blown emergency.

Sorry if I'm babbling! Hope that helps somebody avoid a little mistake sometime!
Taxgeek

 

[east-ender]

make sure you shoot a little air in your bc before a giant stride entry with a LOT of weight.

 

[cornfed]

Spend some time figuring out how much weight you actually need. Being properly weighted will make the dive more pleasant.

 

[DandyDon]

New guy here so please bear with me.

The information in this subject area has been very informative, interesting and certainly educational. However, most of it is news from the media or 2nd hand "I heard about this...." and the infamous "My step-brother's 3rd cousin's fiancee's neighbor found out through her boss that...."

Being very new (never even been in the water with a tank yet), I would find a lot of added value if the veteran divers (those with at least a couple dives over their heads) would share their personal experiences (as some have). I'm even talking about the simple ones of not properly attaching accesories and loosing them to the most extreme cases of bodily harm. This way, if anyone had a specific question then they could get an answer directly from the person who experienced or witnessed the incident/accident.

I have personally found it a great learning experience to hear it from the source. Thanks in advance.

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