Got a question and wanting suggestions. I just booked a trip to Nassau Bahamas in April and have been researching dive sites and have read a lot about these wall dives I still consider myself a new diver been diving about 2 years logged 52 dives been to various Caribbean places diving and dive black water on the dive team for the ambulance service I work for. BUT have never dived a wall before especially with 6000+ to the bottom. And not afraid to say a little nervous about doing them but have read the coral and marine life are amazing and you never know how something is till you try. I feel comfortable with my buoyancy but always learning and love my computer. But still every other dive I’ve ever did I could at least see the bottom even though it may have been out of reach of my training you could still see it. May sound stupid to some but was wondering from more experienced divers how you approach those types of dives I mean do you stay real close to the wall, is it best to kind of follow a reference point or follow the computer/console? Or am I being overly concerned? You tell me.
paddler3d
February 4th, 2010, 05:19 PM
It is good to be aware that it is a long way to the bottom and you definitely want to be sure your weighted properly so if something were to happen to your BC, you could swim it up.
With that said, it is an awesome experience swimming over the edge and looking down! You feel so small.
Stay within your limits and just remember that shallower you are the longer you can stay.
Learn what to do if you get into a down current.
Watch your depth guage.
Enjoy the experience!
StuartT
February 4th, 2010, 05:21 PM
If you are really comfortable with your buoyancy I wouldn't worry about it. Just pick a max depth for yourself and watch your depth as it can be easy to go deeper than you planned especially in very clear water. You will likley be close to the wall looking at stuff so you will notice if you are descending or ascending. My 2 cents worth. Have fun
diver 85
February 4th, 2010, 05:21 PM
Just don't look down..........honestly, it's not gunna be that dramatic......
Bubbletrubble
February 4th, 2010, 05:34 PM
There's nothing to worry about provided that you have good buoyancy control. On most wall dives that I've done, it's possible to spend a fair amount of the dive on top of the wall, too. "First times" can always be nerve-wracking. I wasn't comfortable breathing off of a reg underwater the first time I did it, but now I'm quite comfortable doing it. In a similar vein, I was a little uncomfortable doing my first wall dive where the bottom was beyond recreational limits. Now I'm perfectly comfortable in those conditions.
One thing you may want to do on your first wall dive is do the initial descent over a hard bottom. Furthermore, you should always be practicing adding air to your BCD in short bursts throughout the entire descent. This effectively slows your descent down to a manageable pace. Some newbie divers don't touch the inflater during descent and consequently crash into the sandy bottom creating a huge silt cloud. (I call those divers "dirt darts.") Descending in control means being able to stop at any depth "on a dime."
Have fun on your vacation...
boulderjohn
February 4th, 2010, 06:01 PM
As others have already said, the problem with wall dives is getting absorbed in what you are watching and not realizing you are getting deeper than you want.
As for looking down and getting the willies, well, you won't be dong that much at all. You will be looking at the coral and sponges on the wall, and very soon you won't even think about what is below you.
rivers
February 4th, 2010, 06:08 PM
One thing you may want to do on your first wall dive is do the initial descent over a hard bottom. Furthermore, you should always be practicing adding air to your BCD in short bursts throughout the entire descent. This effectively slows your descent down to a manageable pace. Some newbie divers don't touch the inflater during descent and consequently crash into the sandy bottom creating a huge silt cloud. (I call those divers "dirt darts.") Descending in control means being able to stop at any depth "on a dime."
Have fun on your vacation...
If you're properly weighted, would you not descend at a reasonable and manageable pace anyway? If I added any air to my BC as I descend, I would stop immediately... just a thought.
paddler3d
February 4th, 2010, 06:19 PM
If you're properly weighted, would you not descend at a reasonable and manageable pace anyway? If I added any air to my BC as I descend, I would stop immediately... just a thought.
If you're properly weighted, you're going to be heavy at the beginning of a dive.
To descend, you start to dump your bc and exhale. Once you start on your way down your going to have to add air along the way, because remember, your heavy. If you don't, you'll simply pick up speed. Which means if you are having problems equalizing your ear or something that speed is hard to slow down and you could injure yourself.
Bubbletrubble
February 4th, 2010, 06:26 PM
If you're properly weighted, would you not descend at a reasonable and manageable pace anyway? If I added any air to my BC as I descend, I would stop immediately... just a thought.
@rivers: Yes, being over-weighted on blue water descents makes it more challenging, but being properly weighted is only one factor that influences descent rate control. If you are wearing a thick wetsuit, you'll have to add a surprising amount of air to achieve neutral buoyancy at 100 fsw. Being able to stop immediately at any given depth is a sign that you are descending under control.
The Mighty Thor
February 4th, 2010, 06:30 PM
Assuming you are diving with a DM in the water, as long as you stick close to your DM, and/or the group, keep good buoyancy and frequently check your depth guage, you will be fine. It is very easy to get very deep very quickly while diving a wall, especially in great vis. It's the people who go off on their own, overestimate their skills, underestimate their air consumption, and forget to check their depth that run into trouble on walls.
rivers
February 4th, 2010, 06:34 PM
@rivers: Yes, being over-weighted on blue water descents makes it more challenging, but being properly weighted is only one factor that influences descent rate control. If you are wearing a thick wetsuit, you'll have to add a surprising amount of air to achieve neutral buoyancy at 100 fsw. Being able to stop immediately at any given depth is a sign that you are descending under control.
thanks for the info. as i have only dove warm water so far, i have yet to dive with anything more than a 3mm shorty. good to know when i do my aow in april, in new england.
MEDICJOJO
February 5th, 2010, 08:39 AM
As for looking down and getting the willies, well, you won't be dong that much at all. You will be looking at the coral and sponges on the wall, and very soon you won't even think about what is below you.
Thats just what I'm hoping for. Thank You All for the replys,
Van Isle
February 5th, 2010, 04:33 PM
One tip is have two depth limits: you're "hard" or "contingency" bottom say, 60 feet, then your "max working bottom" say, 50 or 55 feet. So you know if you've passed the first one it's NOT a big deal, just time to correct. Or if your buoyancy is really good just monitor depths and maintain the desired depth.
Have fun!
VI
TSandM
February 5th, 2010, 05:03 PM
I wondered what it was going to be like, too, before I made my trip to Indonesia. But I quickly figured out that you don't look down that much, anyway, on any wall, whether the bottom is where you can see it or not. You look forward, because that's where the "stuff" is. Wall dives like this ARE, however, one of the places where I'm very grateful to have my depth gauge on my wrist. If you are using a console computer, you might even think about picking up an inexpensive watch/depth gauge, so you can have your depth on your wrist where it is very easy to reference almost constantly.
Be aware of up and down currents. Water moving along a wall has to go somewhere when the wall changes direction, and sometimes it goes up or down instead of around.
bs63366
February 5th, 2010, 07:17 PM
I have never done a wall dive either, and you were talking about knowing what to do if you get caught in a down current. What is the proper procedure if you get caught in a down current to get out of it?
Bubbletrubble
February 5th, 2010, 07:39 PM
I have never done a wall dive either, and you were talking about knowing what to do if you get caught in a down current. What is the proper procedure if you get caught in a down current to get out of it?
@bs63366: I've never personally experienced strong up/down currents along a wall. One thing I'd try, though, is backing away from the wall to get out of the up/down current. I'd also try to adjust my BCD to help achieve neutral buoyancy at whatever depth I'm pushed to. Seems like common sense, though...
parkerco
February 5th, 2010, 07:43 PM
A lot of dive computers have depth alarms ... if you're concerned about not being able to maintain a depth you can just set the thing to beep at ya' if you exceed a certain point.
Wall diving, much like night diving, is one of those things that sounds much more nerve-wracking than it really is. Odds are you'll be so focused and close to the wall you won't even notice you're on a wall.
Have fun on the dive!
bs63366
February 5th, 2010, 07:47 PM
@bs63366: I've never personally experienced strong up/down currents along a wall. One thing I'd try, though, is backing away from the wall to get out of the up/down current. I'd also try to adjust my BCD to help achieve neutral buoyancy at whatever depth I'm pushed to. Seems like common sense, though...
Ok, thanks for the response. Didn't know if it was a big problem, or if it rarely happened. Also didn't know if it was just the common sense way out, or there was a known way that works good to get out.
Puffer Fish
February 5th, 2010, 07:51 PM
Gosh I love wall dives... in really clear water, where there is no bottom (that can be seen)...gives one the feeling of floating, unlike normal diving.
The thing I notice the most is people loosing track of depth..as it is very easy to do.
Sticking reasonably close to a DM on the initial dives should fix that, and our Borg queen's suggestion is excellent, as are the "watch your buoyancy" suggestions.
Just be aware it can be wonderfully distracting on a good wall.
Enjoy, have fun, it is one of the great experiences in diving.
Bubble - you are dead on with getting away from the wall if there is an up or down current.
Papa_Bear
February 5th, 2010, 08:01 PM
After 300ft it doesn't matter much including what you see! The last 2ft of any coral dive is the most important! Stay off the coral no matter how far down it is;) Your diving in water not on the wall, it is just something to look at!
http://twotankedproductions.com/images/P1010285_Gabriel_on_the_wall_spongs_VG_AC_PF8X11.j pg
I think it is only 2000ft to the bottom here! Have a great time your a SCUBA diver you control where you go!
CamG
February 6th, 2010, 12:28 AM
Greetings MEDICJOJO and it is exciting to be pondering wall diving. I wonder if you have any experience diving in mid-water? This is water that you cannot see the bottom but you maintain a constant depth say 30' or so. It is not uncommon to feel a bit disoriented and even slight vertigo at times. If you have a quarry or other deeper dive site with 100' or so practice going to half depth or less to loose a visual of the bottom to create this mid-water experience. I suggest doing this with a trusted dive buddy and that both of you are comfortable with these dives. Once you feel confident in your buoyancy and vigilant monitoring of depth via. gauges or computer as well as visual references " the wall" you will find the dives to be very enjoyable. If you are not able to practice then be upfront with the dive op and they will put you with a DM who will do some warm up dives to help you gain confidence.
I am taking the time to explain what I have trained after experiencing several wall dive early in my dive career. One of which was not as it should have been and the other which was magnificent lead by a instructor on a very deep wall. Both were wall dives but different in the approach taken by the dive op's. The issue really is having the level of awareness, to monitor depth and control buoyancy at all times while enjoying the dive. It is not rocket science but just training and comfort levels that dictate the dives we should embark on. Your questioning is good because it tells me you are examining your training and skill levels, one should always use sober judgement to evaluate our dive skills. This is to be fun after all.
The bottom line is you can call a dive at anytime for any reason, no questions asked!
I have done so and not sorry for doing just that. I have had some really great dives and some that were miserable you will have both if you dive enough. There have been times that I knew I was better to rest and recover and wait for another dive.
Trust your training and comfort levels and use good judgement! Then enjoy the dive!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!
FBIBOB
June 13th, 2010, 10:09 AM
Here is a wall dive I just completed the other day, I dont suggest doing this depth thought, plenty to see at 50 to 80 foot. This is the wall at Clifton Park nassau
A lot of people bring up good points. It is very easy to forget about your depth in very clear water. I set the depth alarm on my computer to remind me. Being in 6000 feet of water is really no big deal, unless you have real big boyancy issues. The other thing on most wall dives you don't have to go as deep as everyone else. When I dive with my son we have always stayed up in the 60 ft range and just watch the divers below and follow the bubbles. Now I imagine that there are some wall dives with a swim through where this might be difficult but you can always ask. Wall dives are fun becuase you do have the chance of seeing some big pelagics but I prefer the shallower reef dives for more biodiversity and longer bottom time.
elan
June 15th, 2010, 03:32 PM
But still every other dive I’ve ever did I could at least see the bottom even though it may have been out of reach of my training you could still see it. May sound stupid to some but was wondering from more experienced divers how you approach those types of dives I mean do you stay real close to the wall, is it best to kind of follow a reference point or follow the computer/console? Or am I being overly concerned? You tell me.
Do not follow the references for the depths they can be deceiving, always check your depth on the depth gauge. Look at the wall instead of the bottom, that would help. Watch for the currents.
Amphiprion
June 15th, 2010, 10:01 PM
If I may provide my 2 psi, wall dives are some of my favorite dives. Yes, you have to watch your depth, but as we all know buoyancy is easy when you are deep. I've found that I can pretty much set my bc and glide with the current at 80'.
Things for which you need to take care:
1) being dropped off too far off the wall and expecting a ledge or bottom... there isn't one.
2) up currents and down currents. If you notice this you can stick close to the wall and if all else fails grab the wall. Please make sure it is rock and not coral or anything that would be hurt, but your safety is still a priority.
I did my first wall dive during my open water checkouts in Cozumel when I was a kid and have not had a problem for what its worth.
FBIBOB
June 18th, 2010, 05:19 PM
Here is the wall in Nassau. I dive all the time here are two videos of the wall at the southwest end of the island.
YouTube - Bahamas dive 6-16-10 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkVnBqYE8Gk) this is the planes and wrecks right on top of the wall but some wall fottage. these are on tank dives that i video.
enjoy and subscribe to my youtube i am here for 6 t0 8 more weeks working and there will be plenty more
dogglebe
June 18th, 2010, 11:16 PM
Six days after receiving my OW, I was diving with friends in Turks & Caicos. Half of the group (including myself) followed our guide. As we approached the wall, I was distracted by a bunch of little fishes swimming above me. When the fishies swam off, I looked down and saw that I was about fifteen feet from the wall.
And there was nothing below me. HOLY ****!!
My first thought was to get back to where there was a visible bottom but I, instead, swam to the group (which were only thirty feet away) and stayed close to the guide. I figured that, if anything wrong were to happen, she would save my butt. Fortunately, nothing happened and it was amazing.
I had incredibly weird dreams that night, but that's a story for another day.
Phil
Nords
June 20th, 2010, 12:08 AM
Six days after receiving my OW, I was diving with friends in Turks & Caicos. Half of the group (including myself) followed our guide. As we approached the wall, I was distracted by a bunch of little fishes swimming above me. When the fishies swam off, I looked down and saw that I was about fifteen feet from the wall.
And there was nothing below me. HOLY ****!!
My first thought was to get back to where there was a visible bottom but I, instead, swam to the group (which were only thirty feet away) and stayed close to the guide. I figured that, if anything wrong were to happen, she would save my butt. Fortunately, nothing happened and it was amazing.
I had incredibly weird dreams that night, but that's a story for another day.
Phil
I had a similar experience.
I passed OW on a sunday, and that wed morning I had my first real dive at that wall. My first experience diving was descending 30' to the sand, then a minute later soaring over that ledge and seeing a nice sized reef shark down below me. It was an amazing experience, and probably as amazing of a first dive as possible :rocker:
Booyakasha
June 21st, 2010, 10:35 AM
I had a similar experience.
I passed OW on a sunday, and that wed morning I had my first real dive at that wall. My first experience diving was descending 30' to the sand, then a minute later soaring over that ledge and seeing a nice sized reef shark down below me. It was an amazing experience, and probably as amazing of a first dive as possible :rocker:
