New DSTBIT (Diver soon to be in training)

[bp_968]

Hello all. My name is Ben Pottinger and I hail from lovely oceanfront property in Newport KY (next to Cincinnati OH). Ok, so its not oceanfront yet, but I'm crossing my fingers

Anyway, My wife and I just returned from Hawaii (Maui) last week and our first Scuba dive. We did an intro dive with Maui Dreams on Maui friday the 17th of June and I totally fell in love with it! The instructor (Tom I think) was great and really helped inspire confidence. Whats funny is I had stacks of problems: my fins were way to rigid for me and almost seems positively buoyant, I froze even in a wetsuit (I am 5'11" and only 127lbs and get cold easy), got cramps in my legs, my mask kept leaking, so much so that we actually removed it underwater and the DM adjusted it, replaced it on my head and I cleared it (easy enough).

Even after all that I am really excited about taking classes and hopefully getting to the Caribbean (where the water is warmer) and diving early next year.

The water temp was 78 in hawaii while we were there. I would last about 20-30 mins (even in a wetsuit) before I started shivering pretty bad. Maybe 5-10 mins without a wetsuit (these were well used rental wetsuits). Any suggestions for wetsuits for someone with .0005% body fat? <lol>

The local dive shop owner (Scuba Shack) suggested that some higher quality split-fin fins would probably correct the cramps, as well as not suck (those fins I had totally, completely sucked).

Thanks!

Ben

 

[Lil' Irish Temper]

Welcome to ScubaBoard Ben,

You may want to check here, almost all the info you are looking for is there.

 

[dive_lover88]

Hi welcome aBoard!!I see you have caught the scuba bug too!

 

[tx.lakerats]

welcome to the boards!!

 

[DandyDon]

That's how I got hooked - on resort dives. Welcome to a whole new life. :jump013:

I have never been skinny, but I have been cold. You shop for heavier wet suits and wear more lead. Adding a neoprene beanie or hood will help a lot, too, but I don't like the way hoods cramp my neck. I like Long Jumpsuits, btw, rather than Farmer Johns, and have no use for Shorties that expose your extremities to scrapes.

Stay in touch, and PM me if I can help you find your way around here...

:cowboy2: don

 

[divetahoe]

my mask kept leaking, so much so that we actually removed it underwater and the DM adjusted it, replaced it on my head and I cleared it (easy enough).

I can't tell you the number of times I've had students completely fail to even partially flood a mask without corking to the surface. The fact that you were able to allow the DM to completely remove your mask, adjust it and replace it while you breathed (calmly I assume) from your reg while submerged, speaks *VOLUMES* about how good of a diver you may yet become! i know some divers who absolutely loathe the thought of removing a mask underwater; these are folks who have dozens of dives under their (weight) belts.

Congrats. I mean that most sincerely.

 

[bp_968]

I can't tell you the number of times I've had students completely fail to even partially flood a mask without corking to the surface. The fact that you were able to allow the DM to completely remove your mask, adjust it and replace it while you breathed (calmly I assume) from your reg while submerged, speaks *VOLUMES* about how good of a diver you may yet become! i know some divers who absolutely loathe the thought of removing a mask underwater; these are folks who have dozens of dives under their (weight) belts.

Congrats. I mean that most sincerely.

Thanks very much for the complement! That really does make me feel alot better to hear that coming from another instructor. I did end up holding my nose though. After 3-4 breaths I got tired of fighting the urge to breath through my nose so I just held it (my nose that it).

I do have a question though. How tolerant are most people of C02? Since I've gotten back I've tested how long I can hold my breath after an exhale (this would seem to simulate an OOA situation). My average time is 20 seconds before signifigant discomfort. So 20-25 seconds to get to my buddy (better not take more than 5 seconds! lol) or that much to surface. Is that pretty average?

Thanks!

Ben