ScubaFishee
Guest
Well.... I did it. I'm certified!!! 
About a week ago, I just decided "I'm going to do this! " So, last Thursday, I did a refresher course in the pool to get my confidence back. Then, this weekend, I just went for it.
There were a some unexpected challenges, but they actually turned out to be benefits. For example, visibility was very, very poor. The instructors had to do skills one or two students at a time for safety's sake. But the bad visibility made compass navigation easier because we had no visual clues. And now that I know what near 0 visibility is like, I know can handle it calmly when someone kicks up the bottom and I can't see. Plus, an added bonus: When I do AOW down the road, learning night diving doesn't seem so bad after all anymore!
Water temp at the thermocline went from 80 to 55 degrees. That was an experience! But I found out that I'm a true cold-water diver because 55 just didn't seem cold to me at all in my one-piece 7mm jumpsuit and no gloves. I did wear my hood. My instructor said because I was so warm and comfortable, I could probably try a 5mm (and less weight) to see if that works for me.
Guess running around with no coat and gloves in all those cold Michigan winters wasn't such a bad idea after all.
And for those of you who are wondering, yes, I did snorkel. My instructor laughed at me because I still don't *like* snorkeling on the surface anymore, but I gladly performed (and enjoyed) all the skin dives and underwater swims with my snorkel. Go figure!
Anyway, I wanted to say "Thanks" again to all the wonderful members who gave me support and advice after my Bad OW Experience. I learned a lot from you all and you gave me the courage to follow through and achieve a live long dream!
Now, the fun and the learning are just beginning...
Hope to see you underwater sometime!
About a week ago, I just decided "I'm going to do this! " So, last Thursday, I did a refresher course in the pool to get my confidence back. Then, this weekend, I just went for it.
There were a some unexpected challenges, but they actually turned out to be benefits. For example, visibility was very, very poor. The instructors had to do skills one or two students at a time for safety's sake. But the bad visibility made compass navigation easier because we had no visual clues. And now that I know what near 0 visibility is like, I know can handle it calmly when someone kicks up the bottom and I can't see. Plus, an added bonus: When I do AOW down the road, learning night diving doesn't seem so bad after all anymore!
Water temp at the thermocline went from 80 to 55 degrees. That was an experience! But I found out that I'm a true cold-water diver because 55 just didn't seem cold to me at all in my one-piece 7mm jumpsuit and no gloves. I did wear my hood. My instructor said because I was so warm and comfortable, I could probably try a 5mm (and less weight) to see if that works for me.
Guess running around with no coat and gloves in all those cold Michigan winters wasn't such a bad idea after all.
And for those of you who are wondering, yes, I did snorkel. My instructor laughed at me because I still don't *like* snorkeling on the surface anymore, but I gladly performed (and enjoyed) all the skin dives and underwater swims with my snorkel. Go figure!
Anyway, I wanted to say "Thanks" again to all the wonderful members who gave me support and advice after my Bad OW Experience. I learned a lot from you all and you gave me the courage to follow through and achieve a live long dream!
Now, the fun and the learning are just beginning...
Hope to see you underwater sometime!
