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We had a practice session last night in the pool before our OW checkout next weekend. I have purchased a 7mm farmer jane wetsuit but it hasn't arrived at my LDS yet so I borrowed a loaner to get my weighting sorted out in the pool and to get used to doing my skills in it.
I had such a hard time controlling my bouyancy in 12 feet of water! I was wearing 28 lbs plus 2 lbs each on my ankles (I have floaty feet). Apparently I did great according to my DM buddy but I felt like I was bouncing all over the place. It made my mask removal/replace seem like a piece of cake in comparison. As a result I didn't get to practice many skills, I spent a good portion of the time trying to prevent runaway ascents although I was able to do my fin pivot fine and was able to swim around the pool neutrally bouyant at some point.
I found I was getting really frustrated and was breathing more rapidly and shallowly than I wanted. Which I think just started a cycle that was hard to get out of.
We will only get to a depth of 22 feet in the quarry next weekend for the OW dives. Everything I've read on here tells me that the neoprene will compress enough so that I won't be fighting the wetsuit the entire time when I'm trying to demonstrate my skills. It is something that I don't need or want to distract me so my question is....is that depth going to make a that big of a difference? Was it a bad idea to wear the 7mm to the pool to do skills? Or was it good to wear it so that I could see prior to OW what it feels like in such a shallow depth?
I think it's good to practice in the pool- it gave you a preview of what to expect. And yes, neoprene is hardest to control near the surface. Breathing does play a part since your are changing you lung volume. You'll learn to anticipate the buoyancy change near the surface and compensate with your BC and lungs. I'll warn you that it takes a little practice, which is all the excuse you need to go diving.
Yep, you'll have a few challenging dives ahead of you before you get used to the particular characteristics of copious quantities of neoprene.
One thing you will notice is that at the bottom you're going to feel as if you're overweighted . . . but the fact is, you're not. That's the amount of weight that will be required to make a controllable safety stop upon ascent.
Remember, the correct amount of weight is that which allows you to maintain neutral buoyancy at a safety stop with a depleted tank.
The amount of weight required to get down with that much neoprene, coupled with a full tank, makes the diver require a bit more B/C inflation on the bottom to overcome the neoprene compression and subsequent buoyancy loss.
the K
__________________
SPRING-SPRINGFEST II Long after man is gone and his dams burst, the rivers will, once again, flow freely to the sea.
I know exactly what you are feeling. I had bought a 7mm just before going to Florida to do my OW check out dives. I did a short buyancy check in the pool before we left and I felt like the Michilin Tire Man floating in the water. I was all over the place. I was a little frustrated and worried to say the least about my dives in Florida.
On my first dive in Florida, I had 28lbs on my first dive. I did my entry, grabbed the rope and tried to decend. I couldn't get down for anything. My instructor was below me trying to halp me by pulling me down by my fin. After much struggling I finally got down to the bottom at 30 ft. Once I was at the bottom everything was fine. I could control my bouyancy no problem. I was able to complete my skills and enjoyed the scenery. My ascent was a problem once again. When I got to about 15ft. I started to shoot for the surface like a rocket. There was no stopping me.
The second dive went a little better since we added another 6lbs. I was able to descend a little more gracefully, struggling just a little bit. Everything was fine at the bottom at 45ft. But once again my ascent was fast and furious.
It takes awhile to get used to the thicker suit and the more you use it the better it will be. Newer suits tend to be more bouyant until they are "broken in" a bit. And the more dives you do the more comfortable you get.
Long winded but my point is, you may have trouble with your descent and ascent, but once you are at the bottom you should be able to do your skills just fine. Just be patient and stay level headed. If you get frusterated things will escalate and then nothing will go right. I wish you all the best.
You'll notice a certain point in your descent and ascent where your wet suit loses and gains buoyancy, respectively. After a few dives you'll learn to anticipate this event and compensate for it.
Safe dives . . . . . .
. . . safer ascents !
the K
__________________
SPRING-SPRINGFEST II Long after man is gone and his dams burst, the rivers will, once again, flow freely to the sea.
Long winded but my point is, you may have trouble with your descent and ascent, but once you are at the bottom you should be able to do your skills just fine. Just be patient and stay level headed. If you get frusterated things will escalate and then nothing will go right. I wish you all the best.
Good Luck!
Diane
Diane, thanks so much for the advice, it is much appreciated. It's good to know that someone else has gone through the same thing. I know it will only get better the more I dive and that there is no substitute for experience
Diane, thanks so much for the advice, it is much appreciated. It's good to know that someone else has gone through the same thing. I know it will only get better the more I dive and that there is no substitute for experience
Many of us that have to do our check out dives in cold water experience the same problems. On my first dive I needed 30 lbs. so I wouldn't cork to the top. Still had some trouble on the decent the first 10 feet. Forty dives later, I use 20 lbs. You got some great advice here. DON'T get discouraged. After you decend about 10 - 12 feet you'll find you can control your bouyancy and do all your skills. On the decent, stay as relaxed as you can, exhale slowly and don't fin. You first decent will probably be along some type of line, that'll make it a little easier than a free decent your first time.
Good luck, let us know how great that first dive felt!
Many of us that have to do our check out dives in cold water experience the same problems. On my first dive I needed 30 lbs. so I wouldn't cork to the top. Still had some trouble on the decent the first 10 feet. Forty dives later, I use 20 lbs. You got some great advice here. DON'T get discouraged. After you decend about 10 - 12 feet you'll find you can control your bouyancy and do all your skills. On the decent, stay as relaxed as you can, exhale slowly and don't fin. You first decent will probably be along some type of line, that'll make it a little easier than a free decent your first time.
Good luck, let us know how great that first dive felt!
Joe
Thank you Joe, I feel alot better now. There is a line for the descent, I know that much. I am looking forward to it and just knowing many other people have had the same issues is really going to help me.
At greater depth, the neoprene will compress, and you'll likely have greater negative buoyancy. But, if you're fighting just to stay down, make sure the divemaster or instructor is aware. If nothing else, they can maybe have a little extra weight on hand if you need it to be comfortable. You'll find over time that you can (and should) fine tune the amount of weight you wear and will probably reduce the amount, but it may be easier to start off a little negatively buoyant so you can feel more relaxed in performing the skills with no thought of having to fight to stay down.
