Things I learned in first 20 dives

[annlaur]

A few more that come to mind :

• Toothpaste and spit actually do clean/defog masks ! (thought my OW instructor was making fun of me).

• Not only can I survive without talking for over an hour, but I actually love it !!!

• If God really exists and created the universe, then he made the underwater world late on a Saturday night while tripping on acid.

• Diving is highly addictive.

• Fish and other marine critters are much easier to approach and observe than most land wildlife.

• Divers are often also much easier to socialize with than land-locked humans.

• Dragging my lazy @$$ out of bed at 6 am on vacation to go diving is a lot easier than getting up at 9 to go to work. Must be the time zone difference…

• Tightening your mask to prevent leaking is counter-productive.

• Mask squeezes hurt
• Hidroid stings hurt
• Calf cramps hurt
• Paying US$ 300 for a new wetsuit because you've "outgrown" your first one hurts
• Promising yourself you're never gonna pee in said wetsuit is doomed to fail

• Carrying 50 pounds of luggage when you're used to backpacking with the bare minimum is a PITA

On a more serious note :
• Always take a refresher if you haven't dove in a while
• Never submerge if you feel stressed, urged, anxious, exhausted, breathless…
• Make sure your depth gauge is easily accessible and secured before doing a back-roll on a night dive -- if the DM hadn't caught me at 37 meters, I'd be buried in the abyss…
• Don't try to catch up with some crazy sprinter DM and divers if you can't. Better to bang your tank to ask them to wait for you or even ascend on your own than to get overexerted in midwater by yourself
• Don't do trust me dives
• Ask questions even if you're afraid they'll think you're stupid. Better stupid than dead.

 

[cloudflint]

I remember that first dive. It was 1969 and in Lake Underhill here in Orlando Fl. I remember these observations:

• Tying the tank on your back with rope is less than ideal.

+1 for this. Made my twin hose breath great not having a backplate until the whole thing slipped off the tank and started to come undone on me. Less than ideal indeed.

Also Something else to add now that its getting into the winter season over here:

• Dont leave your kit wet when its below freezing, it sucks having to break the ice out of the inside of your wetsuit then climb into it in the middle of a raging blizzard then spend an hour in 35f water.
• You can break the ice off a frozen A-clamp by tapping the top of the tank valve gently with a piece of wood to dislodge the ice.
• Doing mask clears in near freezing water hurts. Alot.
• Putting a snowball down your buddies neck seal after a dive is bad show.

 

[The Chairman]

+1 for this. Made my twin hose breath great not having a backplate until the whole thing slipped off the tank and started to come undone on me. Less than ideal indeed.

My bottom cinch slipped up the tank to the neck. I tried it twice and then got the back pack.

 

[silvernotch]

A few more that come to mind :


• Tightening your mask to prevent leaking is counter-productive.

• Hidroid stings hurt

I learned both of these on the same dives LOL. I was having issues with my mask and the DM said well don't put it on so tight. I'm like but wait? But if I put it on loose won't water leak in how wrong I was. When I got back in the water for the next dive I barely put my mask on my face and no more leaks :cool2: Then about 10 minutes later my face started itching, then that turned to burn and I could feel bumps on my face. The mooring lines in Montserrat aren't as clean as some other dive locations and the newb I was (am) I ran my hand up and down the line then inadvertently touched my face at some point. Thank god for spray bottles of vinegar!!!! My face smelled like a Jersey shore french fry for the rest of the SI but it was better than the sting!

 

[KyBuck]

A few more that come to mind :


• If God really exists and created the universe, then he made the underwater world late on a Saturday night while tripping on acid.

• Diving is highly addictive.

I contend that after diving in the underwater world it proves it could only be made by God.


addicting?? Your not kidding!

 

[DiverDean59]

I contend that after diving in the underwater world it proves it could only be made by God.


addicting?? Your not kidding!

Thanks KyBuck for your post.

Not only does it prove that it was made by God but it shows God's creative nature.

 

[kasdeva]

I learned so much.

Don't eat breakfast before going out on a boat in rough seas.
Put your fins on in the water if you can, falling down with all your kit on trying to get to the water is embarrassing.
Not getting dry mouth breathing compressed air does not mean you are special, its just your rent-a-regulator thats leaky.
AL cylinders will make you do your safety stop upside down.
Laugh more, diving is more fun when you relax.

 

[tddfleming]

Kasdeva:

I hope you did not learn all of this in the same day and dive??? Sorry for laughing so hard. At least it would have been entertaining to watch


Don't eat breakfast before going out on a boat in rough seas.
Put your fins on in the water if you can, falling down with all your kit on trying to get to the water is embarrassing.
AL cylinders will make you do your safety stop upside down.

 

[soltari675]

Putting your hair up out of the way will make your mask flood everytime.

 

[Selchie in LB]

A few more that come to mind :
• Don't do trust me dives
• Ask questions even if you're afraid they'll think you're stupid. Better stupid than dead.

This sums it up pretty good!
Thanks annlaur