SDI UW Nav class yesterday

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Marie13

Great Lakes Mermaid
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This class kicked my butt, but I survived! :D

Three of us in the class, regular dive buddy and I, plus someone else. Held at our local quarry. Two dives.

First was on the surface: out-back-out for 100 ft to get kick cycle average of the three. Then triangle with 100 ft sides and square with 50 ft sides. Then rinse and repeat at depth. It didn't help that there was a very stiff breeze that knocked us around a lot while doing the surface work.

Second dive was hitting 8 directional points in an octagon course at the quarry, with 50 to 100 ft waypoints. Viz was zero at some points due to others kicking up the silt. Didn't bother me, to my delight and surprise. :D I just kept plugging away. Big difference from when I got certified in the same quarry in bad viz last fall.

I did decently on the compass work. Had some buoyancy issues from task loading with the compass, but everyone in the class did. Instructors had said it was a very physically demanding class and they weren't joking! If I hadn't been swimming all winter and making it a regular thing (I do a mile in the pool twice a week, need to do more), I'd have been toast after the first dive.

I survived! Yay! Deep is on Lake Michigan next month, Night in July, and Wreck on Lake Michigan in August. I'm doing the SDI Advanced that's 4 separate specialties. Up to 30 dives now. They're all hard won, and you can be danged sure I'm counting every single one! I'm diving at least one day every weekend, sometimes two.
 
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Congrats Marie! Were you at Haigh? I was over there Saturday and Sunday, and the viz was great until about 9am when everyone started getting in the water lol.
 
Yes, Haigh. We started early afternoon, so the water was really churned up in spots.
 
Yes, Haigh. We started early afternoon, so the water was really churned up in spots.

Oh I could Imagine! I got in early so we were able to see pretty well, aside from over by the rock crusher. Did hit a couple of patches of pea soup though. What compass unit do you use?
 
Good for you Marie! You have really succeeded, I am very happy for you. A far cry from last fall indeed!!! :yeahbaby::acclaim:
 
Oh I could Imagine! I got in early so we were able to see pretty well, aside from over by the rock crusher. Did hit a couple of patches of pea soup though. What compass unit do you use?

I use this compass - Retractable SuperTilt Compass - Dive Right in Scuba

Although I do have a Suunto compass I bought used off a FB scuba gear group that I might try, too. Not sure I totally like the retractable compass.

Two weeks ago I was on the crusher with a buddy and we could barely see each other.
 
In zero viz?

At one place in the quarry, yes, for a short distance. Instructor was shoulder to shoulder with me. We're used to cruddy viz. If we have more than 30 ft, it's a cause for celebration.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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