What do Open water divers struggle with the most?

[pepperbelly]

It's an old pet peeve of mine, but I can never help thinking that those with airway/mask off problems simply hadn't spent any significant time in water (swimming/snorkeling/surfing, etc.) prior to jumping into an OW scuba course. Could be wrong.

I have known several people who simply can't make themselves open their eyes underwater without a mask or goggles.
I grew up swimming and always opened my eyes to see even if things looked blurry. I started snorkeling and freediving when I was young before I started scuba diving and was always very comfortable in and under the water. This was late '60s-early '70s. All of our masks required a few breaths to clear.

Bubbles can make mask removal difficult for some people. I used to practice by snorkeling without a mask. That help train my nose to stay shut.

 

[avfcmichael]

It's an old pet peeve of mine, but I can never help thinking that those with airway/mask off problems simply hadn't spent any significant time in water (swimming/snorkeling/surfing, etc.) prior to jumping into an OW scuba course. Could be wrong.

Thing is I was massively confident swimming in the water, sea where ever it may be, from the age of like 5! No issues with eyes open etc... I don't know why it got me and I still don't to this day!

 

[Esprise Me]

I wouldn't say I had problems with the mask drills, but taking my mask off at the bottom of the pool and breathing was a frightening, quasi-religious experience. I've been snorkeling for years and am comfortable in the water; that wasn't the issue. I had never breathed with water all over my face, and I instinctively felt like it wouldn't be possible.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

My personal issue was floaty fee.

I had to chime in here as this makes me cringe. Floaty feet are not a thing, The feet are bone and there is not a lot of bioprene or air spaces there. What many refer to as floaty feet is actually being top heavy. I have had many divers come through the center I used to work at and talk about their feet. One dive and some moving of their weights and boom, they are trimmed out and want to know how I got their feet to stop floating. I didn't, I found the fulcrum and adjusted weights as needed to level you.

I use the teeter totter example. If one end is up and the other down, is the high end "floaty" causing the other end to sink or is one side heavy causing the other to rise? They tend to understand it after this analogy.

Now is there a world where you have light fins together with thick neoprene boots that could cause some floating? Yes that is easily fixed with a heavier or more neutral fin.

 

[Firebar]

The skill I most struggle with is the Controlled Buoyant Lift as BSAC call it.

Lifting an “unresponsive” diver in your third Open Water dive and third time in a drysuit is hard work. It’s still tricky to manage the two drysuits and two BCs a year later.

 

[Edward3c]

The skill I most struggle with is the Controlled Buoyant Lift as BSAC call it.

Lifting an “unresponsive” diver in your third Open Water dive and third time in a drysuit is hard work. It’s still tricky to manage the two drysuits and two BCs a year later.

As an Ocean Diver trainee you should be using the drysuit only for buoyancy, as should the casualty.

With constant volume valves (usually at the shoulder) the suits should vent off as you ascend so you only have the casualty’s BC to control. It’s a similar situation with cuff dumps providing the casualty’s arm is placed on your shoulder.

If you using both the suit and BC for buoyancy then yes it’s very demanding, something BSAC advocates for experienced divers, not trainees.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

What do Open water divers struggle with the most?
Credit card debt.

 

[James Ocean]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned equalizing your ears. I'm only about 20 dives in but still occasionally have to ascend slightly to equalize my ears..

 

[D_Fresh]

What do Open water divers struggle with the most?
Credit card debt.

Hahaha, I can't believe this has been overlooked until now. Great point!

 

[Saniflush]

I've got a new one from this weekend. Doing confined water with three and they breezed through everything except one had trouble with deep water entry. The individual could dive off and step off the side of the pool with no gear but add gear and it became a problem. Don't know why, but it was. Had never seen that before.