A Newbie's Diving Wish List

[Dogbowl]

1. I wish I didn't have to pee multiple times in my new wetsuit
2. I wish my right ear wouldn't hurt, and would equalize as easily as my left ear
3. I wish I was stronger so I could climb back onto the dive boat after a dive without assistance
4. I wish I had more money and more vacation days to dive more often
5. I wish I would stop blaming my gear or lack thereof for my inadequacies as a diver
6. I wish I could hold a safety stop at 15-20 feet without popping to the surface
7. I wish I could descend without overweighting myself
8. I wish my hubby was into diving as much as I am
9. I wish I lived in a tropical dive location
10. I wish I was not a newbie

 

[dmaziuk]

1. I wish I didn't have to pee multiple times in my new wetsuit

Top 10 things that will change when you start diving include "discussing peeing your pants with strangers"

4. I wish I had more money and more vacation days to dive more often

Check.

6. I wish I could hold a safety stop at 15-20 feet without popping to the surface
7. I wish I could descend without overweighting myself

You will, see #4.

9. I wish I lived in a tropical dive location

Check.

10. I wish I was not a newbie

New stuff is fun.

 

[tbone1004]

1. you can put a p-valve on your wetsuit, or put a condom cath on and run the same hose we use to connect to our drysuit p-valves and run it down your leg
2. take mucinex D the morning of your dive, must be the D, or aleve, just your nsaid of choice
3. can't help there
4. or there
5. or here
7. see above lol, the best thing to do is practice in a pool, if you can hover in 3ft of water you can hover anywhere
8. cross your ankles for descent, most people move subconsciously, this will help to prevent that.
9. don't we all
10. you won't be for long!

What are your long term diving goals? You are in close proximity to Steve Lewis and he would be a great choice if you want to take an intro to tech class that can help you get over your equipment and skill concerns very quickly. He is a top notch instructor and has written the book on many different technical diving subjects. Would also try to make Dan's Dive Shop your LDS of choice, they can help with many of the above concerns

 

[Dogbowl]

What are your long term diving goals?

I want to be a proficient and safe diver, but I have no intention of becoming a divemaster or instructor. I probably won't do any serious technical diving or cave diving either...but I'm open to learning about these types of diving and even doing courses.

You are in close proximity to Steve Lewis and he would be a great choice if you want to take an intro to tech class that can help you get over your equipment and skill concerns very quickly. He is a top notch instructor and has written the book on many different technical diving subjects. Would also try to make Dan's Dive Shop your LDS of choice, they can help with many of the above concerns

Noted. Thanks!

 

[Dizzi Lizzi]

Lol! I feel your pain!
1. I found for me it was nerves, I remind myself that I am capable of holding it for several hours, 45 min is a cinch. And if you do pee, dilute it before you get back on board- I let water in through my neck
2. I'm lucky, no prob
3-10 I'm right there with you.

I figure dive dive dive, it will fix everything except 8 and 9

 

[fjpatrum]

1.You will learn to deal with this before and after your dives. Many (most??) still do it during though, especially in cold water.
2. I have similar issues. they say it gets better. Clear early and often and it does seem to help.
3. Keep doing it and you will become stronger. As with most things this tends to be more about technique than actual physical strength. There is a bit of both though.
4. Don't we all?
5.Easy enough to accomplish. Just stop blaming anything and acknowledge a need for practice/growth.
6. This will come in time.
7. This too will come in time.
8. I wish my wife were into diving at all. Unfortunately we can't make them enjoy it.
9. See #4
10. You won't be for long. Keep practicing and soon you'll be the "experienced" one.

 

[icechip]

Hang in there. Keep at it. Practice in the pool, in a lake, anywhere, any chance, any time you can. Time spent diving will address most of those wishes, except perhaps for that pesky No. 4 thing about $! My wife has no interest in diving at all, oh well, it is what it is.

 

[seeker242]

11: I wish instabuddies could be relied upon to be skilled and competent.

 

[Kharon]

#2 - try a Netti pot/sinus flush.
#5, 6, 7 - Fisrt exactly proper weighting, then exactly proper trim.

The absolute best diver I ever met gave me this advice: "Your card is a learners permit. You need to practice all those skills you were introduced to till you have them down to a conditioned reflex. Do only one at a time till you perfect it before you move on the next. First buoyancy, then trim, then ...And always, ALWAYS minimize your task load."

 

[Colliam7]

1. I wish I didn't have to pee multiple times in my new wetsuit

Just rinse the suit thoroughly after each dive. I am glad I am in the 'those that pee in their wetsuits' group -otherwise, the discomfort would spoil many of my dives (or really shorten them).

2. I wish my right ear wouldn't hurt, and would equalize as easily as my left ear

You might want to see if there is an ENT in the Toronto area who is a diver, or has particularly well-developed dive physiology knowledge. You may have anatomic reasons for your discomfort, that may be amenable to surgical correction. We are fortunate to have such a practitioner in our area, and she has been a tremendous help to quite a few divers. I started seeing her a number of years back, after experiencing reverse block, while ascending from 180 feet on a deco dive (that was intimidating, I must admit). I have since referred several students and divers to her over the past few years, including one individual who really (really) wanted to become a diver, but couldn't get past the ear pain during her first open water dive, despite healthy doses of decongestants, very slow descent, etc. She required surgical intervention, and one year later, got back in the water to finish her OW training, and has been diving happily, without discomfort, ever since. There are also some techniques for clearing, that knowledgeable ENTs can help you with - more than a few divers fail to clear because the amount of pressure they apply in the valsalva is not optimal. You might try calling DAN for assistance in locating such an individual. Just a thought.