aborted open water course

[Scuba~dog]

;-0

I postponed my open water course, I got to confined dive #1 and i am having a hard time. They had to strap 30lbs of weight onto me to get down. So in the ocean its gonna have to 50lbs and its all i can bear with 30lb. So I am at the gym everyday and maygbe i can get some of this weight off and continue in a few months.

My husband is really pissed at me right now.

 

[ckharlan66]

You did the right thing. If you aren't comfortable with what you are doing you won't have any fun. Besides being uncomfortable with what you are doing could lead to safety concerns.

I understand that it may be disappointing to your husband but go at your own pace...the ocean isn't going any where.

Good luck.

Chad

 

[Tavi]

Originally posted by Scuba~dog
.......... So I am at the gym everyday and maygbe i can get some of this weight off and continue in a few months.

My husband is really pissed at me right now.

Good for you!!!!
It shows that it's something you really want to do,
if your willing to put that much effort into it.

He'll get over it,
and when he does he'll have a better, fitter dive buddy.



Glad to hear you postponed,rather than canceled.

 

[ladycute1]

Hi Scuba Dog --

I have a couple of thoughts for you...

First, certainly keep up the gym work -- it can only help you to be better fit.

Second, you don't mention whether your open water dives would be from shore or from a boat -- but, from a boat (and even from shore) you might consider splitting the weight. Put some in an integrated bc and some on the weight belt. Then, from a boat, place your inflated and weighted bc in the water. Wear the weight belt. Get in the water (your own bouyancy and that of your exposure suit should help you to manage the weight belt at the surface. Once in the water, put the bc on. When you surface, remove the weight belt and hand it up. Then, depending on the boat, either climb aboard or if necessary, remove the weight pouches and hand them up.

If you would be doing shore dives, you could do something similar by having a buddy help you get your inflated bc into the water while you walk out wearing the weight belt and pushing the floating, inflated bc.. then don the gear -- exit in reverse, or at exit.. remove the weight belt and drag it.

Thirdly, you don't mention your size, but I wonder if the estimate of how much weight you need is accurate. I am 5'7" and wear a woman's size 28 -- I am PLENTY bouyant. With a 3mm suit in salt water, I need about 22 pounds. Now, obviously, you'd be wearing more suit... but still... Often, newbies seem to need more weight than they truly do because they either inhale when trying to initially descend, or they inadvertantly kick when trying to descend. So, I'm wondering if there might be something that could be done to make you more comfortable so you could relax more -- or even a careful observation of your attempts at descending might highlight a small technique change that could make all the difference.

Finally, (of course I have to plug this) is you could join Big Adventures to finish your certification in warm water where exposure suits and weights wouldn't be a problem.

But, in any event, keep working on it!!!

Liz
www.bigadventures.net

 

[ladycute1]

OH, and two more things!!

1) Another trouble shooting activity -- someone should be watching you to see if there is trapped air between you and your exposure suit or in your bc that would add to your bouyancy... squeezing that extra air out could make a big difference.


2) There is NO reason for your hubby to be pissed at you. He should be very pleased that you are making efforts to join him in this hobby.

Liz

 

[art.chick]

Don't be bound by shame. I know that these circumstances make us feel like we have failed, but knowing your limitations really is the first rule to being an ideal dive buddy.

Liz is dead right that we shed lead as we grow in experience & comfort. I began with 32 & am down to 21 (and I am not skinny.) Someday, you will be the wise mermaid on the beach who encourages the new ladies. Only the ones who understand struggle can offer that special type of support. Please look for my PM.

 

[JessicaDodge]

I agree with everyone else and want to say congratulations. Most people would give into pressure and do something they aren't comfortable with to "keep peace". But by postponing until you are ready you are possibly saving not only yours, but your buddy's life too. Diving can be dangerous and only you know when you are ready... don't let anyone push you into it before you are ready

Jessica

 

[jbd]

postpone. No need to cancel. With every weight you lift or step you take or pedal you push I'm there just like that little "Tinkerbell" in Jessica's signature cheering you on and encouraging you to stay the course.

Good luck and best wishes!!

jbd

 

[otter-cat]

I have to agree with everything that has been posted so far. You are right to postpone the class if you feel you need more time before you're ready. Your husband should not be pissed at you, so don't worry about what he thinks in this situation.

A few notes about the weights that might help...

Dealing with the weights is not nearly as bad as it seems when you first put it on. Once you have learned more of the skills in your class (whenever you feel you're ready to continue) you will find that once you are in the water, the weights actually don't feel heavy at all -- their weight is counteracted by your positive buoyancy which comes from your body, your exposure suit, and your bcd, if you put air in it. In essence, you are "weightless" in the water during a dive. This is called "neutral" buoyancy, and it will be discussed in the class and taught/practiced in the pool.

That means that the main difficulties with wearing the weights occur only when you are OUT of the water. As has been suggested, there are ways to minimize the time you have weights on when not in the water.

All of the gear is big, and bulky, and difficult to handle in Confined Session 1. More so for some than others, but EVERYONE has something that they're confused about, having trouble with, feel intimidated by, or otherwise have some difficulty with while learning scuba, especially at the beginning. With each session, it will get a little easier to handle as you get used to all the gear (including weights) and how to use and carry it.

Because you are going to the gym, the weight situation should become easier for two reasons: as you get in better shape, you may be need less weight to acheive proper buoyancy. The second reason is that even if you need the same amount of weight, it will be easier to handle, because you will be STRONGER!

Don't give up! It really does get easier. Don't feel bad about taking a break from it if you feel you need to ... there'll be plenty of diving left no matter how long you wait to finish your OW course. But when you feel ready to go back, DO IT! You are definitely not the first woman (or person, for that matter) to experience these kinds of problems, and many of those women are divers today! You can do it, if that is what you want!

Good luck, Dive Safe,
otter-cat

 

[scubababe]

When I did my OW course pool dives I had trouble descending and I was wearing 10x3lb weights.

I wasn't happy with my skills so I did an extra pool session. In this session I was much more relaxed and I was easily submerging with only 9x3lb weights. In my open water dives I could still submerge with 9x3lb weights. With regular diving over the next month I dropped to 8x3lb in sea water. Now I am diving with 7x3lb if I am wearing my wetsuit jacket (2 piece 5mm wetsuit) and 5x3lb if I am not.

So, what is this all about?

Well, just remember that a significant proportion of your ability to submerge is about your breathing, and a significant proportion of your breathing is about how relaxed you feel.

When you are nervous you hold more air in your lungs and have less breathing control.

I was so nervous on my ow course ... I didn't even know I was nervous. You wouldn't believe the number of times I was told to let go of pool edge or lane ropes. I wasn't keeping my legs still I was so nervous.

So good on you for the gym work, but you might also want to make sure that you are comfortable in your gear just floating still and vertical on the water.

All the best with rest the of your course and your future diving.