Bad dive shop or is it just me

[Andy_Mason]

I don't think I'm saying anything new here but I'd suggest you try to find a couple of buddies you can dive with who are more experienced than you but are willing to help you along as you learn. That's what I did and it's been the best experience for me. Now I'm starting to do the same for other new divers, (even though I too am still a new diver). I think sometimes when you're with groups of divers that you don't know and don't know you, no one is really thinking about helping a new diver learn. They've all spent their money and they want to have their own great diving experience. Maybe find a safer place to dive for learning and skills practice than out on a reef or a wreck. We have quarries around where I live that are set up just for new divers with big underwater platforms etc. They're a great place to practice and learn without the added pressure of diving off a boat in rough water etc.

 

[waraebi]

That sounds very nice!

 

[waraebi]

I just want to write a little update, I went to another dive shop for another boat dive. No problems with the gear. Again group dive, I asked for a private guide but they were too busy on that day. At the briefing they told us to inform the DM when we hit 80bar, in that case we would return to the buoy. So we did, and we did a safety stop, too. There was a lot of staff around, DM watched us assembling the gear and corrected us.
And each and every diver had to have a signal float with him/her. So, I think they are more concerned about safety, here.

That said, the dive turned out to be a drift dive As far as I understood it is not normal, but there was a strong current close by. There was a chain on seafloor and even the experienced divers in my group were clinging to it.
I was thinking: If you let go of that chain, you'll be in Papua New Guinea tomorrow To be honest, it was SO MUCH FUN being in the current! But there was no way to practice buoancy or do the weight check at the safety stop.
Is it possible that a little bit of water enters the regulator in strong currents? I swallowed some water at some point and back on the boat I was feeling a bit sick.

 

[mwerle]

Is it possible that a little bit of water enters the regulator in strong currents?

It shouldn't, but a little bit is always possible. Always depends on what you mean by "a bit". Some regulators will also "breathe wet" when inverted (eg, swimming upside down) depending on their design.

What happens is that excess water pressure (either caused by a strong current or inverted swimming) pushes against the exhaust valve (mushroom valve) while you inhale, allowing a little bit of water to get into the regulator body. If you cup the regulator with a free hand against the current and it stops breathing wet, that's your issue (won't help when upside down).

What can also happen is that a regulator will freeflow in a strong current because basically the water is pushing slightly on the purge button which may be enough to open the valve. Some regulators can be adjusted by the diver while diving so they are easier or harder to breathe from - you want it to be as easy as possible without freeflowing.


Of course other possibilities are a small tear in the diaphragm or something else more seriously wrong with the regulator, but then it would breathe wet all the time.

 

[waraebi]

Thank you for your explanation!
It was only just a little bit of water, it didn't really bother me. I was just wondering. Next time I will try to cup the regulator with my hand and see what happens.