I went into this weekends training with personal expectations that I would perform poorly at best and provide some humor for GDI. I was a success in meeting those expectations. It was a highly educational and very humbling experience. My fingers are of course bleeding from a total lack of skin, or a least nothing for which to leave anything remotely close to a finger print.
Saturday dives were at Gennie Springs, with dives in the Ballroom, Devils Ear and Devils Eye.
I was happy with my skills on the line drills on Sat, that does not mean that I am where I need to be. I don't have a problem diving without a mask or wearing a blacked out mask. Although it can be entertaining watching a diver who really cant see check for obstacles in his path when there are snorklers and folks in inner tubes floating by (feel free to use your imagination here and have a great laugh....)
Bouyancy in my dry suit was lousy at best, I haven't been in it much and that really showed. I couldn't get to my valves on Sat at all.
I had the proceedure down for the lost buddy, however even though I scanned above me, I didn't see Linda who as actually right above me.
Sunday -
Hit the cavern at peacock and discovered how quickly you can roll a valve closed. I was able to reach the valve and open it - so I was feeling pretty good, but that was to be short lived. Ran the guideline in and did the tie off's. Verified where the cavern area ended and then we followed the line back out to the entrance where I was to attempt the first set of valve drills. I was struggeling to reach my left post where I promptly closed a perfectly good open post thinking I was opening it. Struggeled to shut down the right post and breathed the reg down, swapped regs, got 2 breaths and then the worst feeling in the world, 3000 psi and I can't breath any of it. I was puzzeled as I knew (in my mind)I had opened that left post, biggest mistake of my life. I struggeled for the right post and couldn't make it this time so we went to air share and thumbed the dive. At the surface I thumbed my dry suit - training or not, not being able to reach the valves in an overhead environment just isn't where I need to be so I got out and put on my wetsuit ( I always dive a redundent bladder anyway), removed the dry suit inflator from my reg and after checking and rechecking the valves went back in. Did the valve drills and no problems this time. GDI tried to lure me into the cave, but I know I can 'urt myself just fine in the cavern, no need for me to leave that zone. Then it was a lights out airshare out to the surface and more valve drills, back in for a lights out reelup and exit. More valve drills and thats the end of this weekend!
The bouyancy was better on Sunday, but not up to par for this level of diving. It will be sometime before I will be at the skill level to be remotely close to "passing". The task loading was light and my air consumption hi.
I can't say enough great things about GDI, it's great to have an instructor stick with you. There's no slack given, but if you work at it, he will stay with you till you get where you need to be.
This week will be more pool time in a different dry suit - no more overhead environments in a dry suit until the valves are easy to reach. More time at the gym and then we will see about trying this out some more
It was great seeing Linda again. It was also nice to meet Perrone Ford today, although it would have been nicer if I was having a better day!
The biggest thanks of course go out to Rick of GDI!!!!!!!
One more note relating to a few recent posts on Devils Ear and Cavern Zones. I would agree that Devils Ear has a small Cavern Zone - it's a great place to learn where not to be, I saw the cave and there was no lure - not for this diver anyway. I would consider that cavern to be at the edge, I see no reason to dive on the edge and doubt I will dive it again unless its needed to reinforce some training where there is a flow.
Cheers
Saturday dives were at Gennie Springs, with dives in the Ballroom, Devils Ear and Devils Eye.
I was happy with my skills on the line drills on Sat, that does not mean that I am where I need to be. I don't have a problem diving without a mask or wearing a blacked out mask. Although it can be entertaining watching a diver who really cant see check for obstacles in his path when there are snorklers and folks in inner tubes floating by (feel free to use your imagination here and have a great laugh....)
Bouyancy in my dry suit was lousy at best, I haven't been in it much and that really showed. I couldn't get to my valves on Sat at all.
I had the proceedure down for the lost buddy, however even though I scanned above me, I didn't see Linda who as actually right above me.
Sunday -
Hit the cavern at peacock and discovered how quickly you can roll a valve closed. I was able to reach the valve and open it - so I was feeling pretty good, but that was to be short lived. Ran the guideline in and did the tie off's. Verified where the cavern area ended and then we followed the line back out to the entrance where I was to attempt the first set of valve drills. I was struggeling to reach my left post where I promptly closed a perfectly good open post thinking I was opening it. Struggeled to shut down the right post and breathed the reg down, swapped regs, got 2 breaths and then the worst feeling in the world, 3000 psi and I can't breath any of it. I was puzzeled as I knew (in my mind)I had opened that left post, biggest mistake of my life. I struggeled for the right post and couldn't make it this time so we went to air share and thumbed the dive. At the surface I thumbed my dry suit - training or not, not being able to reach the valves in an overhead environment just isn't where I need to be so I got out and put on my wetsuit ( I always dive a redundent bladder anyway), removed the dry suit inflator from my reg and after checking and rechecking the valves went back in. Did the valve drills and no problems this time. GDI tried to lure me into the cave, but I know I can 'urt myself just fine in the cavern, no need for me to leave that zone. Then it was a lights out airshare out to the surface and more valve drills, back in for a lights out reelup and exit. More valve drills and thats the end of this weekend!
The bouyancy was better on Sunday, but not up to par for this level of diving. It will be sometime before I will be at the skill level to be remotely close to "passing". The task loading was light and my air consumption hi.
I can't say enough great things about GDI, it's great to have an instructor stick with you. There's no slack given, but if you work at it, he will stay with you till you get where you need to be.
This week will be more pool time in a different dry suit - no more overhead environments in a dry suit until the valves are easy to reach. More time at the gym and then we will see about trying this out some more
It was great seeing Linda again. It was also nice to meet Perrone Ford today, although it would have been nicer if I was having a better day!
The biggest thanks of course go out to Rick of GDI!!!!!!!
One more note relating to a few recent posts on Devils Ear and Cavern Zones. I would agree that Devils Ear has a small Cavern Zone - it's a great place to learn where not to be, I saw the cave and there was no lure - not for this diver anyway. I would consider that cavern to be at the edge, I see no reason to dive on the edge and doubt I will dive it again unless its needed to reinforce some training where there is a flow.
Cheers
