Challenges in your first 100 dives?

[stepfen]

I haven’t reached 100 yet (I think I have 72 dives so far) but here is my (long) list:

- On dive 30 or so I managed to go past NDL (unplanned). To make things worst back then I didn’t know that once past NDL I had to go up FAST! I started a (very) slow ascent and by the time I reached my deco stop depth (6m or so) my (conservative) Cressi computer was asking me for 30 minutes stop! I didn’t have enough air and I stopped my deco after 25 minutes or so. The guide with a conservative computer too (Suunto) and similar profiles all this time was within NDL. This gave me (wrongly) a bit of confidence. Anyway luckily all went well. (Please note: That case has been discussed in another thread extensively and I wouldn’t like any further discussion about it here)

- Up to dive 40 or so I didn’t know that a second stage entering the water with the mouthpiece looking up would “free-flow.” I also didn’t know what this “pre/during dive” level is all about neither I knew that to stop the flow you just need to briefly block the mouth piece. I fount it all out the hard way on my first dive without a professional guide. For few moments I though the regulator was broken and our diving day was over.

- A couple of dives later my buddy’s tank valve got jammed closed while he tried to open it but actually turned it the wrong way. The plastic handle of the valve would turn but the metal part (the actual valve) wouldn’t. We didn’t have a toolkit with us. After about 20 minutes or so of trying different things out and just about before giving up for the day we used the weight belt buckle to wrap the handle and the belt itself to tighten it and turn it open. It worked!

- I think it was during the same dive and somewhere around the middle of it the dive site was pretty boring so I thought it would be a good idea to practice inflating a D-SMB (for first time outside training). Up to that point I haven’t thought that once the SMB is on the surface it is not easy/possible to pull it back down. Eventually I had to surface briefly to deflate it and bring it back down in order to continue the dive. It was a shallow dive anyway.

- After 10 or so unguided shore dives that I had a compass with me but didn’t have to use it (there were always walls to follow) I didn’t bring the compass with me and it turned out there was no wall in that region. We managed to get somewhat lost on our way back and we had to do 200 meters or so surface swim against the wind (without snorkel) to our exit point. Doable but not very pleasant.

- Once I rented a fin without a strap from the LDS (I still rent most of my equipment). Luckily I had enough tire ups with me.

- Another time I was underweight. During the dive I didn’t realize it but at safety stop I couldn’t retain my depth and I had to hold on the anchor line – luckily there was one. Usually I would put a rock or something to my pockets to increase my weight but we were too far from the bottom. Actually I spend the whole safety stop hanging upside down like a bat, holding the line.

Interestingly most of these happened during unguided dives although most of my dives have been uneventful guided ones. So many things go unnoticed when professionals handle them.

I know, it is a fairly long list of very stupid things on my side but at least now I know first hand about all these...

 

[hroark2112]

On my first deep wreck dive off NC, I forgot to deflate my BC at the end of the dive and probably looked like a humpback whale broaching the surface and heading back down to the hang bar for my safety stop. Bad part was the mate on the boat saw it and I swear I could hear him laughing!

First rebreather training dive I forgot to loosen the thumbscrew on my reel when I inflated my SMB.

Nprmoxic training with the same instructor I was 100% convinced that I was not going to repeat the error...so as I was getting ready to deploy my SMB I couldn't figure out what to do with the pouch the SMB was stored in...while I messed around with that about 20' of line spooled off the reel and wrapped around my fins. Sent up the SMB and my feet went right up with it.

Surprised that instructor will ever dive with me!!!

 

[Marie13]

I guess my most eventful dive was my last Lake Michigan dive last year in early September. Went with my usual charter op. Waves were 3ft-ish when we left Hammond, IN. There was a pair of baby divers on the boat, a young couple. I think they had all of 10 dives total, each. They had rented all their gear, even masks (although they turned up to the boat with masks in hand). Other divers were my buddy, and another fellow. We had the captain and one guy crewing the boat, who is an excellent diver, does search and rescue type stuff, lots of ice diving (this is important for later).

The gal in the young couple got VERY seasick. She ended up huddled on the deck under every towel available. I had taken my Bonine the night before and morning of, so I wasn't sick at all. Getting into the water and down to the wreck was alright. There was a ton of surge. Wreck was only about 45ft deep (David Dows, for those interested in such things).

Getting OUT of the water, well, that was the eventful part. Waves were building to 4, nearly 5ft-ish. I got up onto the ladder and was sort of on the swim platform, trying to get my feet properly under me on the ladder. Somehow my long hose primary had gotten out of my mouth. I ended up back in the drink. I had just switched to a long hose primary a few weeks before and was VERY glad my secondary was on a necklace. Popped that baby into my mouth. Tried several times to get back on the ladder, trying to time it for the downward swing. I was partway on the ladder when the captain and the guy crewing grabbed my harness and hauled me onto the swim platform. I hung on for dear life (I was on my stomach) while they stripped all my gear off, and then helped me back to the benches. Guy crewing told me they had hauled me up just like you do when pulling an ice diver out of the water.

The baby diver couple didn't dive at all (the guy was tending to the very ill girl). Captain was willing to go to another wreck for the second dive, but my buddy and I flat out refused. The other diver was game. I thought he was nuts.

I found plenty of bruises on my legs when I got home later that day. I battled the lake! I will never hit the Lakes when waves are over 3ft again. And primary never leaves my mouth again when climbing the ladder! Boy, do we get chop on the Lakes! Chop! Chop! Chop!

 

[Nick Steele]

Largish lobster wrapped around my face 30 feet underwater. Attached to my hoodie.

I’d love to see this! Had them grab hands but never my face. It was just showing some love before you took it home to eat

Only 10 dives in so far but:

Cam band on rented bcd/tank came off in 20 feet of water on dive 5. Quickly put back in place by buddy (without hitting the reef )

I lost my mask on dive #7 on the surface swim to the beach.

 

[TMHeimer]

I’d love to see this! Had them grab hands but never my face. It was just showing some love before you took it home to eat

Only 10 dives in so far but:

Cam band on rented bcd/tank came off in 20 feet of water on dive 5. Quickly put back in place by buddy (without hitting the reef )

I lost my mask on dive #7 on the surface swim to the beach.

Hoe did you lose your mask? Strap break?

 

[Nick Steele]

Hoe did you lose your mask? Strap break?

Just me being me. Very easy (flat calm) short surface swim back after swimming in some. And instead of putting my arm through the strap I held it and didn’t notice till me and buddy were packed and leaving the site. We walked the beach and didn’t see it.

Not a cheap lesson but it was a safe one at least.

 

[SNS-Mike]

Largish lobster wrapped around my face 30 feet underwater. Attached to my hoodie.

How long ago was this? I'm hoping enough time has passed that it's not an Alien thing!

 

[ColoDale]

Inflator valve stuck open on descent - sand. Should have known to just disconect the inflator hose.
Not an incident but took my leather wallet to 80 feet. Plastice and money survived but nothing else.

 

[Token]

I was about 15-20 warm-water dives into my career when I signed up for a trip to the B.C. coastal islands. I had a 7mm wetsuit and a Zeagle Ranger BCD that I had never used before but was eager to try out. The rest of the group were very experienced divers doing some advanced/drysuit training and didn't have much time for newbie like me.

I had a terrible time. My new gear was cumbersome and a constant struggle. Conditions were challenging...not just the cold water [which didn't bother me much] but there was a plankton bloom going on and visibility was terrible...murky for the first 30 ' or so, and very gloomy beneath it. My diving 'partners' were far more interested in doing their own thing and merely tolerated me tagging along. On one dive, the pair I was supposed to buddy with just never showed up and I did my first solo dive and surface, I don't blame them really...I was just too inexperienced and disorganized.

Lesson learned: Don't dive beyond your experience and limits, and don't work with unfamiliar equipment in challenging circumstances.

 

[TMHeimer]

Just me being me. Very easy (flat calm) short surface swim back after swimming in some. And instead of putting my arm through the strap I held it and didn’t notice till me and buddy were packed and leaving the site. We walked the beach and didn’t see it.

Not a cheap lesson but it was a safe one at least.

Just curious as to why you took your mask off for the swim in.

I also forgot to mention I too had experiences both with a continually inflating BC and with the LPI coming off the hose. Fortunately, I was able to continue the dives orally inflating/deflating when necessary. Think only one of those times occurred during my first 100 dives.