dmbelina
Guest
Did my open water certification dives today!
Location: Dutch Springs - Bethlehem, PA
Couldn't have asked for better weather on Saturday or Sunday. Also good visibility (for a quarry) of around 30 feet. We had a class of 6 students.
Day 1:
Things got started off with snorkeling. We snorkeled out to this island formation with a downed plane underwater. We took turns seeing if we could get to the plane. Saw some fish (trout, I think) around the island formation as we snorkeled around it. We then did some drills for how to move a unconscious or conscious diver to safety on the surface.
After a break on shore, we got all our diving equipment on and headed to the water. We went to this suspended platform @ 24 feet, I believe, and did mask clearing, reg clearing, reg retrieval, and then did some maneuvering above and below the platform, working on buoyancy.
Took a break for lunch. While on break, we saw someone getting ready to dive with their weights UNDER their wetsuit!
We then headed back to the suspended platform, did mask clearing again, then buddy breathing and air sharing ascent. We went back down after the air sharing ascents and did emergency ascents, where we ditched the weight belts. Last was BC removal and donning on the surface.
Day 2:
Started off by kicking out on the surface to where a downed helicopter was. This was at about 45-50 feet. The first day, we didn't go very deep. The water at the helicopter was COLD. My first thermocline! All of a sudden it was BAM...noticeably colder. We explored around and in the helicopter (it was very open), then followed a rope to where the downed airplane was. Lots of students here today, so we explored around the airplane and the island...saw more fish.
After an hour and a half surface interval, we did compass/air consumption runs. The instructor gave us a surface location to dive towards. We then took a reading from the surface and dove away from the shore for 5 minutes (one person watched time, the other the compass). At 5 minutes, we were to turn around and come back, using compass, surfacing whereever we were at 5 minutes. Then we took a break, switched compass and watch, and did it again.
For the compass dives, readings were taken of our air before and after each run, to get our air consumption. The instructor was right...the person reading the compass used more air.
And thats it! Can't wait to go on a dive trip in a warm place!
Location: Dutch Springs - Bethlehem, PA
Couldn't have asked for better weather on Saturday or Sunday. Also good visibility (for a quarry) of around 30 feet. We had a class of 6 students.
Day 1:
Things got started off with snorkeling. We snorkeled out to this island formation with a downed plane underwater. We took turns seeing if we could get to the plane. Saw some fish (trout, I think) around the island formation as we snorkeled around it. We then did some drills for how to move a unconscious or conscious diver to safety on the surface.
After a break on shore, we got all our diving equipment on and headed to the water. We went to this suspended platform @ 24 feet, I believe, and did mask clearing, reg clearing, reg retrieval, and then did some maneuvering above and below the platform, working on buoyancy.
Took a break for lunch. While on break, we saw someone getting ready to dive with their weights UNDER their wetsuit!
We then headed back to the suspended platform, did mask clearing again, then buddy breathing and air sharing ascent. We went back down after the air sharing ascents and did emergency ascents, where we ditched the weight belts. Last was BC removal and donning on the surface.
Day 2:
Started off by kicking out on the surface to where a downed helicopter was. This was at about 45-50 feet. The first day, we didn't go very deep. The water at the helicopter was COLD. My first thermocline!
All of a sudden it was BAM...noticeably colder. We explored around and in the helicopter (it was very open), then followed a rope to where the downed airplane was. Lots of students here today, so we explored around the airplane and the island...saw more fish.After an hour and a half surface interval, we did compass/air consumption runs. The instructor gave us a surface location to dive towards. We then took a reading from the surface and dove away from the shore for 5 minutes (one person watched time, the other the compass). At 5 minutes, we were to turn around and come back, using compass, surfacing whereever we were at 5 minutes. Then we took a break, switched compass and watch, and did it again.
For the compass dives, readings were taken of our air before and after each run, to get our air consumption. The instructor was right...the person reading the compass used more air.
And thats it! Can't wait to go on a dive trip in a warm place!
