Dive 10a (a=aborted)

[mempilot]

I guess I'd better get that drysuit cert.

 

[RJP]

I had wanted to try something new...

With nine dives to date...

DIVING is something new for you.

No need to add more "new" stuff for a while.

 

[fisherdvm]

Eventhough some say that you need to dive to 20 ft depth for 20 minutes, I'd log this dive!! Any dive that add significant knowledge and experience to your skill should count double... I still don't know why new divers like to bring along a camera. I abandon my camera at any dives which I am a little anxious about. Between towing the surface marker, fighting the surf, the last thing you want to keep track of is a camera.

 

[Monilite]

Okay everybody thanks. I think we've pretty much beat this dive to death. The only thing that struck me in the latest posts is the advanced bouyancy control class. I may check into that class in the future, but my first impression is that bouancy control is something that you either get a handle on yourself after experience, or nobody can pound it into you.

This dive is in my log. It will be a pneumonic device to make me recall everything I read in these posts.

 

[RJP]

I may check into that class in the future, but my first impression is that bouancy control is something that you either get a handle on yourself after experience, or nobody can pound it into you.

You got it completely backwards. Have a good instructor work with you to get your weighting, trim, and buoyancy dialed in and see what a difference that makes BEFORE you develop bad skills and coping mechanisms to overcome them

Doing it the way you suggest is likely to lead to poor skills, bad equipment choices, and overall less enjoyable diving as you struggle to overcompensate for existing problems and develop ineffective coping mechanisms to overcome things that you could have gotten right straight out of the gate.

 

[RJP]

A camera is an insignificant addition to the currently "basic" gear in my book.

You have MUCH to learn!

A camera is perhaps the single greatest "task load" a diver can take under water with them.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

A camera is perhaps the single greatest "task load" a diver can take under water with them.

Seriously, have you ever speared fish?

 

[mempilot]

A rebreather is the highest task load. Too bad they don't allow spearfishing on RBs down here in FL. That would be pretty intense.

 

[fisherdvm]

Okay everybody thanks. I think we've pretty much beat this dive to death. The only thing that struck me in the latest posts is the advanced bouyancy control class. I may check into that class in the future, but my first impression is that bouancy control is something that you either get a handle on yourself after experience, or nobody can pound it into you.

This dive is in my log. It will be a pneumonic device to make me recall everything I read in these posts.

I disagree with "after experience". Poor bouyancy control in new divers can simply be due to poor "trim" from overweighting and poorly distributed weights. By overweighting, you've to add more air to your BC. This accentuates any changes in your depth from breathing alone. This is especially worse in shallow dives. Clip on weights that one can put on the BC tank strap, or D rings, can help with trim. Some BC's have weight pockets in the back to help with trim.

An properly weighted beginning diver will need very little air in his BC to be neutral. This little bit of air expand and contract with changes in depth, but the changes in your buoyancy is much less than if you had a large amount of weight. If the weight is distributed evenly to counteract the BC's air, one has a good "trim", and buoyancy control is much better. I think it is one of the reason why folks like the steel backplate/back inflate BC so much. There is 8 lbs of lead distributed directly under the air in the BC. Whereas, if you wore a large BC, have lots of air under it, and a weight belt hanging low on your hip - you are in terrible trim, and will be swimming at 30 to 45 degree facing the current. The backplate/wing is not the answer to trim, as I've seen a man who dove with a large wing (meant for doubles), a plastic plate, and weight belt. He had the worse trim of any diver's I've met. And he was experienced. He just didn't realize that substituting a plastic back plate for his metal one changed his trim completely, and that he could have better air distribution with a smaller wing.

The rest of buoyancy control - not adding too much air, wait for few minutes before you add more air or subtract air - comes from experience. That's why you do the fin pivot and the "lotus" position in the pool. To understand how breathing affects buoyancy, and how slow it takes from that little puff of air until you see a response in bouyancy.

 

[RJP]

Seriously, have you ever speared fish?

Ok, you might be right there.