Dive 10a (a=aborted)

[RJP]

If you are reading this hoping for a hair curling underwater “faces of death” story you are in for a bitter disappointment.

If you are looking for a rookie domino of mistakes to laugh at then you are in luck.

Upon re-reading the original post I think it bears pointing out that often there's very little difference between the two.

Without trying to be overly-dramatic or overly-sarcastic it's important for the OP to realize he could easily have been one cheese-puff away from having his story posted by SOMEONE ELSE in "Mishap Analysis" or worse yet in "Passings."

 

[all4scuba05]

Have to disagree with you on that. No one will "ever" ask to see your PPB card but they will ask to see your Nitrox and AOW card.
We're talking about someone who doesn't need to be diving more than 60ft right now based on his lack of experience. Last I heard, Nitrox is best used in deeper waters.

Nitrox is definitely a beneficial course as is AOW. There are some dives that you won't be able to do unless you have an AOW card... i.e. The Spiegel Grove and Duane wrecks in Key Largo.
Those are the dives he shouldn't be doing anytime soon.
And you can't get Nitrox fills without an EANx card. There are only 3 cards you will be asked for in recreational diving. They are OW, AOW and Nitrox. The only other card you will be asked for is a Drysuit C-card, but only if you want to rent one. They'll sell you one without it but they won't rent it to you.

I added the bold sections.
I don't recommend AOW until he's mastered the basics.

 

[Monilite]

FisherDVM/RJP;

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not arguing with experience AGAIN, it’s just that I don’t think you got what I meant by my last post. I’m all for knowledge and training I just question whether it has to be in a classroom setting.

I just read an article in a scuba magazine titled 18 ways to improve your air consumption. They discussed the issues of buoyancy control (less weight distributed for max trim). I intend to ask about the specific kinds of weights and attachment hardware required at my LDS. The magazine article also mentioned that you can’t really judge your trim, till your buddy tells you how horizontal you actually are swimming. Since I’m using a weight belt I guess I should expect to be really out of trim when I next dive and get a buddy check. In case any of you missed that article and wonder how trim affects air consumption the article stated that keeping a horizontal attitude reduces the area disturbed by your head, body, tank and BC thus reducing drag and the effort you expend to swim (effort = oxygen consumption & CO2 production). Keeping your fin kicks inside the layer of water already so disturbed further reduces drag & air consumption.

This forum, that article, the phone at my LDS and networking with more advanced divers face-to-face is a good part of what I meant by questioning the value of an advanced buoyancy CLASS. I have learned a lot in these posts, but still have questions like how do you dump weights that aren’t in a BC drop pouch, or on a weight belt (groping behind my back, or air tank to drop weights in an emergency scares me)? How much “permanent” weight is okay and how much is unacceptably dangerous (my sphincter is puckering again)? I’ll ask those questions when I’m in my LDS shopping for trim weights after next payday.

Oh, yea. On my 11th dive I will definitely use a rebreather and hunt great white sharks while chumming with my bare hands out of a bait bucket between my legs using a video guided spear gun. Okay, okay already; a camera is too much task loading for my experience level.

 

[Jim Kerr]

I added the bold sections.
I don't recommend AOW until he's mastered the basics.

You heard wrong, ACE! :mooner:

 

[fisherdvm]

I have learned a lot in these posts, but still have questions like how do you dump weights that aren’t in a BC drop pouch, or on a weight belt (groping behind my back, or air tank to drop weights in an emergency scares me)? How much “permanent” weight is okay and how much is unacceptably dangerous (my sphincter is puckering again)? I’ll ask those questions when I’m in my LDS shopping for trim weights after next payday.

I find that the less weight I carry, the better is my trim. I have a BC with pockets toward the back, that I can put up to 8 lbs. It is higher than my weight pocket, and further back. Those I don't need to drop, when I am diving with a drysuit or with a thick wetsuit. I have 2 weight pockets in the front, and I can get probably up to 16 lbs of lead. These are dumpable. Then I usually wear a weight belt too.

You don't need to dump all the weight you carry. Divers with double steel tanks and a steel backplate are carrying up to 20 lbs or more of dead weight that is not dumpable. I think that is one of the reason why they prefer drysuit, as it serves as a back up BC in case their BC fails. These folks also carry a lift bag or an SMB that has 30 to 50 lbs of lift, and they can use it to help them ascend if their BC fails.

I think many of us prefer not to dump all our weight at once - that's why some like to use a weight belt with their weight integrated BC. You can have up to 3 sources of ditchable weight. And the clip on weights - some put in on their D ring, and some clip it to their back plate, or tank strap ... they might or might not be easily ditcheable.

As I understand, divers in an overhead environment like caves and wrecks - really do not want any weight that is easily ditchaeble. They sometime put two buckles on their weight belt to prevent accidental release. And the crotch strap also prevent accidental slippage.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

At that site, you are trying to dive in a high current environment at a depth of 8 to 17 feet? max. You NEED to be heavy at that site to relax and hold onto the bottom. I typically will wear 8 lbs more than I would use on a typical drift dive in 60 feet when diving under the bridge. I was there saturday and was pretty embarassed because I was way underweighted and I slipped a 10-12 lb chunk of concrete under my waist strap, to complete the dive.

 

[z3r0c00l]

At that site, you are trying to dive in a high current environment at a depth of 8 to 17 feet? max. You NEED to be heavy at that site to relax and hold onto the bottom. I typically will wear 8 lbs more than I would use on a typical drift dive in 60 feet when diving under the bridge. I was there saturday and was pretty embarassed because I was way underweighted and I slipped a 10-12 lb chunk of concrete under my waist strap, to complete the dive.

Nice... I have been known to add a rock or two to my BC from time to time. Just fine tuning really. Plus you can do some geology at your stops.

 

[dman1959]

I tend to agree with most of the advice here. Put the camera away for now. Get used to your gear .

What I would suggest differently is that you look for a dive buddy with experience and not just another novice. Your instructor would probably go out with you if he/she are local and you simply ask. I know that you judging experience could be a hit/miss situation so ask your intructor for recommendations. Beware of "know it all" divers - there seems to be one in every crowd and most of their opinions outstrip their experience.

You need to dive a lot and dive on a consistent interval. If you wait a long time between dives then your heart isnt really in it. Be honest with yourself about what you want. You need to enjoy diving or just dont do it.

 

[French Fry]

Why does everyone think the fish need feeding? Stop screwing with the natural order and just take the freaking pictures.

Why does everyone have to nitpick at someone else's thread? Please start your own thread if you feel that strongly about an issue without calling out someone who is helping us by giving us good info we all can learn from. Many people stop posting in forums for this one reason...I'm just saying!

FF

 

[all4scuba05]

You heard wrong, ACE! :mooner:

He's only OW certified with less than a dozen dives in open water, is therefore diving in less than 60 ft of water. If you think that diving that shallow with Nitrox for two single tank dives is the way to go, then you need a refresher in Nitrox. Stop trying to sell him a Nitrox course and take it yourself. :mooner::mooner::mooner: