Diving Friday Afternoon 1/2?

[Wiggawam]

Hey, I know it is a bit late of notice but I got a late Christmas present in the form of my dive gear. I wanted to get in the water and work out all the bugs and being a newly minted OW diver I could use someone experienced to show me the ropes. Anyone in for an afternoon dive around LA?

 

[LAJim]

The swell model on Friday is not favorable for either a newly minted OW diver or an evolution with a lot of new gear:

http://www.wetsand.com/swellwatch/swellwatch.asp?CatId=295

Some points:

Have you taken your gear into a pool and verified functionality, weighting, and leak checks? You will need to add about 5 lbs. to your total weighting in the ocean compared to the pool.

I assume your thermal is a 7 mm wetsuit, hood, and gloves. You can use your profile to list gear configurations. Read the dive reports and related threads in SoCal to get a feeling for what conditions have been like recently and what people are diving. Wrinkles events are excellent beach diving opportunities - one coming up at Lauguna.

Dive your gear the first time under very good conditions with a very experienced and attentive buddy. Avoid a long surface swim as that compounds problems like underweighting. Do some work and checks in the shallows (15-20 ft.) with minimal surf and swell.

Jim

 

[Wiggawam]

The swell model on Friday is not favorable for either a newly minted OW diver or an evolution with a lot of new gear:

http://www.wetsand.com/swellwatch/swellwatch.asp?CatId=295

Some points:

Have you taken your gear into a pool and verified functionality, weighting, and leak checks? You will need to add about 5 lbs. to your total weighting in the ocean compared to the pool.

I assume your thermal is a 7 mm wetsuit, hood, and gloves. You can use your profile to list gear configurations. Read the dive reports and related threads in SoCal to get a feeling for what conditions have been like recently and what people are diving. Wrinkles events are excellent beach diving opportunities - one coming up at Lauguna.

Dive your gear the first time under very good conditions with a very experienced and attentive buddy. Avoid a long surface swim as that compounds problems like underweighting. Do some work and checks in the shallows (15-20 ft.) with minimal surf and swell.

Jim

I have done the pool check with all my gear and everything functioned perfectly. Also I have been an avid ocean swimmer and am comfortable in surf. I guess I am mainly just looking for an experienced dive buddy who is willing to go slow and just help me out. Thanks.

 

[LAJim]

If your buddy is having to watch himself he can't watch you, and entries and exits in big surf can be show-stoppers.

Come to the February 10 Wrinkles dive in Laguna. You will meet plenty of divers who will be supportive.

Jim

 

[Wiggawam]

If your buddy is having to watch himself he can't watch you, and entries and exits in big surf can be show-stoppers.

Come to the February 10 Wrinkles dive in Laguna. You will meet plenty of divers who will be supportive.

Jim

Thanks, I shall be there.