First OW since certification

[divingsiren]

I just got certified 2 weeks ago, and tomorrow I go on my first OW dive out into the Gulf. I did my OWC in a sink hole and freshwater... so this will be my first dive into salt water. What should I be keeping in mind regarding weights and neutral buoyancy? In my previous OWC dives I would go down to the bottom (which was usually 18 ft or a platform at 18 ft) and become neutral there, how does that work when you're in a much much deeper water body? I know it's only been 2 weeks, but while I'm really really excited I'm also a wee bit nervous. Any helpful tips would be great!

 

[rebelrph]

I'm betting you'll get more suggestions than you can shake a stick at, but here goes my 2 cents.

Be upfront with dive op (or whomever you're diving with) that it's your first OW dive. They will understand (or should at least) and fill in some of the blanks on the weighting issue as they can look at your size, weight, thermal protection set-up, tank size, etc. and get within a pound or two of what you need. THEN during the safety stop do a weight check. If you have ANY air in your BC you are overweighted. Adjust accordingly on next dive and put details in log book for future reference.

WHAT I DO on my descent is equalize and not worry about adding air to BC until I'm near the depth I want to dive. Others may disagree, but I add air ONCE and purge as needed during the dive as I reach shallower depths. Of course if we go off a wall or something I'll have to add air one more time, but I've learned that the more I add and purge, add and purge.. the less I have to breathe ! I've been diving for 15 years and still practice neutral buoyancy on every dive. I try to hover as closely to things as I can without touching them and moving as little as possible - just a game I play , but it makes one a much better diver.

BUT - don't spend ALL the dive thinking about all this stuff.. trust your training, RELAX , and enjoy it. Being a "wee bit nervous" is 100% normal and I'd be far more concerned if you were NOT.

As I tell new divers / students - "If you have the "how not to die stuff" down pat, the rest will come with practice." The first time someone plays golf they are not very good , but the more they do it the better they get (in theory), the same applies to diving.


RELAX AND ENJOY

Todd

 

[DivemasterDennis]

First and most importantly, HAVE A GREAT TIME ! As to buoyancy on descent, do a weight check before descending, so you are not overweighted or underweighted. New conditions and equipment mean your weighting in training will probably not be the same as for the salt water dive. As a new diver, I suggest you you keep your left hand on your low pressure inflater during descent. As you descend, you may find that your descent is accelerating, which may make it harder to equalize
(assuming you are going deeper than 18 feet). Add air to the bc in SMALL, VERY SMALL bursts so that you descent is controlled. You do not want to crash the bottom. Control your descent just like you would control an ascent. A slow controlled descent will also make it easier to equalize. Practice makes perfect, so don't worry if your control is lees than perfect on you first dive or your first 10 dives. If there is a descent line, use it to help control the rate of descent and to stay off the bottom. You will do just fine. So (1) Do a proper weight check, and (2) add and vent air from your bc in very small bursts for best buoyancy control.
DivemasterDennis

 

[TMHeimer]

Assume out into the Gulf means a boat dive. When down there remember where the anchor line is. Glance back when heading away from it. Obviously you will be with a buddy, but both of you can lose track of it and you probably don't want to have to ascend without a reference on your first dives.

 

[nolatom]

In a way, a 60-foot dive is easier than a 20-foot dive (assuming favorable vis, temp, current conditions). Because the buoyancy at depth is 'steadier' once you're deeper than 20 feet or so, it's easier to remain roughly neutral even if you're going up and down a little. Going up or down 5 feet while you're at 60 isn't a big change, either for your BC, or for your ears. It's less than a tenth of your depth, and at 3 atmospheres pressure, it's only a small percentage change in external pressure. You can mostly handle it by breathing out or in, probably without needing to add or dump air from your BC.

But going up from 20 to 15 feet moves you from what, about 1.67 of an atmosphere to 1.5 atmosphere, That's about a 10 percent change, which is a much bigger deal to compensate for. Not sure my math is right here, but you get the general idea.

So follow the good advice above, tell them you're new, and enjoy the dive.

 

[Da Wolf]

Assume out into the Gulf means a boat dive. When down there remember where the anchor line is. Glance back when heading away from it. Obviously you will be with a buddy, but both of you can lose track of it and you probably don't want to have to ascend without a reference on your first dives.

I will stress what TMHeimer said. I made my first ocean dive last weekend. Don't wanna scare ya or nothing. But just be prepared in case it happens like it did for me and my brother. We encountered 0 - 2 foot viz 5 miles off the coast of Charleston, SC. I was 3 feet from the bottom and still could not see it. Needless to say I never let go of the anchor rope. So, always know where that rope is in reference to where you are. Just relax and enjoy the dive.

 

[TSandM]

I find it incredibly sad that you weren't taught, and didn't have the opportunity to establish neutral buoyancy without hitting the bottom.

The description given above is exactly right -- as you descend, put a small puff of air (SMALL!) into your BC every few feet. When I was a beginner, I found that doing it every time I cleared my ears seemed to work pretty well.

Given that you are a complete beginner, I would hope the boat would choose sites which have a hard bottom within a reasonable recreational range. Putting new divers with iffy buoyancy control into sites where the bottom is too deep is not good practice.

 

[divingsiren]

I will stress what TMHeimer said. I made my first ocean dive last weekend. Don't wanna scare ya or nothing. But just be prepared in case it happens like it did for me and my brother. We encountered 0 - 2 foot viz 5 miles off the coast of Charleston, SC. I was 3 feet from the bottom and still could not see it. Needless to say I never let go of the anchor rope. So, always know where that rope is In reference to where you are. Just relax and enjoy the dive.

I did one of my OWC dives in a dark murky sink hole...it was horrible. But, apparently I kept being told: if I could dive there, I could dive anywhere. Here's to hoping the Gulf doesn't have your sort of viz!

 

[blackvans1234]

and (2) add and vent air from your bc in very small bursts for best buoyancy control.
DivemasterDennis

He means upon descent and ascent, once you have obtained neutral buoyancy at depth (after descending), you no needy touchy inflator button! At that point its all lungs. Of course if you ascend to a shallower part of a reef or something, then you touchy dump valve/ button. My 35th dive was a boat dive and I was nervous, especially since I hadn't gone to 60 feet since dive number 7

 

[geogator]

I did my first salt water dives last weekend (#23,24) & it took me a couple of minutes to adjust to the different buoyancy but once I did, it was fine for the rest of the dive & the next one. The biggest thing I didn't expect was having a current to deal with so I had to keep some extra space between me and the wreck we were exploring so I wouldn't get pushed into it. Also, since visibility may be low, stick very close to your buddy but try not to bang into each other. Lastly, keep close tabs on your SPG - it's very easy to get distracted by all of the cool stuff to see & lose track of your gas if you don't make a conscious effort to check it every few minutes. I like to keep my buddy informed too (& vice-versa) & you should also since you're still so new. Most of all, RELAX & enjoy the moments - other stuff will take care of itself the more you dive.