First pool session was tonight - OUCH!

[Ice9]

I'll be sleeping well tonight!

Completed the 50 yard tow and buddy-breathing ascent, but got stuck on the skin-diver ditch & don. Wow, thats certainly harder than it looked! It seems like I'm expending too much energy on the swim down to the gear so that by the time I get one fin on, its time to go up. Any tips on how to master this annoying skill?

 

[RJP]

What agency is this for? In PADI we do the "gear exchange" but no "ditch and don."

 

[Ice9]

Ahh. This is NAUI...

 

[knotical]

Thoughts include:
- Moderate hyperventilation.
- Are you allowed to wear lead?
- Expel some air so you’re less buoyant (it’s CO2 buildup, not the amount of air in your lungs that makes you need to breathe).
- Choose fins that slip on easily.

 

[Ice9]

Ya, I was considering overweighting a little, and then sinking like a stone down to the equipment. That was I will expend little energy getting to it, which will probably allow me time to put everything on. Of course, if I miss it, that extra weight could be an issue....

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Ice, the easiest way to do the exercise for me is to expel some air as I go down. (Doing crossover to NAUI BTW). I'm naturally a sinker though so it does not take too much. Having a little lead on helps as well as the full foot fins I use. Expelling just a little air though also reduces the urge to surface as some of that CO2 that triggers the urge to breathe is expelled.

 

[Ice9]

Ya I think once I quit smoking this will be easier. Damn I hate these cigarettes...

 

[kidspot]

Another thing that helps is to relax. Rest for a few minutes, calming your breathing and heartrate. When you are as relaxed as possible, take those 3-4 hyperventilation breaths and slip under the surface. Don't race to your gear (This is where being neutrally bouyant with lead helps) Put your fins on (Spring straps are handy here and fins that are not too tight) then put your mask on, and using as little air as possible (think no bubbles escaping the mask) clear and surface. Never be in a hurry, don't rush any of this and you should be able to think through everything in 30 seconds, maybe 45.

If you know you can do a 1 minute breath hold dive it really helps too. You can try building up in 15 second intervals - most folks are really surprised how quickly (think 1 pool session) they can build up to 60-90 second breath hold dives.

This is also a recommended skill for IANTD OW students, so several agencies still require/recommend it.

Have fun and let us know how it goes.

Aloha, Tim

 

[tstormdiver]

I had to do that last week in my Dive Con class (just the BCD & tank though). I'm quite naturally buoyant, but we were allowed to wear our weight belts. I had no trouble getting down, getting my regulator & getting my BCD on. Our fist session a couple of months ago was basic skills. Man, was I rusty. I guarantee I worked on that & smoothed it out quick.

 

[rawls]

Ice...I am assuming you cannot take a breath off of the reg once you get to your gear?