Hi everyone.

[KY_BOB]

Hey Bob, I think I may have met you at Pennyroyal the other day when I was finishing up on my Open Water presentations for my instructor class. I'm in Owensboro & am a Dive Con for a shop up in Evansville & occasionally for Pennyroyal. I'll be down there over the next couple of weekends assisting with OW checkout dives for the Evansville shop. If there's anything I can do to help feel free to contact me. Who's teaching your class Dennis, Brian or both?

Wow, small world. We definitely met Saturday. I loved hearing about your recent trip. I hope that I can make one like that some day.

Dennis is teaching the class. He seems like a great guy and is very patient.

I'll see you again Saturday if your there.

 

[tstormdiver]

I thought that was you. Give me another month or so, & I'll probably be teaching some down there. I pretty much dive year round (drysuit). Anytime you might e looking for a buddy,let me know. I'd be most happy, if I'm not helping with or teaching a class. I'm typically off 3/5 weekends, so I'm down there a bunch. If you're ever interested, just give me a shout.

Dennis interned as a Dive Con Instructor as I was going through my Dive Con course. Yes, He seems like a very good patient instructor (I've really never worked with him a great deal- mostly Brian).

 

[KY_BOB]

I thought that was you. Give me another month or so, & I'll probably be teaching some down there. I pretty much dive year round (drysuit). Anytime you might e looking for a buddy,let me know. I'd be most happy, if I'm not helping with or teaching a class. I'm typically off 3/5 weekends, so I'm down there a bunch. If you're ever interested, just give me a shout.

Dennis interned as a Dive Con Instructor as I was going through my Dive Con course. Yes, He seems like a very good patient instructor (I've really never worked with him a great deal- mostly Brian).

Thanks Tammy, I appreciate that. I have a feeling that I won't be a fun buddy for a while. I plan on taking things slow and easy as far as depth and difficulty go. The stuff that I would like to do at first would seem boring to you.

Also, I can't buy a dry suit right now, so my number of dives this year are really limited. My goal for this year is just to learn. I hope to accumulate some equipment over the winter and do some diving next year. I wish that I had started a little earlier in the year.

 

[tstormdiver]

I understand, You will be in "survival mode" for a while. Not to worry. I was there once also. I do not mind at all, diving with beginners. We all have to start somewhere.

You may not be able to afford a dry suit, but you can dive a thick wet suit. It will be a bit of a shock at first until your body warms the water. I only have a drysuit because I'm a cold water wussy.

 

[tstormdiver]

Thanks for the welcome. Actually, clearing the mask isn't the problem. When the mask is off I can't seem to keep water out of my nose.

The instructor passed me on it in confined water but if I were him, I wouldn't have. I did it but I sucked and within seconds I had to stand up, remove my mask, and blow water out of my nose. I want to do a lot better on the check-out dives when I can't just stand up and be out of the water.

I just tried filling my mask with water in the sink, putting it on, and mouth breathing for a couple of minutes with the mask flooded. I did it but still got some water up my nose. I'll keep practicing and hope to be better by next weekend.

If I have time before class next weekend, I want to practice sitting in a few feet of water and breathing through the regulator with no mask. That was the first skill that he had us do and I didn't do well with that either.

When water is in the mask, keep your chin tucked (tucking the chin down will help prevent water from going up the nose). When clearing, start exhaling through the nose first, then as you exhale, crack or loosen the sea at the bottom of the mask by the method you were taught that works best for you, while tilting your head back as far as you can. As long as you are exhaling, water will not go up the nose. If you need more than one breath to finish, then before you run out of breath, tuck the chin down again while still exhaling, then inhale only through the mouth & repeat the steps above. Think of breathing only through your mouth like you have the worst cold you can imagine with your nose completely stopped up, it's very similar. The breathing control (mouth to nose & back) takes a little while to master. Don't be too hard on your self. Keep practicing.:blinking: You may even try the bath tub. You'll get it.

 

[floridanewbe]

welcome aboard

 

[KY_BOB]

Thanks to a patient instructor and some great advise from tstormdiver, I'm now a certified O/W diver. I completed the checkout dives yesterday and they went surprisingly easy.

 

[Land Locked]

Thanks to a patient instructor and some great advise from tstormdiver, I'm now a certified O/W diver. I completed the checkout dives yesterday and they went surprisingly easy.

That's GREAT news Bob! Congrats!!!

I hope we can meet and dive some day!