Just began OW with PADI

[ferris213]

As others have already said, I wish my instructor had spent more time on proper weighting and buoyancy. I also wish a lot more time had been spent on CESA's. Things like mask clearing are important to be comfortable with, but are easily practised by yourself at the safety stop of every dive. Depending on where you dive, learning how to launch a SMB might be helpful?

It's awesome that you are looking at your training in this way.

Probably the best thing you can do for your diving at this stage is to take advantage of the kind offers to dive with experienced and competent people. I know when I first started I didn't even really know what a good diver looked like, which makes it very difficult to become one.

 

[Davemohio]

Mark,

Welcome to SB.

Another + on buoyancy and breathing. I like the idea of poolwork. Getting familiar with yourself and the equipment.

Gonna divert a little here...

One of the biggest regrets I have when I got certified(1997) was that I did not "practice" diving. I just dived once a year on vacations.

If I could do it over, I would have dived locally and found other people to dive with in Ohio.

Right now I "practice" alot. Most of the people I dive with are better/more advanced divers than I. I learn something on almost every dive.

Good luck and have fun!

Dave(another Buckeye)

 

[TSandM]

After reading through this thread, I have one more thing to add.

Realize that your OW class is the beginning, and that you will not look like Andrew Georgitsis at the end of it. Classes can only be so long and have so much time underwater in them, and diving is like any other skill . . . it takes practice and time to learn to do it well. If you come out of your original class with a reasonable degree of comfort and a clear understanding of what you need to learn to do, then you will have the tools to go and practice and get better. If that practice is done with a respectful attitude toward the risks of diving, it will be safe enough.

But if you have any skills you don't feel you are comfortable with, request more time to work on them -- or, if you think you can manage it yourself, just dedicate some of each dive to working on what you aren't quite solid with yet.

Above all, have fun with the class and dive often afterwards.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Buoyancy and Trim. Performing skills neutral and in mid water.

 

[Gachnar]

In addition to buoyancy and trim, which by now I'm sure you realize are big ones to focus on, I wish we'd had more time to work on navigation. My instructor actually spent more time on it than most, but as a new diver it's important that you learn to understand and use your compass on every dive, even when you don't think you need it for whatever reason (not leading, can see 200+ ft etc) because circumstances can change and a compass is one of the few things that you can pretty much always rely on.

Practice in the deep well, when you are on your OW dives pay attention to what heading you are on and the return heading etc.

Added bonus is compass skills can be perfected on land, learning things like navigating squares or other patterns, then taken underwater.

 

[Sparky84]

I just finished my open water cert. yesterday. Was cold but awesome. Can't wait to keep diving and keep learning.

 

[Quero]

Practice in the deep well, when you are on your OW dives pay attention to what heading you are on and the return heading etc.

I appreciate your perspective on the importance of navigation, but please, what's "the deep well"?

 

[mike_dippert]

My fiance and I had my first of two pool days yesterday. 3.5 hour sessions, 3 students + the instructors wife tagging along for a refresher.
The mask flooding is what I am least comfortable with. I have a mental block against exhaling through my nose into water. I have to focus and it tends to happen in rapid bursts instead of a controlled stream. Even if I block off my mouth, it won't come out willingly. I have no issues when my mask is clear.
I panicked on my first attempt of mask removal. During my second attempt, if I felt myself about to panic, I quickly exhaled through the reg and took a nice deep breath. Had to do that about every 2-3 breathes. I could feel small bubbles coming out my nose, but I was not controlling that, it just happened. Oddly enough, when he signalled to put my mask back on, I had an easier time breathing when I was focusing on untangling the snorkel from my strap. I was probably psyching myself out.
I wish I had all my own gear so I could practice in the neighborhood pool at my leisure.

This week buoyancy and weighting was just to get us to stay on the bottom. No real focus on proper technique yet, that's next week, probably not enough though. He told us about the eye level thing, and everybody sank like a rock. I'm thinking they don't focus on trim and buoyancy as much b/c of the PP&B specialty available after OW.

Next weekend we are doing the rest of the pool work. I'm nervous about having to 'sip' the air during free flow. I'd rather just leave the reg in, block it off with my tongue and exhale through my nose (assuming my mask is on).

 

[RonFrank]

Funny every one is saying buoyancy and trim, one guy even said shooting a bag! But this diver just needs to deal with the mask off breathing through the reg!

Stand in the shallow end of the pool sans mask and practice breathing through a snorkel with your face submerged. No bubbles should be coming out your nose, and you should not inhale water. Do this until you can breath through your mouth without engaging your nose. Once you can mouth breath things should get easier.

Everyone learns at different rates but I think people quickly forget how overwhelming this all can be. Instructors should not! Mask drills are a priority. If you don't have them down work until you do. I still do mask drills to this day. You will have years to perfect buoyancy but if you can not handle getting you mask knocked off your face it could be the last thing you fail to do diving.

I highly recommend taking advantage of any extra pool time they offer. In our class we got extra pool time and most people......left.

 

[dwhthediver]

The first thing I say in class after I introduce myself, is "buoyancy is one of 2 skills you use on every dive, and buoyancy is alot more involved than putting air in the bcd, concentrate on how your breathing affects you in the water column." inevitably, I am asked what the the other skill is, and I say "breathing"