Lesson learned the hard way, and my first dive experience

[Cave Diver]

The second dive I explicitly told my instructor that I had to go real slow, so I just followed the line behind them and took my time to get to the bottom, and it was way easier.

Sounds like you're a fast learner, even if the first lesson was rather painful.

Some people will always have problems being able to equalize rapidly. Slow down, take your time, and go at a pace that works for you. Make sure your buddy is aware of the issue pre-dive to avoid seperation.

The last thing you want to do is force yourself and wind up hurt.

 

[Sas]

Hey congrats on your OW course Sounds like you had a tough time so well done on sticking with it!

I remember my toes hurting too after OW but your body adapts quick. I also used to have a lot of trouble equalising but again you get much better at it and diving as a whole becomes more comfortable.

 

[ianr33]

Work on equalizing subconsciously and BEFORE your ears tell you that you need to.

I hurt my left ear a few years ago in the Flower Gardens. Current was ripping and the only way to get down was to haul hard on the line.I eventually got around to equalizing when my ears screamed at me but the damage was obviously done by then. Got an infection that needed antibiotics to fix. To this day my left ear is harder to equalize. Dont know if it has always been that way which is why it was the left one that got injured,or if its scar tissue from the injury.

 

[buhavis]

I'm glad to see you finished your OW course! How did you like the sea emperor? Did you get to see the two HUGE eels that people usually feed down there?

 

[ligersandtions]

I used to have issues with equalizing (and sometimes it's still not the easiest thing), but I've found something that works really well for me and may work well for you as well. I pre-pressurize my ears, which means I plug my nose and blow gently until I feel my ears pressurize when I'm on the surface....I do this when I get up in the morning (to make sure I'm not feeling congested at all and my ears want to cooperate), on my way to the dive site, while I'm gearing up, on the surface swim, just before I begin my descent....and then right after my head goes underwater and as often as I need to from there.

Sounds like your certification was a bit rough, but you seem to have learned a lot from it. Classes that teach you a lot (sometimes because things go wrong and you learn from them) are invaluable. Continue learning and have fun with the diving. Hope my pre-pressurization technique can help you out as much as it did for me!

 

[Web Monkey]

Whenever friends ask me about equalizing, I tell them they have 2 choices, either learn to equalize as fast as they descend, or learn to descend as slow as they equalize.

Nice line. Consider it stolen.

Terry

 

[scblade27]

I had a similar experience when I was getting certified. I actually perforated my ear drum because I could not equalize, was getting left behind and tried to force it. I got instant vertigo and that was probably the scariest thing that has happened to me under water. That event almost ended my diving addiction before it started. Everything is so new and equalizing takes some time to figure out.

I have found that if I am having a hard time equalizing, it is only going to get worse the harder I have to force it. Between dives I am able to blow my nose and clear out my sinuses which really helps. Another thing I found really helps, which I still do to this day, is equalize before you even go under the water. Then go very slowly and clear every few feet until you figure out how your body works. I am now at a point where I dont have to hold my nose and it is a very natural thing as I go.

Hang in there, everyone has issues, it will get easier.

 

[Diver0001]

I have to wonder where your instructor was during your check out dives.... :shocked2:

I just want to emphasize something, which is that you shouldn't be experiencing any pain while diving. If you are then something isn't right.

Ordinarily your instructor(s) would have controlled your OW dives enough that the kinds of things you mentioned wouldn't normally happen. Would you mind going in to that a bit? I'm curious.

R..

 

[jeckyll]

...
I just want to emphasize something, which is that you shouldn't be experiencing any pain while diving. If you are then something isn't right.

...
R..

That's worth repeating IMO. To go further, a number of people I know whom I consider good divers, rely on "listening" to their body and how their feeling during a dive. Helps them avoid bad choices.

As for the "trying to get back to the group quickly", one of the piece of advice I recently heard again was "you have to go slow to go fast".

Worth thinking about

 

[mullen1200]

I have to wonder where your instructor was during your check out dives.... :shocked2:


Ordinarily your instructor(s) would have controlled your OW dives enough that the kinds of things you mentioned wouldn't normally happen. Would you mind going in to that a bit? I'm curious.

R..

With respect to the safety dive incident, it happened very fast. Wasnt the instructors fault, purely my own.