SeaBunny88
Registered
Hello All,,
A friend and I passed our OW certification last Sunday in Key Largo. Our first two open water dives were in a lagoon, the second two were at reefs. I was very concerned that I would be devastated by the condition of the reefs, especially after this summer. However, I was surprised in such a good way--there was so much beauty still and a huge variety of fish. We went out to Elbow Reef and dove Mike's Wreck and the Ledges. We did swim over some serious bleaching, but there were still colorful formations with much more fish than I anticipated and fans in good condition. I felt like I was in a saltwater fish tank. It exceeded expectations (or rather my fears) in almost every way. Some highlights were hanging out with a green sea turtle on our first dive, seeing a ton of lobsters, barracuda, tons of angel fish, tons of parrot fish, and I found a sea lettuce nudi on my own. We didn't see nurse sharks or reef sharks, though others did. After thinking about the experience, I have a few questions.
A friend and I passed our OW certification last Sunday in Key Largo. Our first two open water dives were in a lagoon, the second two were at reefs. I was very concerned that I would be devastated by the condition of the reefs, especially after this summer. However, I was surprised in such a good way--there was so much beauty still and a huge variety of fish. We went out to Elbow Reef and dove Mike's Wreck and the Ledges. We did swim over some serious bleaching, but there were still colorful formations with much more fish than I anticipated and fans in good condition. I felt like I was in a saltwater fish tank. It exceeded expectations (or rather my fears) in almost every way. Some highlights were hanging out with a green sea turtle on our first dive, seeing a ton of lobsters, barracuda, tons of angel fish, tons of parrot fish, and I found a sea lettuce nudi on my own. We didn't see nurse sharks or reef sharks, though others did. After thinking about the experience, I have a few questions.
- We only dove to about 30 ft max. I was completely at ease the entire time. Is there any significant difference between the feel of 30ft and 60ft? I wish I would have been able to go a little deeper. The change from our training platform that subbed for the pool dives to the 20 ft mark to the 30 ft mark didn't feel significant.
- On the way down for dive 1, I had to be a bit forceful with the Valsalva Maneuver equalization technique. I went very slow down the mooring line and equalized from the very top to the bottom. I did a combo of jaw wiggling, swallowing, and head tilting as well as Valsalva. I never felt any pain. At the bottom at one point, I felt a rush of water in my right ear--but it was similar to an ear cleaning, it felt kinda good. I assumed it was wax moving around and was constantly monitoring my ears for pain or pressure, equalizing the whole time. Is this normal? R/scuba said it wasn't, that I likely have barotrauma. I didn't have pain on either dive that day, I don't have pain now, and I don't have hearing loss. I have a little crinkling in my ears when I swallow (I should have paid attention pre-cert to see if this is normal, I don't really notice it unless paying attention). Since there was no pain and I was able to equalize I continued the dive. On the second dive, I equalized more easily and had a pleasant experience. I think I made the right call, but wonder what the Scuba Board opinion is (just looking for food for thought, I'm not expecting a virtual ENT consult or anything).
- My friend and I are thinking about doing AOW this winter. We have different specialty interests, so we likely will go through it separately. Is going straight into AOW wise? I read mixed thoughts on pursuing AOW right after OW. Some people advocate hard for it, others say to just enjoy OW for a while. I'm not looking to drastically increase the depth at which I can dive (see question 1, I've only been to 30ft). I'm really interested in Underwater Navigator, Underwater Naturalist, and Nitrox. Drift Diving and DSMB are also of interest. Does anyone have thoughts on these selections or experience to share? Should I consider SSI?
- I dove with a new mask on day 2, the Evo Isla, and it was great out of the box with a thorough cleaning. No fogging and a great seal. The nose was a little big, though, and the skirt dug into my upper lip with the regulator in place. I cut the skirt some based on the staff's suggestion, and now I have massive leaks (found out when snorkeling with manatees a few days later). My husband is going to help me clean up the cut, as it's a little uneven, but does anyone have tips here for what I should or shouldn't do when trimming a mask skirt? If the mask doesn't work after cleaning up the cut, I'll probably just buy a new one and not "customize" as it wasn't terrible, just a bit annoying and abrasive. I don't have easy access to a scuba shop.
- Where should I go for my next trip? I was so comfortable at 30ft in the Keys. I wouldn't mind going back to Key Largo or perhaps Big Pine Key. My husband isn't a diver, so topside life needs to be engaging (good food, excursions). He likes to wildlife watch, sit on the beach with beer, hike, jeep, explore, etc (almost anything not water based). I was thinking about Grand Cayman as drift diving seems intimidating for someone with only 4 dives under my belt (ruling out Cozumel). I would be worried about being disoriented or not having buoyancy under control in a drift dive. I also like to go slow and inspect the small stuff. Grand Cayman seems to have a good topside (though expensive) and good diving. How does Isla Mujeres compare to Grand Cayman for beginners? Should I be intimidated by Cozumel? Should I stick with the Keys? I'd like to ease into deeper depths while still enjoying reefs. I'm not super interested in wrecks. I realize there is a lot of individualism to these questions, and I'm Googling options heavily, but wanted to hear from the good people of Scuba Board.