My PADI Open Water personal experience

[IrishLoaf]

Late 40s here, I grew up on the Atlantic Coast and did water safety and rescue courses when I was younger.

So this is how it went for me. I suppose it would be good to communicate it with people here to share how it was.

PADI OPEN WATER.

Helped by instructors to correct problems along the way, so everything was fine there.

Pool 1 - 200M swim was a struggle. Duck dives, breathing holds on the surface, underwater retrieval, all fine.

Pool 2 - Deflated BCD and still buoyant. Add weight and still buoyant. Pivot fail. Hovering fail. Mask cleaning is fine.

At this point, at night, for some reason, I developed a sense of the possibility of failing somehow. My body was also feeling the effects of Pool 2.

Dive 1 - Another weight fail. Pivot and hovering don’t work. Add more weight. Wetsuit 3XL is too long, but we will work with it. Pivot and hovering work. Skills fine.

Dive 2 - Surface interval heat nearly wipes me out. I am dehydrated and weak. Instructors suggest the water to cool down. I do. I feel better. Swimming fin skills need work, so some recreational dive time is done.

At night the sense of failing is now stronger. My body also feels what it is like going in and out of diving sessions. It does make me weaker. At this point, I question my whole decision to do Open Water. I came close to phoning in a quitter. However, in water, I don't panic or even come close to feeling I can't solve something rationally and logically with the skills if something goes wrong. I failed to retrieve my regulator several times on Dive 3 when it was under my chin. I was doing the arm sweep maneuver and finding nothing. I didn't feel like panicking, even when breathing in a bit of water during slip-ups like this.

Even if I got a jump, I don’t think I would panic. You got an octopus. You got a buddy. You got a BCD that will inflate if you fin up, and do that never quicker than your bubbles. You can inflate orally at the surface. If you ever suddenly fly up, you can emergency dump air from the BCD with the rip cords to slow down. However, I still get anyone can potentially still go into full-blown panic, no matter who they are, so always a buddy, never alone. Those are just the sort of thoughts in my head during the dives.

Dive 3 - Lots of bottled water and a better hat. Dive much better. Skills much better. Nearly all skills are done. So some recreational dive time.

Dive 4 - Cooled off at the surface interval in water. Emergency ascent with a buddy out of air and sharing skill, tried a few times.

Passed PADI OPEN WATER and so some recreational dive time.

It took me the best part of 4 days to recover to how I was before PADI Open Water.

Okay, I learned I am more of a holiday recreational diver looking at fish than a deep diver, cave diver, or adrenaline rush junkie. I did not enjoy the deeper, colder parts of the dive and was shaking physically for up to a few minutes when we went in and out of them. The instructor just wanted me to know what it feels like. The best part of the dive was when he showed me fish. That was what made it worth it.

I did enjoy myself. So don't get me wrong when I say that I also didn't have loads of fun as, for the majority of the time, I had that self-awareness of learning and following instructions going on. Like a billion things other than, 'Hey look, you are underwater for ages deeper than you have been before, seeing fish in a new way'. Maybe I wasn't relaxing enough because my mind was constantly on learning the skills?

My wetsuit was not fitted well, way too long, as the zip went out past my knuckles and some bunching of air pockets. I am hobbit sized with a hobbit belly. The instructor suggested I look into a custom wetsuit because the 3XL was the best they could do. I think they can do custom gear. I bought the wet shoes from them as I will use them again even just swimming on a beach and got a pair of Cressi big eye evolution. A mesh bag for drying out. That's about the sum of my scuba investment on top of the course.

So is scuba for me? I should have judged the stresses involved better. It is the most stressful thing I have done physically and possibly mentally. It is not some advanced snorkeling and going a little deeper. It is an entirely different set of rules, mindset, responsibility, and prep, both mental and physical. However, in my group, there were all ages and types of people, and I believe that nearly anyone can pass if they want it and have good instructors. Attempt the skills and with their help you work it out.

I think I get scuba is not about certifications but more about who you are with on any given dive, what you talk about, and doing what you say you will do. I am a slow coach and have no plan to do any hard finning down to the bottom kind of bravado. I will enjoy safety stops, staying near a buddy, and staying near lines. Lots of nose and jaw wiggling. No Superman ascents. Look at fish. Try to save some energy for getting out of a wetsuit, carrying a BCD, and tank up a hill to a car. There my mind on thoughts like that, stays in my comfy zone.

I haven’t given much thought to advanced or nitrox. All I can think about is recovering.

Maybe what I need to do next is go diving without all the extra pressure on the pressure? No course. Just pay for a recreational dive? Same instructors, probably if that happens.

Anyway, I filed the 4 logs a few days ago, and they got approved, so hopefully, my PADI cert will appear soon. Guess it takes awhile for stuff to get processed.

Thanks for reading.

 

[tursiops]

You did fine. Progressive learning. It's a new world and it doesn't come all at once. Get some diving in...not courses. And get a wet suit that fits!

 

[Zef]

Wow, that is some writeup. Congrats to you for passing and obtaining your OW certification. You may find that things come easier without the added pressure of pass/fail looming over your head.

I recommend the following:

1. Take your instructor's advice and get a custom wetsuit. They are not significantly more expensive than an off-the-rack model, but you won't struggle with the fit. My wife is short and round and she hated diving and just wouldn't go for a quite a few years because she was trying to cram herself into a stock Cressi wetsuit....when we finally discovered that made-to-measure suits were not much more, we were kicking ourselves for not exploring the option sooner.

2. Find a pool and swim. The more comfortable you are in the water the easier and less stressful diving becomes. If the pool will let you practice with a mask and snorkel then all the better, if not, there is a snorkel made by Finis that lap/competitive swimmers use when swimming laps, it is positioned centered on ones head and works well, I used them with my swimmers when I coached...the snorkel will help with breathing and allow you to focus on swimming without the lifeguards getting upset over a regular snorkel like those used in diving.

3. There is nothing wrong with being a vacation diver, and there is nothing wrong with not wanting to go deep. You can entertain your desires as they crop up, until then, just enjoy being in the water. The major benefit of diving other than on vacation is more time diving, and more time diviing equals a more comfortable and usally an overall better diver.

4. Kudos to you for pushing through your doubts, but folks should acknowledge that diving is just one of many worthwhile endeavors for which to pass time recreating, it is ok for folks to decide, without shame, "this is not for me".

I wish you many happy hours blowing bubbles.

Cheers,
-Z

 

[Outbound]

Welcome to the wonderful world of diving! Congratulations on getting your OWD certification. For some people it comes very naturally, and for others it takes a while for all the pieces to click. The important part is that you stuck with it and completed the skills. More dive time will help iron out any kinks, especially if you make it a point to try to improve.

Have you thought about a BPW...?

I'm just kidding about that last part.

 

[lowwall]

First thing is congrats. You made it through. It's important that you kept your cool when stressed.

Second thing is now go do some easy diving. If you can afford it go somewhere warm and get a bunch of dives in. Once you are comfortable with all the basics you can start to think about additional training. BTW, in warm water a shorty wetsuit allows you to get a good torso fit without worrying about the arms and legs being too long. You can wear rash guards underneath for sun or stingy-things protection.

Third, and before you start that advanced training, a) get a wetsuit that fits and b) spend some time getting in better swimming shape. 200m shouldn't be a chore. Your local conditions can be challenging, you really want to be able to physically handle them.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I think all the comments and advice given so far is spot on.

• Get a custom fitted wetsuit.
• Go diving even if its in the pool.
• Congratulations!!

 

[IrishLoaf]

So I am looking at a customized suit.

The biggest question I have is what size thickness to go with. I have a 2/3 full length which is cold in summer. I did PADI Open Water in a 5mm. It was cold when I hit the thermocline. I was shaking. 13C. Felt like 0. The suit was too long at the limbs. I am probably going to use rashguards.

Is 7mm going to be much help? Does going thicker like this come with its cons?

I am thinking of a hood, jacket, and pants. So 3 pieces instead of one. I don't know if that confers advantages or not. Seems easier to get on and off?

 

[Outbound]

Some people are fine in a one-piece 7mm suit, but for cold water most prefer a two-piece (farmer John and a jacket). Definitely get a hood and gloves. Going thicker does come with cons. Movement is restricted a bit and there is a lot of initial buoyancy that must be overcome in order to sink. At depth, a thick wetsuit will lose a lot of its buoyancy as it compresses, so you'll be adding more air to your BCD.

If you are going to be doing a fair amount of cold water diving, you should consider getting drysuit certified. However, given some of the difficulties you had with your OWD class, I'd suggest getting some experience in a wetsuit first. Then, once you have the basics of diving nailed down, you can move on to the complexities (and expense) of drysuit diving.

Normally I'd say rent a wetsuit for now, but you have the issue with fit for an off-the-peg suit. So you're probably going to have to bite the bullet and get a custom-made one and then, if you want, upgrade to a drysuit. But you might end up deciding that cold water diving isn't really for you or that a good wetsuit is all you need. I love drysuit diving, but it's not for everyone.

 

[lowwall]

Drysuit is the answer for cold. But first, is a warm water dive holiday a possibility? You really want to be sure you will be diving locally before buying a custom wetsuit or drysuit. They aren't cheap.

And, as @Outbound says, a drysuit adds some complexity. The biggest dive shop in my area does their entire OW course in drysuits, so it's certainly doable at your experience level. But you would need to find an instructor willing to move you through it at your pace, which would likely mean a private class.

BTW, if you go on that vacation, consider asking the shop if you can hire a DM to dive with you for the first day (or two). They can provide some tips, point out stuff, and keep an eye on you and you avoid the pressure of dealing with navigation and insta-buddies until you are familiar with how everything works at that location.

 

[Jersey1971]

I think it’s really hard to be comfortable in a wet suit in 13C water. And being cold and uncomfortable will only add to the stress. I dive in warmer water in the Northeast and am so much happier since getting a dry suit this year.

Dry suit is a bit of an investment and provides added technical challenge so not sure I’d suggest it if you’re still trying to figure out if diving is for you. One suggestion would be to go do easy dives somewhere warm. Florida isn’t too expensive in the off season. Then once you build up confidence it will become clear whether or not it’s worth investing in a dry suit and associated training to extend your dive opportunities.