New diver advice--what are the dangers?

[loganhand]

Hey guys a upcoming diver here.
I saw a recent thread here on sharks while diving. What are things too look for when me or my buddy might be in danger. Most of my diving will be in Florida near Pensacola, and the majority at the rigs from grand isle.

Other than sharks what are some other good things to watch out for.
Pretty much any advice that a new diver would need to know. Especially about sharks.

Also, reading through the accident section... Man it seems like somewhere almost every day or every other day someone dies relating to scuba.
I'm not finished with my OW training (just finished section one of eLearning tonight) but I am curious to know what DCS and narcosis is as well as any other things.

there are a number of risks
actually there are an infinite amount of risks
and sharks are one of your least concerns, they're not dangerous unless there is blood or chum in the water
read the underwater manual or do some research because this is a very broad and asking it is counter-intuitive
read the open water manual

 

[dishonored]

there are a number of risks
actually there are an infinite amount of risks
and sharks are one of your least concerns, they're not dangerous unless there is blood or chum in the water
read the underwater manual or do some research because this is a very broad and asking it is counter-intuitive
read the open water manual

Well thank you for your extremely informative response......
I am reading the pamphlet and taking the class now. I asked here for anything that experienced divers had learned to watch out for and to maybe say things not mentioned in the manual. I think there is a wealth of good information in this thread so far.

Thanks again.

 

[TMHeimer]

I admit I haven't read the entire thread. If I ever see a shark my thought is I'd very slowly get away from it and exit the water. I know all the stuff- They won't attack UNLESS blah blah.... No interest..don't provoke them (yeah, like I would), they're old, injured, spear fishing, chum in water, some are more dangerous than others, you'll more likely die driving to the site or being hit by a coconut, if you're on the surface like a surfer (hey, WE do surface swims too...), poor viz is bad (well, that limits diving a lot in places), they usually take a bite and we don't taste good-- so they leave (now I feel better), they are majestic animals and rare treats--I agree...on the Discovery Channel.

I have to ask-- What the blazes is a Tapatalk?

 

[Skittl1321]

I have to ask-- What the blazes is a Tapatalk?

It is a phone application that lets people read bulletin boards. I guess it is easier than accessing them through an internet browser on the phone?

 

[dishonored]

It is a phone application that lets people read bulletin boards. I guess it is easier than accessing them through an internet browser on the phone?

It is loads easier. It allows me to swap between forums without having multiple pages open via web. It also stores my login info so I don't have to punch it in every time. One of the best parts.... It shows me what threads I have already opened and if they have gotten any new responses since I have opened it last.

 

[drrich2]

Tapatalk is also useful on tablets, like the iPad. It does make pulling up & scrolling through/browsing 'New Posts' more convenient.

Richard.

 

[windapp]

Some of the biggest dangers to new divers:

Doing something wrong just because you see everybody else doing it wrong.
Doing a dive that you know is well beyond your previous experience.
Taking on too many tasks before you are comfortable with the tasks you already have. This includes bringing a camera.
Following somebody into an overhead environment without proper training.
Relying on a dive master to take care of you instead being a proper buddy.
Skipping buddy checks.

 

[TMHeimer]

Skipping buddy checks is a danger to experienced divers as well, in that very few I've ever seen do this.

 

[Jai Bar]

Skipping buddy checks is a danger to experienced divers as well, in that very few I've ever seen do this.

Indeed, at some point over experience may (wrongly) become over confidence- and we already know the sea doesn't care.

Panic is probably the summary to lots of scuba risks. Anything that can lead to panic has great chances of becoming a dangerous situation. Like a rolling snow ball, small issue+ panic becomes an avalanche.

Good news1 is training + practicing greatly reduces the chances that a small issue will lead to a panicked diver.

For example, one danger that I don't think was mentioned yet in this thread- and unfortunately many divers are unaware of, is mask separation (I think that's how it is called in English):

Not being able to continue breathing regularly from the regulator-without a mask.

One of the very few fatalities that I've witnessed was because of this. The diver knew about it from check dive earlier in the same day, so he chose next to take a guided dive. During this dive, water entered the mask, he rocketed to surface, in panic. From shore a few dozen meters away seen him flailing hands in panic. Because he was in panic he forgot to release his weights or at least inflate his BC. a couple of seconds later he was on his way to the bottom, drowned, dead.

The whole incident took less than twenty seconds-nobody was able to reach him in time from shore (as long as it takes the few seconds to understand what's going on, plus swim the 50 metres in his direction?), neither the dive guide (by the time he surfaced, the diver was already on his way down) or nearby divers :-(

Good news2 is that if the diver is aware of the problem, it is just a matter of practice and training to get used to it.

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk HD

 

[AfroBoy]

For example, one danger that I don't think was mentioned yet in this thread- and unfortunately many divers are unaware of, is mask separation (I think that's how it is called in English):

Not being able to continue breathing regularly from the regulator-without a mask.

I'm half way through my OW certification (2 more dives to go) so am reading these types of threads with interest. I can say, that the first few times I dived (DSD dives) the points where I felt most in danger were when I was panicking. Either a little salt water got into my mouth, I had to cough, or in the OW dives when we practiced filling our masks with water and flushing them out.

All I wanted to do was to get to the top, clear my mouth and get some fresh water. Each time though, a good Dive Master helped to calm me down, took me through step by step in resolving each issue, and did it all under water. Amazing feeling to solve these issues underwater and to learn that you can indeed do it.

Cheers,
Af.