New Miami Diver!/Questions

[GreenDestiny105]

Hi, I am a new diver from Miami  My fiancé and I just completed our Open Water Certification course through PADI at John Pennekamp State Park and had a great experience. The highlights of the course were seeing a nurse shark in the 3rd OW dive, only to be beat out by the huge loggerhead turtle we saw in the 4th dive (I was definitely spoiled)!

I expected the course to be a breeze for me, because I’ve always felt very comfortable in the water but I found it to be a huge challenge both mentally and physically. The two biggest challenges for me were mask clearing and breathing with a free flowing regulator. I had no problems doing my partial and full mask clearing during the confined dives, but I took in some water through my nose during the first open water dive and panicked. This was my first experience with panic in my life and it was a feeling I never want to have again. When I got the water in my nose I suddenly felt like I was going to drown and die if I didn’t get out of the water, and I tried to swim up to the surface. Luckily my Instructor helped me by holding me down and signaled me to ‘think’ by pointing at his head and also signaled me to just keep breathing and just attempt the clear again. I was able to do this and then completed the dive. I was very shaken up after this and had a hard time not feeling discouraged and I thought maybe I had chosen the wrong hobby. That night I was able to shake it off and come back with a new attitude for the final two OW dives.

My only other problem was breathing from the free flowing regulator. I felt like I was drinking more water than actually breathing air and even though I was able to complete the exercise and breathe from the regulator for the allotted amount of time, I am not confident at all about doing this should this ever happen in open water. All in all, despite the problems I had, I believe I already learned a lot (mostly learned that I still have tons to learn, lol), and I’m so happy I made the decision to dive!

Anyway, I’ve been reading a lot of forum posts and I know everyone is very helpful and knowledgeable so I have a few questions of my own. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me!

1. In your opinion, what is the most common problem faced by a diver underwater and how can it be prevented?

2. How often do regulators tend to free-flow? What is the best way to prevent this and is it possible to train yourself to take in less water when breathing from it?

3. The classroom portion of the OW course said that the dive knife could be used as a tool to communicate with your buddy by hitting it against your tank. My Instructor said that this was a bad idea because you can accidentally cut a hose. I like the idea of being able to communicate with my buddy with sound. Is there a way of doing this without compromising safety? What tools can be used?

Thanks again!
Christina

 

[diver 85]

Honestly, #3 is a joke........no more than you can cut a car tire by carrying a pocket knife.....

 

[Kris69]

Hi there,

Being a new diver myself, I know taking the mask off and practicing free flow of the regulator can be challenging. You just need more practice! Just make a habit of practicing breathing in the reg without the mask, freeflow and retrieving the reg after every dive when you're doing your safety stop. This way you are prepared and most important you know you can handle this when you're diving. I do this almost after every dive on my safetystop

Regaring communication with your buddy. Practice buddyskills as you learned on your OW course and stay close together!

Happy diving!

Kristian

 

[gene02]

Hi Christina
For free flow I think the best thing is to own your own regs and service regular. The breathing part I found easiest to lean forward slightly and tilt your head slightly help catch the air better in your mouth that's what I was taught worked for me.
Cutting a hose with a dive knife I guess anything is possible, however one must consider these hoses are high pressure hoses even though there is a low pressure side of the regulator 125psi hose is double layered with a nylon type filament between each layer and very difficult to cut with a knife even when trying to do so. To cut a hose by accident hmmmm!

OH and WELCOME to SB

 

[Jupiter31]

Hi, I am a new diver from Miami  My fiancé and I just completed our Open Water Certification course through PADI at John Pennekamp State Park and had a great experience. The highlights of the course were seeing a nurse shark in the 3rd OW dive, only to be beat out by the huge loggerhead turtle we saw in the 4th dive (I was definitely spoiled)!

I expected the course to be a breeze for me, because I’ve always felt very comfortable in the water but I found it to be a huge challenge both mentally and physically. The two biggest challenges for me were mask clearing and breathing with a free flowing regulator. I had no problems doing my partial and full mask clearing during the confined dives, but I took in some water through my nose during the first open water dive and panicked. This was my first experience with panic in my life and it was a feeling I never want to have again. When I got the water in my nose I suddenly felt like I was going to drown and die if I didn’t get out of the water, and I tried to swim up to the surface. Luckily my Instructor helped me by holding me down and signaled me to ‘think’ by pointing at his head and also signaled me to just keep breathing and just attempt the clear again. I was able to do this and then completed the dive. I was very shaken up after this and had a hard time not feeling discouraged and I thought maybe I had chosen the wrong hobby. That night I was able to shake it off and come back with a new attitude for the final two OW dives. This is very common - when I started diving over 30 years ago, I hated it - my wife more so, if that was possible - and since I watched "Sea Hunt" and "Flipper" as a kid, diving was all I ever wanted to do.
Regardless of what anyone tells you, diving is a completly different skill set in a foreign environment - the equipment is bulky and heavy, the boat is moving, you are trying to remember everything your instructor told you........
What helped us was doing it - a lot - and going for a week to St Thomas and diving with a great DM/Instructor - stick with it, it gets better and easier - plus you live w/in driving distance of the best in the USA

My only other problem was breathing from the free flowing regulator. I felt like I was drinking more water than actually breathing air and even though I was able to complete the exercise and breathe from the regulator for the allotted amount of time, I am not confident at all about doing this should this ever happen in open water. All in all, despite the problems I had, I believe I already learned a lot (mostly learned that I still have tons to learn, lol), and I’m so happy I made the decision to dive!

Anyway, I’ve been reading a lot of forum posts and I know everyone is very helpful and knowledgeable so I have a few questions of my own. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me!

1. In your opinion, what is the most common problem faced by a diver underwater and how can it be prevented? Being eaten by sharks - nah, just kidding with you- Not planning the dive or trying to do too much - its OK to do 20 min's - you don't have to cover every inch of the reef or wreck - its also OK to say "I don't want to do this dive or I want to asend" w/out recriminations or attitude by your dive buddy. Also, hold off on the spearfishing and photography until you get your boyancy skills down pat - this could be 10 dives or 100; depends on each individual.

2. How often do regulators tend to free-flow? What is the best way to prevent this and is it possible to train yourself to take in less water when breathing from it? I know this seems to be an "issue" with you, but the real answer is almost never - and if your buddy is close, you should not have a problem - but it almost never happens because todays equipment is well made and engineered - if it really, really, is going to bother you to the point you don't want to dive - get a pony bottle w/ a separate regulator and the problem is solved.

3. The classroom portion of the OW course said that the dive knife could be used as a tool to communicate with your buddy by hitting it against your tank. My Instructor said that this was a bad idea because you can accidentally cut a hose. I like the idea of being able to communicate with my buddy with sound. Is there a way of doing this without compromising safety? What tools can be used? Tank bangers - a plastic piece on a bungie cord that goes around the tank that you pull back is often used - but your instructors caution about cutting a hose is a little bit of overkill - it adds a dimention of taking the knife out and putting it back in the sheath that you could probably do w/out at this stage - do us both a favor and don't get a tank/air activated signaling device - they are loud, true, but not everyone is interested in the sea fan or angel fish!

Thanks again!
Christina

Good luck, stick with it and welcome to ScubaBoard!

 

[ivobj]

(edited...)

1. In your opinion, what is the most common problem faced by a diver underwater and how can it be prevented?

2. How often do regulators tend to free-flow? What is the best way to prevent this and is it possible to train yourself to take in less water when breathing from it?

3. The classroom portion of the OW course said that the dive knife could be used as a tool to communicate with your buddy by hitting it against your tank. My Instructor said that this was a bad idea because you can accidentally cut a hose. I like the idea of being able to communicate with my buddy with sound. Is there a way of doing this without compromising safety? What tools can be used?

Thanks again!
Christina

My little contribution...

1. Hard to say, if everything is done properly, your regs tested, your equipment checked before every dive, problems are rare. Don't force yourself, go slowly and if in doubt, abort the dive, tehre shall be no problem (doesn't mean you should not be prepared to all of them, like mask clearing, and breathing from a freeflowing reg.

Mask clearing can happen with some frequency, not that it is a problem, there is no threat to you, but for example if your mask got foggy (common with new masks), best way is to let water go in and then clear, you may need to do that a few times during the dive with a new mask.

2. Probability is very, very, very, very low. If you test before the dive and service your reg regularly it should never happen, but it is good to be able to breath from a free flow reg, the secret is practice. When you return from a dive, after you surface, put your head in the water, press the purge of your reg and practice.

3. Cut a hose by just hitting the cylinder without strengh, not very likely because hoses should not be on the way, just don't hit near the valve. But honestly, I think there are many better ways to call your buddy's attention. In the first place, that should not be a concern as buddies are supposed to be paying attention on each other at all times, but if necessary and if you can reach his cylinder to hit with your knife, better hold his fin instead, no risk of him not looking at you.

 

[CDNScubaMoose]

My thoughts:

1) Awareness ... kind of broad but can include situational awareness of where your buddy is, status - what part of your dive your at (air consumption & NDL's), positional - proper trim and weighting in the water, and self - what are your abilities and how to stay within them or to get the proper training to expand them (and has been mentioned - take your time with some of them ... task loading can be rewarding but it can also get stressful).

2) Assuming that you are going to stick with warm water diving ... its very unlikely. I do most of my diving in the great lakes and even with proper reg choice (there are warm water regs and cold water reg options), proper reg maintence - freeflows do happen more often in these conditions (keep in mind we are talking high 30's low 40's on the temperature). In these conditions, redundancy is highly reccommended (i.e. pony bottles) but as said ... practice goes a long way. The other thing is, in class you have to emphasize that you are doing the skill correctly ... whereas I can atest to the fact that when I have had it happen ... the reg stayed fully in place and I probably looked like a chipmunk with my cheeks puffed out.

3) u/w noise makers - lots of options, just do it sparingly and keep in mind that buddy contact should be happening lots without the need for noise makers.

 

[Pro Dive USA]

You have recieved lots of very good input so far. Here is one more perspective.

1. Bouyancy Control and equipment familiarity (where is that dump valve anyway?) issues are the two most common problems we see with new divers. The good news is both are easily cured with experience. Additionally follow Jupiter31's advice and don't overload yourself with toys and extra tasks until you are comfortable with your bouyancy i.e. don't run before you can walk!

2. As CDNScubaMoose says, free flows are rare occurances in warm water and what most beginners think is a free flowing regularor is usually solved by just tapping the purge valve. By the way, if you ever get a genuinely free flowing regulator or any other 2nd stage malfunction, don't forget you have a bright yellow octopus hooked to your bc! It isn't there only for buddies who run out of air... You are allowed to use it too!

3. Rattles are low cost, distinctive and not rediculously loud ways of getting your buddies attention. XS Scuba and others make them and the price point is below $20 for many. Just be sure you don't turn into a rattle every two minutes diver... Many of us are down there because we love the piece and quiet!

Congrats again on your cert!!! Keep diving and learning... It sounds like you are off to a great start!

 

[GreenDestiny105]

Thank you to everyone for their helpful advice. I plan on renting all my equipment for now, because I don't have the money to buy new equipment and I'm not sure what my preferences are yet but I'm definitely going to invest in a tank rattle/banger. I'm also going to practice skills with my buddy whenever we go out on a dive. We're going to back to Pennekamp in a couple of weeks, so I'll keep you updated.

 

[GreenDestiny105]

Jupiter31- It feels good to know you hated when you started yet you've come so far. Now I know I won't always have huge knots in my stomach when I'm waiting to get in the water, lol.