Things I learned in first 20 dives

[Adam Grose]

The one main thing I learned in my first 20 dives (just did #20 this weekend)..... Make sure you put your weights in BEFORE you get in the water.

 

[tracydr]

I'll add a few, although you're normally nearer 200 dives when you learn this lessons:

• skip-breathing will conserve gas, but it will give you a splitting headache
• there is just no way to look physically attractive whilst wearing dive gear; not before going down, and certainly not after coming up
• don't forget to learn from less experienced divers - their infectious enthusiasm reminds us of the simple joys in diving
• like teenagers and beer, nitrogen narcosis seems like fun at first, but it is all too easy to go over the top too soon
• your worst day stuck on the surface wishing you were underwater is still better than your best day stuck underwater wishing you were on the surface
• if you cannot see your buddy anywhere, then s/he is almost certainly hovering above you

Apologies if any of those are 'repeats'.

I've been told my black thinsulate undergarment is very sexy!

 

[tdtaylor]

Fabulous lists. My face now hurts from smiling so hard.

Two things that have not been listed:

1. While I may look like the aforementioned guppy in my drysuit/wetsuit, the young gentlemen divers/DMs on the boats definitely don't think the same about my slender college freshman daughter in her wetsuit. The good side is there is always a young man willing to give her a hand. And I'm sure she'd look good in the thinsulate.

2. Make sure you take off you wrist computer before putting on your drysuit- it may still read air pressure from the inside, but depth and everything associated will be considerably off (fortunately I had other backup gear on my hip). Put this one in the Stupid category.

Terry

 

[CindyMac]

If I lost 30 pounds diving would be easier, I would probably use less air and weight.


I don't enjoy seeing myself in a wetsuit. Can't imagine other people's view.

I'm so with you! I had really good intentions to lose at least 25lbs before our Bonaire trip, but that doesn't seem too likely with it coming up in about 10 days. Oh, well, some of my companions are a bit fluffy, too!

 

[DukeAMO]

Things I learn't in my first 20 dives.
Don't inflate your DSMB using air you have just breathed out through your exhaust valve while in the presence of a BSAC instructor ( I know its a bad practice but using my Poseidon Cyclones it works very well )

Why is that a bad idea? I recently saw someone doing that on YouTube, source of all knowledge , and thought I might try it next time. It looked easier than using your mouth or the octo.

I see that this is a resurrected thread, but a good one.

BTW, my kids (ages 3 and 5) saw a photo of me in a thick wetsuit today, and nearly died laughing.

 

[ajduplessis]

Analise your gas and label your cylinders before every dive!!
Have a dive plan and stick to it no matter what!
High workload on any dive is never a good idea.

 

[Latitude 59]

In first 20 dives I learned:
Learned smiling underwater can cause regulator and mask to leak.
That it is possible to laugh underwater.
That I can refrain from blinking just as long as a shark is near me!
That there are sights underwater that can take your breath away, leave you awestruck and hooked for life.
That putting on fins on shore dive near surf zone needs to take 0.2 nanoseconds!

 

[SlowlySinking]

Laugh more, diving is more fun when you relax.

And I learned that laughing makes your mask leak...

 

[fjpatrum]

Not quite in my first 20 dives but within my first 30... diving dry for cold water is waaaaaaaaaay better than diving wet.

Also, panicked divers are scary as hell. Be prepared.

 

[phoenix31tt]

its amazing to see how correct weighting and proper buoyancy control makes diving much more enjoyable... and it was already enjoyable to begin with