Things I learned in first 20 dives

[annlaur]

I learned both of these on the same dives LOL. I was having issues with my mask and the DM said well don't put it on so tight. I'm like but wait? But if I put it on loose won't water leak in how wrong I was. When I got back in the water for the next dive I barely put my mask on my face and no more leaks :cool2: Then about 10 minutes later my face started itching, then that turned to burn and I could feel bumps on my face. The mooring lines in Montserrat aren't as clean as some other dive locations and the newb I was (am) I ran my hand up and down the line then inadvertently touched my face at some point. Thank god for spray bottles of vinegar!!!! My face smelled like a Jersey shore french fry for the rest of the SI but it was better than the sting!

Ouch !
I got very lightly stunk on the calf by a cut-up piece of hidroid on the surface (damn thing kept floating towards me because of the surge), and it hurt pretty bad, like a stinging nettle. Can't imagine how painful it must have been on the face.

 

[Kbach]

yes it makes things a LOT easier. Before I had it clipped on the bottom left of the BC and I almost felt like I had stretch the cord to it's limits and shift the BC sideways just to view it. Now I just lift it off my chest a little bit while still swimming and then put it back down. No stopping or hassle involved whatsoever. Just put it through your left armhole then connect it to a ring on the opposite side of your jacket.

I liked this tip alot. Ran down to the basement and slapped my BCD on, draped my regs around my neck. Looks like a go to me, but I'm a little confused on the 'put it through your left armhole'. What is the benefit?

 

[drrich2]

1.) You can run out of air pretty fast stressed & in cold water.

2.) Frequent SPG air pressure checks should be your new nervous habit.

3.) I love tank bangers - take them on Bonaire trips. It's easy for you & a buddy to get 15 or 20' apart ogling the reef in warm, great viz. water & calm seas. IF you ran out of air, getting to him &/or getting him to notice you fast could be briefly nerve-wracking. Or you may want to show him a neat sea creature you found. I get that there are other ways to do this, but always make sure you can make a racket & get your buddy's attention fast.

4.) 60' (or 90, for that matter) feels just like 30' (aside from denser air being a little more resistive to breathing), but that's a whole lot of water over your head, and a long ways to swim up if you were to run out of air, which goes faster when you're at depth. Hence 2.), above.

5.) Take photos. You won't remember most of the details of your dives as time (& more dives) passes.

6.) A dive computer that has a PC download option so you can view your profiles on your computer, see your average depth for the dive (not just the single deepest point), etc..., is nice.

7.) Making a book like with Make your own book. Make it great. is a great way to share your experiences with non-divers, and relive past trips yourselves. There are other services that can do this, too.

8.) I greatly prefer a weight-integrated BCD to a weight belt (because I pivoted uncontrollably in the latter, & a chunky guy shaped like a bowling pin in a wet suit with a weight belt that slips off his gut & then has little to catch it needs a weight-integrated BCD!!!).

9.) A Bonaire trip with a group is a good way to rack up a lot of additional OW dives.

10.) I greatly prefer diving without a wet suit.

Richard.

 

[diver_doug]

things I learned in my first 20 dives:

-people of all ages, races, and classes are interested in talking to SCUBA divers.
-almost everything about SCUBA diving sucks...except for SCUBA diving.
-it’s better to own your own gear
-keep your hands out of crevices, sometimes there’s eels in there.
-cutting a sock in half and putting it on your hand makes donning a wetsuit much easier
-sometimes I do things that are totally stupid.
-split fins are not for me
-if you know what you want to buy, don’t justify something cheaper...you’ll spend more money in the long run
-black, red, and fluorescent yellow look awesome together
-stairs were made by the devil.
-if a dive knife seems like it could accidentally come out of the sheath, it can.
-I hate snorkels (while diving)
-people give solo divers way less grief when they have a pony
-a seal is scary as hell when it shoots past you in 10ft vis.
-kelp is a conscious entity, and if you don’t respect it, it will demand your respect
-An Icee or Slurpee are nothing compared to the magnitude of brain freeze that can be caused by “no hood+thermocline”
-if you leave wet scuba gear in your car for a day, your car smells like you’ve got a dead hooker in the trunk
-if the surf is too big, stay out of the water.
-the world is a better place after a day of diving

 

[Tortuga68]

cutting a sock in half and putting it on your hand makes donning a wetsuit much easier

A plastic bag works even better, and you don't have to cut your socks up

if you leave wet scuba gear in your car for a day, your car smells like you’ve got a dead hooker in the trunk

I'm not going to ask how you know this

 

[RonzoTheGreat]

cool post ... not sure how long you have really been diving but if you really learned all that in the first 20, thats pretty sick ... (and accurate for the most part)
well done and thank you

I hate snorkels.

You can descend through a school of barracuda and not get attacked.

Goliath grouper are huge.

There is no depth police at 60 feet.

Drift dives over reefs in 35 feet of water are easy and fun.

Six packs are alot better than cattle boats.

If a diver appears nervous or seems to be having trouble they probably are.

Even people with alot of dives, diving tattoos and locally known don't always have the best diving skills (as they crash into reefs and don't seem knowledgeable about their gear) no matter how cool they talk.

If you make an effort to work on bouyancy it does get better.

While still a gas hog, it does get better with each dive.

Waiting to buy your gear for a while is great advice, however, with alot of research, a knowledgeable LDS, scubaboard and talking to alot of divers, you can buy your gear as you can afford it and be happy with it.

Gigantic knives are not always the answer (my dive buddy with the sword knife continually asks to "borrow" my four inch knife with tank knocker while on dives).

Not everyone believes in or practices safety stops.

I plan to kill lionfish as I get more comfortable diving.

When you roll in off the boat.....hold your mask.

Turtles are alot bigger than I thought.

Current will make you use more air.

When on a cattleboat with an instuctor and his class the instructor will not hesitate to swim right over you, tangle your flag lines and then cut your line.

Stay away from somebody learning how to use their new speargun.

Most rental tanks won't have 3000 psi.

Halcyon has incredible customer service.

Listen to the DM briefing.

Do not rinse your mask in the bucket designated for cameras.

Make sure the captain and DM are aware of your lack of experience so they don't try to drop you on a wreck in 90 feet of water on your second dive ever in life.

Most experienced divers are more than willing to talk to a newbie and offer advice and experiences. They will even point stuff out to you during the dive.

Octopus really do squirt ink.

A huge ray swimming on the bottom out of no where is an awesome sight.

AOW and nitrox certs are a must. (for me)

Snorkeling after diving is not the same.

I have to learn to take incredible pictures like some of you take.

Not everybody on the dive boat appreciates it when you bring up a Diet Coke can from the bottom.

Going through security in the airport with a carry on full of dive gear WILL cost you extra searching.

The person on the boat that smells like alcohol will be a problem at some point. 2 for 2 on this one.

There is too much fishing line on wrecks and reefs.

I am consumed with getting better and diving as often as I can.

I got lots of advice and information through this site.

Buck

 

[skwidly]

things I learned in my first 20 dives:

-the world is a better place after a day of diving

++++1

 

[stakanak]

Things I learned on my first 20 dives:
1.Don't panic
2.Do not panic
3.Keep your head...and do not panic
4.Stop, breath, and don't react until you are in control and have your wits about you!
I am a new diver and will never stop saying this mantra. I believe I stole it from some of the wisest posters on this board, and theft be damned, it can save your life!
Get Wet!

 

[liuk3]

There are two kinds of wetsuit divers - those who admit they pee in their wetsuits and those who lie about it...

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

Things I learned on my first 20 dives:
1.Don't panic
2.Do not panic
3.Keep your head...and do not panic
4.Stop, breath, and don't react until you are in control and have your wits about you!
I am a new diver and will never stop saying this mantra. I believe I stole it from some of the wisest posters on this board, and theft be damned, it can save your life!
Get Wet!

Why are you panicing? Or about to anyways?