What did you learn from your very last dive...

[sabbath999]

I am curious what, if anything, you learned from your very last dive.

I am a NOOB so I learn a ton on each dive...

My last dive, I learned that 62 degrees is a LOT colder than 70 degrees, and was 62 down to the cline at about 33 feet, and 54 below it (or so I am told by another diver, I didn't go down there). OK, I know that sounds kind of silly, but I didn't realize how big the difference was in water temperature when compared to air temperature...

I dove the quarry yesterday with a surface temp of 62 degrees. It was 71 two weeks ago when I last dove it, and was 70 just a couple days earlier according to two different divers... (we have had a very big cold snap).

I wore a 5 mil farmer john & shorty (borrowed, I haven't bought my own suit yet) but I didn't have a hood or gloves.

When I first got it, it felt like my head was on fire it was so cold... and when that water went down my back into my crack... boy, that was darned near a religious experience (and I don't mean the good kind).

I went through a tank of air in about 50 minutes, we were swimming most of the time doing a run around the wall. The last 10 minutes we went to the training platform (12 feet down) and simply hovered above it, working on buoyancy skills. I called the dive at 600 PSI... I had planed to go to 500 (again, we were 12 feet down) but all that hovering in really cold water wasn't working for me... I started to feel funky (hard to explain, but I think my body was starting to get really annoyed with me for letting it get so cold) so I called it and we surfaced.

The air was only in the 50's with a 30mph wind, so it wasn't that warm up top either.

Even though we had a second set of tanks, and were planning a second dive, I called it because I really didn't think it was a good idea to get back into the water with my current level of coldness and equipment, so we cleaned up and went for a hike instead. The four other divers suiting up when we were leaving were all putting on drysuits, and they looked COMFY.

We only own one set of tanks, and the other set were rentals. We figured out from the state to go ahead and use the rentals first in case we need to call the second dive for some reason... no use using up the air in our own tanks and returning the rentals full!

I learned:

1) 62 degrees is COLD when you are not equipped for it

2) If you start to feel "funky" call the dive (we were just about done anyways)

3) Don't feel guilty about calling a dive (our second one) even though you have already paid for the dive... if you need to call it, call it and forget about it...

4) I need to buy a hood and some gloves.

What did you learn from your last dive?

 

[fairybasslet]

That I need to go back to Lembeh.

Seriously though, I think if you don't learn something new every day, whether or not you're diving, you're not really trying.

 

[ScubaSteve]

That it really sucks having to leave Bonaire. I also learned not to take advantage of Bonaire shore diving because TS Omar managed to take it from darn good visibility to much less than perfect visibility in a matter of time while we were on the island. Even a limited vis Bonaire diving day is better than a day at work.

 

[bamamedic]

I learned that I need to practice air sharing drills more often...

The first time I attempted to donate, the long hose was hung up on something behind my neck, and wouldn't come free. I was able to untangle it, but it took a min..."you really didn't need that air now, did you?"

The second time, when I was receiving air, I managed to let my buoyancy get away from me, and for the first time ever (in 83 dives) managed to ascend uncontrollably towards the surface. The surface was only 15 feet away, but I was still on my buddy's primary...had to switch back to my own regulator in a hurry...

The third attempt at an air sharing drill, we did it right!

 

[IceBergSlim]

I learned that the older I get:

The more my drysuit shrinks
My tanks become more negative on the boat
The boats leave earlier in the morning
The spaces between the ladder rungs increase
My mask makes my vision blurry
My students become younger
My wallet becomes thinner

 

[Walter]

I learned it's very difficult to do an artistic job of carving a pumpkin in 6 inch visibility when you are not allowed to premark the pumpkin.

 

[J.R.]

I learned that diving in a "much less than dry" drysuit is a PAIN IN THE.... Always remember to check all the seals... the zipper... AND THE DANG INFLATER GIZMO IN THE FRONT... (hummm... and the vent gizmo on the sleve to come to think of it...)...

 

[mkutyna]

I learned that theoretical students can be complete jerk-offs during mock OW check out dives.

 

[Blackwood]

That an 800 foot reel is a PITA.

 

[ligersandtions]

I remembered why I bought my drysuit (haven't learned to dive in it yet...) - at 80 feet, a 7mm feels like nothing, and 56F is already a bit chilly.

I learned that I'm very happy with the purchase of my new primary light....a Salvo Rat.

I learned that even in little to no surf, a rocky exit is still tough....and if you fall over, you should not do it in a place that an urchin is conveniently waiting for you to land.