dumpsterDiver
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That is pretty damn funny.. say what you will do and do what you say.. is not bad advice..
Your biggest "lessons learned"
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That is pretty damn funny.. say what you will do and do what you say.. is not bad advice..
1. Listen to that little voice inside you. It's trying to tell you something. When it says "Maybe I shouldn't dive this site" because of the conditions or some other reason, listen to it. That's the time to perk up and take notice that something doesn't feel right... Ask yourself why? What's going on? What's not apparent? NEVER let other divers pressure you into a something you don't want to do when you know it's not right.
2. Bad problems usually start with one small problem... and then another small problem... and then another small problem... Be alert for that first small problem that doesn't seem like it will be any problem.
3. Remember your training and adhere to it. You took the class for a reason.
4. Remember that scuba is supposed to be fun!
2. Bad problems usually start with one small problem... and then another small problem... and then another small problem... Be alert for that first small problem that doesn't seem like it will be any problem.
3. Remember your training and adhere to it. You took the class for a reason.
4. Remember that scuba is supposed to be fun!
Great thread, Rob!
My first lesson after certification (because there were several during) was having a freeflow in about 30 feet of water. Although I had been taught, of course, that you could breathe off a free-flowing regulator, I was entirely unprepared for the decreased vision and the horrible NOISE you are surrounded by when it happens. Although I accepted my buddy's regulator to breathe from, and we got to the surface without completely losing control, my buoyancy stank. That was my first tip that I'm dangerously dependent on a visual reference, and it was also the first object lesson in how anxiety changes your breathing and complicates buoyancy control. I also learned how darned fast a freeflow empties even a big tank.
The next one I remember was sailing off the top of a wall with my friend Bob, and putting my arms out wide to fly, grinning widely, and . . . flooding my mask. For some reason, I could NOT get it to clear, and after several attempts, I got vertigo. It was very dark, and I thought I was somersaulting, and I realized I had forgotten to ask an important question about the site, which is how deep the bottom of the wall was. In the dark, unable to see, unable to communicate, and subjectively sure I was tumbling wildly through the water, I felt, for the first time since OW, the urge to bolt. And it was having had that experience before that let me pound it down and stay in control until I could salvage the situation. Lesson learned was that incipient panic can be felt before it's out of control, and can be averted.
The third one I am going to talk about is not a basic scuba dive, but the lessons are pertinent. I had flown back to Florida to dive with some friends at a place called the Mill Pond. We were going cave diving in a cave I had dived before, Jackson Blue. However, the prior time, it was in drought conditions in Florida, and the flow out of the cave was very mild. This time, it was like trying to swim down a firehose. I was in the lead, and I negotiated the first part reasonably well, but I was working very hard and breathing hard. We did a big drop through a slot, where the flow was stronger yet, and got to the bottom. I was looking ahead to figure out how I was going to get from where I was to the next place I could hold on for a bit, and I realized I didn't want to be there. I wasn't scared, but I wasn't having fun, and I didn't want to keep going. Now, behind me was my husband, who had also flown 3000 miles to do these dives, and behind him our friends, who I was also going to deprive of a dive if I called it. But I seriously just didn't want to be where I was, doing what I was doing, and I remembered the principle that anyone can call a dive at any time, for any reason, without recriminations. And I thumbed it. The astonished look on the faces of my companions was hard to see, but we turned around and went out. I explained what happened at the surface, and we all rested, regrouped and changed leaders, and went back in in a little while and had a lovely dive.
Lesson? There is ALWAYS another dive, so long as you come back from this one. If you don't want to be where you are, go somewhere you want to be. And don't let worry about what other people want or will think stop you from backing out of a dive where you aren't comfortable.
Ten years . . . I could write tons more, and I have posted some of my blunders here over the years. I guess the final "lesson learned" is that we all make mistakes, and the important thing is not to assign blame for something, but to learn from what didn't work well, and change your response in the future.
My first lesson after certification (because there were several during) was having a freeflow in about 30 feet of water. Although I had been taught, of course, that you could breathe off a free-flowing regulator, I was entirely unprepared for the decreased vision and the horrible NOISE you are surrounded by when it happens. Although I accepted my buddy's regulator to breathe from, and we got to the surface without completely losing control, my buoyancy stank. That was my first tip that I'm dangerously dependent on a visual reference, and it was also the first object lesson in how anxiety changes your breathing and complicates buoyancy control. I also learned how darned fast a freeflow empties even a big tank.
The next one I remember was sailing off the top of a wall with my friend Bob, and putting my arms out wide to fly, grinning widely, and . . . flooding my mask. For some reason, I could NOT get it to clear, and after several attempts, I got vertigo. It was very dark, and I thought I was somersaulting, and I realized I had forgotten to ask an important question about the site, which is how deep the bottom of the wall was. In the dark, unable to see, unable to communicate, and subjectively sure I was tumbling wildly through the water, I felt, for the first time since OW, the urge to bolt. And it was having had that experience before that let me pound it down and stay in control until I could salvage the situation. Lesson learned was that incipient panic can be felt before it's out of control, and can be averted.
The third one I am going to talk about is not a basic scuba dive, but the lessons are pertinent. I had flown back to Florida to dive with some friends at a place called the Mill Pond. We were going cave diving in a cave I had dived before, Jackson Blue. However, the prior time, it was in drought conditions in Florida, and the flow out of the cave was very mild. This time, it was like trying to swim down a firehose. I was in the lead, and I negotiated the first part reasonably well, but I was working very hard and breathing hard. We did a big drop through a slot, where the flow was stronger yet, and got to the bottom. I was looking ahead to figure out how I was going to get from where I was to the next place I could hold on for a bit, and I realized I didn't want to be there. I wasn't scared, but I wasn't having fun, and I didn't want to keep going. Now, behind me was my husband, who had also flown 3000 miles to do these dives, and behind him our friends, who I was also going to deprive of a dive if I called it. But I seriously just didn't want to be where I was, doing what I was doing, and I remembered the principle that anyone can call a dive at any time, for any reason, without recriminations. And I thumbed it. The astonished look on the faces of my companions was hard to see, but we turned around and went out. I explained what happened at the surface, and we all rested, regrouped and changed leaders, and went back in in a little while and had a lovely dive.
Lesson? There is ALWAYS another dive, so long as you come back from this one. If you don't want to be where you are, go somewhere you want to be. And don't let worry about what other people want or will think stop you from backing out of a dive where you aren't comfortable.
Ten years . . . I could write tons more, and I have posted some of my blunders here over the years. I guess the final "lesson learned" is that we all make mistakes, and the important thing is not to assign blame for something, but to learn from what didn't work well, and change your response in the future.
You "earn" those totally stunning dives.
TinFins
Contributor
Sipadan:
First dive of the day, supposed to do a blue water dive to 90 feet, we end up seeing two hammerheads and start chasing them. Ten minutes later I realize we are at 117 feet and two other divers in our group stayed up at 90 and definitely were not kicking as fast as us. I am now chasing my "buddy" and he is in another world, maybe narc'd, maybe super excited, but he was all about that shark.
My air is down to 400 psi, now I am in survival mode. My "buddy" the DM/Instructor was in front of me chasing the sharks, he was swimming faster than me and I couldn't catch up as swimming as hard as I could, now I am at 250 psi...
Now I am scared, I either make one big effort to catch my buddy or hope he turns around in the next 30 seconds, or try to get back to the other divers who were quite far away, or try to surface and risk getting bent without any gas for a safety stop.
I chose to kick like I've never kicked before and finally grabbed my buddy's fin. I explained my situation and we slowly went to our safety stop, I finished with 50 psi, he finished with 100. .
Morals of the story, don't try to chase sharks (they are way faster than you!), do not underestimate the huge amount of air you suck when you are sprinting at 117 feet, DMs are not a great substitute for your real dive buddy (my wife) who will always have your health and safety as their #1 priority, and get powerful rubber fins so you can be fast when needed.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
First dive of the day, supposed to do a blue water dive to 90 feet, we end up seeing two hammerheads and start chasing them. Ten minutes later I realize we are at 117 feet and two other divers in our group stayed up at 90 and definitely were not kicking as fast as us. I am now chasing my "buddy" and he is in another world, maybe narc'd, maybe super excited, but he was all about that shark.
My air is down to 400 psi, now I am in survival mode. My "buddy" the DM/Instructor was in front of me chasing the sharks, he was swimming faster than me and I couldn't catch up as swimming as hard as I could, now I am at 250 psi...
Now I am scared, I either make one big effort to catch my buddy or hope he turns around in the next 30 seconds, or try to get back to the other divers who were quite far away, or try to surface and risk getting bent without any gas for a safety stop.
I chose to kick like I've never kicked before and finally grabbed my buddy's fin. I explained my situation and we slowly went to our safety stop, I finished with 50 psi, he finished with 100. .
Morals of the story, don't try to chase sharks (they are way faster than you!), do not underestimate the huge amount of air you suck when you are sprinting at 117 feet, DMs are not a great substitute for your real dive buddy (my wife) who will always have your health and safety as their #1 priority, and get powerful rubber fins so you can be fast when needed.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
Glad you made it.
If I am at 117 ft and anywhere close to 400 I have screwed up big time.
In hind sight you should have abandoned the DM way back closer to 1000 psi if you are at 117 ft and began the assent up.
To me the major take home message is to watch your air supply especially when you are down around 100 ft. Remember at that depth -
mind goes slow, air goes fast ---- so check frequently.
If I am at 117 ft and anywhere close to 400 I have screwed up big time.
In hind sight you should have abandoned the DM way back closer to 1000 psi if you are at 117 ft and began the assent up.
To me the major take home message is to watch your air supply especially when you are down around 100 ft. Remember at that depth -
mind goes slow, air goes fast ---- so check frequently.
TinFins
Contributor
I'm not an "experienced" diver (<50 dives still) but I've had a lot of "experiences" in my short diving career.
1) I'm a DIY type of person so when I decided to switch to BP/W configuration I found an old horse collar and converted it to an ~18# wing. Cheaper, recycled, and easy enough to do. In order to do the conversion, though, I had to cut out a CO2 inflator and move the dump. I had what appeared to be a successful conversion and went diving. At about 30-40 feet I pulled my dump and when I released it, my "wing" kept purging air. I'd sprung a leak in my patch. Notified my buddy, and continued about my dive. I think that was dive number 12 or so. Lessons learned: you can dive quite well with no BC and an equipment failure (single failure) doesn't have to absolutely end a dive if you are still comfortable and capable of continuing.
2) A couple years ago I went to Florida with my brother for a week-long diving trip shortly after he got certified. Weather issues turned it into basically three days instead of seven but we made the most of it. One of our days was a shore dive with a group we'd tagged up with through meetup. I posted about it here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...g/419747-memorable-shore-dive-experience.html Long story short, my brother and I ended up "rescuing" another diver. Me with less than 30 dives and my brother with less than 10. Lesson learned: it's never too early to think like a safe diver or a rescue diver; you could save someone's life.
3) As a new diver who dives mostly with insta-buddies I've had 30 something dives with 20 different buddies. I try to be a conscientious dive buddy but on two separate occasions I got complaints from my buddy. One because I misunderstood his intentions for thumbing a dive (completely unacceptable) and once for swimming "too fast" when I thought I was going slow. On both occasions I thought we had had good pre-dive discussions about dive expectations and apparently the other diver did too. Lessons learned-- have a more than cursory pre-dive discussion with your partner, especially an insta-buddy, and learn as much as you can about their diving habits and expectations. Also, it takes two people to make a good buddy team; we see a lot of comments about "so and so was a bad buddy", which certainly can be true, but it takes two to tango. Manage expectations.
1) I'm a DIY type of person so when I decided to switch to BP/W configuration I found an old horse collar and converted it to an ~18# wing. Cheaper, recycled, and easy enough to do. In order to do the conversion, though, I had to cut out a CO2 inflator and move the dump. I had what appeared to be a successful conversion and went diving. At about 30-40 feet I pulled my dump and when I released it, my "wing" kept purging air. I'd sprung a leak in my patch. Notified my buddy, and continued about my dive. I think that was dive number 12 or so. Lessons learned: you can dive quite well with no BC and an equipment failure (single failure) doesn't have to absolutely end a dive if you are still comfortable and capable of continuing.
2) A couple years ago I went to Florida with my brother for a week-long diving trip shortly after he got certified. Weather issues turned it into basically three days instead of seven but we made the most of it. One of our days was a shore dive with a group we'd tagged up with through meetup. I posted about it here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...g/419747-memorable-shore-dive-experience.html Long story short, my brother and I ended up "rescuing" another diver. Me with less than 30 dives and my brother with less than 10. Lesson learned: it's never too early to think like a safe diver or a rescue diver; you could save someone's life.
3) As a new diver who dives mostly with insta-buddies I've had 30 something dives with 20 different buddies. I try to be a conscientious dive buddy but on two separate occasions I got complaints from my buddy. One because I misunderstood his intentions for thumbing a dive (completely unacceptable) and once for swimming "too fast" when I thought I was going slow. On both occasions I thought we had had good pre-dive discussions about dive expectations and apparently the other diver did too. Lessons learned-- have a more than cursory pre-dive discussion with your partner, especially an insta-buddy, and learn as much as you can about their diving habits and expectations. Also, it takes two people to make a good buddy team; we see a lot of comments about "so and so was a bad buddy", which certainly can be true, but it takes two to tango. Manage expectations.
Hatul
Contributor
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