January 19-22, 2007 Purpose: Mostly to get back into the water!!! I wanted to work on my newly acquired dive skills and also was doing a specialty class with Dave: Advanced Buoyancy. Michael tested out on that specialty too (as IF he needed it...he's already very good at that) as well as his Full Face Mask. I learned a lot from the 4 dives I got in this past weekend. I now have 9 total dives. :) When they say dive, dive, dive when new divers ask questions, they aren't kidding. You really do learn the most by doing it. One previous problem I had during my first few dives as well as this past weekend, I know the answer to now. Problem: The underside of my nose would hurt like crazy after diving and I didn't know if that was normal or what but it happens because the strap is sliding up the back of my head and putting more pressure on the underside of my nose from the mask. I thought it was just something I had to get used to. It's not life and death important but it sure helps to know why certain things are happening and how to stop it! Solution: Either purchase one of those non-slip straps or make sure to keep the strap in place on the back of your head where it belongs! Buoyancy The buoyancy thing has been my main worry and knowing that I was going to go through the specialty was freaking me out. Some of the problems I had with buoyancy included: *rolling to one side. I was able to stay in the correct position while finning along but if I stopped, I had the tendency to roll to one side, mostly to the right. I think most of the reason I had so many problems using Michael's DUI BCD is that I while I knew the air went into the wings, I didn't comprehend that you had to make sure the air was evenly dispersed into the bladder. Problem: trying to get neutral, add a little bit of air, roll over incorrectly. Most of the problem I had WAS that it is a very technical BCD to use but I still had some of the same problems using the Aeris Reefrider BCD which is not a jacket style BCD but not AS technical as the DUI. Solution: I finally figured it out though and had absolutely no rolling to one side problems when I stopped moving. If I added any air to the BCD, I tilted a little bit to the left so the air could go into the right side of the bladder and not just fill up the left side. I had to hover, upright, for a period of time and then I had to stand on my head and hover upside down. Here I was worried about the being upside down part and that was actually the easiest part of it! I'm a very cautious diver and Dave has been teaching me that it's okay to do things like somersaults and you know, just PLAY. He's smart. Playing is actually how you start learning what your body and equipment are doing at different times. I was wondering why in the world do I need to do a flip or roll over? It's because when you roll over, your buoyancy changes. When the tanks are UNDER you, while you're on your back, your buoyancy changes because the air in the BCD is at a lower depth and therefore, compressed more and not AS buoyant. But it changes as soon as the roll is complete and your tanks are above you. You also need to be aware of WHEN you inhale and exhale during the rollover. It's the difference between doing it fluidly and floundering around like a goober. Just For Fun After I finished the tests and stuff for the Advanced Buoyancy, Dave handed me his camera and told me to go have fun! I can't believe how many bad photos I took!!! No wonder Underwater Photography is a specialty in and of itself. You add just ONE different component to diving and your skills go to hell. Or at least, mine did. I can see it's going to take a lot of practice to get it all down. I can't wait though! I loved being able to take pictures even though most of them turned out horrible! Tip: Fish do NOT sit still for you to take photos! :-)
Equipment I wore a 5mm Excel wetsuit, my boots, a Aeris Reefrider BCD (10 lb. in weight), an 80 HP steel tank the first day and a 65 HP steel tank the second day and used a few different regulators. One set was an Aeris but don't know exactly which one and I had a chance to use Larry's reg set and have no idea which make it was. I really like the Aeris Reefrider BCD. I've worn a Uwatec jacket style BCD, Michael's DUI BCD and the Reefrider and I definitely like the RR best. During the last trip, I work a 5/3 mm hood but I didn't need it this trip and didn't get cold at any time during the dive. Just the wetsuit and the boots and I was very comfortable. I tend to get cold easy and was surprised that I didn't need the hood. This was my second trip to Alexander Springs, Florida and Michael's first. |
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All photos, graphics, & content © Renee Daughtry unless otherwise specified. Photo of me diving in top graphic by Larry Berry. |
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