scububa
October 26th, 2008, 06:39 PM
Made a day trip down to TRL. Meet SLIM at the marina and we did a deco dive to allow me to practice and refine.
We did 160' at a site where I haven't been that deep. As typical, SLIM kept me on my toes. Even though this wasn't a formal class dive and we were just scuba diving, he gave me a couple of things to recognize. Nothing real tricky, but several things to make sure I am paying attention. Also, pre-planned that I would breath off a stage. I needed to get it deplete to set up a deco mix and it let me practice a gas switch.
After turning the dive and beginning the ascent SLIM was slightly above me and I got stuck under a tree, not branches, but something solid. I was satisfied that I immediately relaxed and thought about the situation. I had recently switched to back gas and was aware I had a complete load of gas. I wasn't able to go up and when I tired to descend I was hung. I reached up and felt around and was able to ease myself back and down. I slid to the right to resume my ascent. Still no go. Backed up, still couldn't see much, more right, bump again. Finally, next move and I could go up. I had come up under, essentially, a down fall. The good thing was it coincided with my deep stop depth. I figured SLIM was watching, after the dive, he told me he was right above me dealing with the same thing.
When we got to the first deco (I was diving and decoing on air), SLIM didn't need the same deco. I realized we turned the dive sooner than planned. Well, after a few minutes deco and realizing SLIM had to deal with my decoing, too, I realized that I had my tables in my pocket to adjust to my actual bottom time.
Good dive, nice day and a few real world situations to deal with.
When we got back to the marina, SLIM had to make a couple of dives at the docks. One to attempt to retrieve something a boater dropped. The second was a guy with a larger boat and one engine out paniced and dropped his anchor as he was worried he would hit the shore in the light wind. He got it fouled in the dock holding cables and SLIM freed it and gave it a lift bag assist to keep it off the cables.
We did 160' at a site where I haven't been that deep. As typical, SLIM kept me on my toes. Even though this wasn't a formal class dive and we were just scuba diving, he gave me a couple of things to recognize. Nothing real tricky, but several things to make sure I am paying attention. Also, pre-planned that I would breath off a stage. I needed to get it deplete to set up a deco mix and it let me practice a gas switch.
After turning the dive and beginning the ascent SLIM was slightly above me and I got stuck under a tree, not branches, but something solid. I was satisfied that I immediately relaxed and thought about the situation. I had recently switched to back gas and was aware I had a complete load of gas. I wasn't able to go up and when I tired to descend I was hung. I reached up and felt around and was able to ease myself back and down. I slid to the right to resume my ascent. Still no go. Backed up, still couldn't see much, more right, bump again. Finally, next move and I could go up. I had come up under, essentially, a down fall. The good thing was it coincided with my deep stop depth. I figured SLIM was watching, after the dive, he told me he was right above me dealing with the same thing.
When we got to the first deco (I was diving and decoing on air), SLIM didn't need the same deco. I realized we turned the dive sooner than planned. Well, after a few minutes deco and realizing SLIM had to deal with my decoing, too, I realized that I had my tables in my pocket to adjust to my actual bottom time.
Good dive, nice day and a few real world situations to deal with.
When we got back to the marina, SLIM had to make a couple of dives at the docks. One to attempt to retrieve something a boater dropped. The second was a guy with a larger boat and one engine out paniced and dropped his anchor as he was worried he would hit the shore in the light wind. He got it fouled in the dock holding cables and SLIM freed it and gave it a lift bag assist to keep it off the cables.