Yes, I have. The difference is astonishing!Originally Posted by nswef
Yes, I have. The difference is astonishing!
Yes, I do plan to get up there sooner rather than later!
Forgot to post about the very neat experience I had last weekend.
Did a chamber dive today at the only hyperbaric chamber in the area that is open to taking divers and other emergencies. It's in a hospital that is a Level I trauma center. We were taken down to 130 ft. There were 12 of us. We had empty water bottles and balloons to demonstrate Boyle's Law. When we were descending it was very hot - around 100 degrees. As we were coming up, it cooled down and actually got foggy in the chamber (they can't totally dry out the air fed to the chamber). It was funny to see. We took brought our dive computers into the chamber with us, immersing them in water to activate them. It was neat watching my computer throughout the "dive."
This was an opportunity to experience getting "narced" - have nitrogen narcosis - in a very controlled environment. Invaluable for when you're at depth. It goes away when you ascend. It's very similar to being drunk. I had a buzz going.
I got very silly and giggly when narced. I had a very high pitched voice at depth due to the pressure change. Minnie Mouse on steroids! One diving family was there - dad (an instructor), mom, and their three teenaged sons, who were very funny to watch as they got narced.
The respiratory therapist in charge of the chamber did a very good 45 minute lecture beforehand. He has been at the hospital for about 30 years and has been doing these presentations and chamber dives since 1994, when they began at the request of the local Chicago dive community. He said more than 1000 divers have been through the chamber. They only see 2-3 cases of DCS a year. He talked about DCS (Decompression Sickness), AGE (Arterial Gas Embolism), etc., from a medical perspective, which was an interesting difference from the way it was taught in OW classes. However, one of my instructors is a nurse, so she had inserted some of the medical perspective in my OW course.
Tradd: I'm glad this has turned out to be such an enjoyable hobby for you!
Rosa, now that I'm getting past the issues (leaking mask, anxiety, etc.), I'm able to relax and enjoy it so much more!
Went to our local quarry today. First dive we were on the shallow side. It was my first time diving with my pony (extra air for emergencies) tank outside of a pool. I was very lopsided. Need to play with it more tomorrow at Pearl Lake (quarry on Illinois/Wisconsin border), maybe adjust how much weight I'm carrying. On the second dive, we went down to the Flamingo (33 ft cabin cruiser) and an old fire truck on the deep side. We got down to 50 ft, which is the deepest I've been yet! Yay! We're certified down to 60 ft right now. Buddy took the photos with his GoPro. First is on the fire truck, the second is on the Flamingo. It was a great day, great confidence builder since I didn't pop to the top, have any anxiety issues, etc.
Went to a quarry on the IL/WI border yesterday. It's spring fed, so the water has a different quality than the groundwater fed quarry with the green water.
Me on our safety stop at end of first dive (when you've dove deeper than 40' (maybe?) it's good practice to do a safety stop for 3 minutes at 15-20' to off gas some of the nitrogen in your blood). Camera was on a lanyard on my wrist, but I just extended my arm to buddy, who took the camera from me to take the pic.
Looking up towards the surface while on our safety stop
World War II U-boat sub replica (33' long)
A bluegill on the sub
This was an open water certification dive for a big class (8-10 people) from a dive shop. They came out of the blue as buddy and I were taking a break on a training platform. I was closer to them, and buddy thought I was going to get kicked, but didn't. They were all over the place! Looked like they were having fun, though!
I just wish the photos didn't have the time/date stamp.This was the first time I had taken this camera underwater. It's an Intova Nova HD. Basically a GoPro knockoff. Think I paid $130 for it. A friend had one (the picture with me and all the fish taken last October were taken with this camera) and I liked it. Nice big buttons that are easy to work with gloves on. I had gotten it last November, but it wouldn't recognize a memory card, so I exchanged it with the manufacturer. I think I'll take this camera on the Lake Huron diving trip and do stills. Buddy has a nice GoPro and can do video. My camera does video, but I'm much more into stills.
And, yes, I do plan on taking an underwater photography class once my buoyancy is better.
I dove the Great Lakes for the first time yesterday! Southern Lake Michigan, out of Hammond, IN. Buddy took the great pic of me, and I uploaded my vids to YouTube. Wrecks were the David Dows, a wooden schooner that went down in 1889, and the Material Service Barge, a steel barge that went down in 1936 with 15 men.
GOPR0545.jpg
https://youtu.be/U-2PRwbkfQ4
https://youtu.be/9V-M8VzfHuw
https://youtu.be/bgNIPNlmUaU
https://youtu.be/WfHyKUth39A
Lake Huron trip is in a bit less than a month. I've been working really hard and yesterday's dives were sort of the culmination of that. Had a ball. Loved being out on the lake. Yes, my "trim" (being horizontal in the water) needs work, but that will come. Yesterday was dives 45 and 46.
Wow, that is amazing! Thanks for sharing.. congratulations on your great progress. The videos really helped to bring your experience to life!
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
www.silententry.wordpress.com
I completed my 50th dive yesterday!
I'll have my Advanced rating after night dives on Saturday. Lake Huron trip in two weeks!
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