Beau Peep Notice Board
Beau Peep Notice Board => Outpourings => Topic started by: Sandy Buttcheeks on October 31, 2014, 06:40:59 PM
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Finally! After a few weeks of emailing and finally Facebook messaging a club (my first ever Facebook interaction), I go for a trial dive on Monday. Looking forward to it. Apparently, if I'm good at it, they'll let me surface again.
:)
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In a swimming pool or in the sea? If it's the former, I refuse to call it "diving". The name for this is "briefly submerging in a silly outfit". I do wish you well, though. Let us know how it goes.
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Just don't try it in the Dundee United penalty area. You could end up with a lengthy ban!
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Remember to pop in here on Tuesday to give us the thumbs up sign that you made it.
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I am not long back from briefly submerging in a silly outfit. It was excellent and I didn't realise it would be so enlightening. I saw such underwater wonders...missing tile grout, a long dead hair clasp, and deeply submerged (well, 2.1 metres) strands of hair that looked just like strands of hair.
I am hooked though. The peace and calm of the underwater experience is brilliant and once I learn to swim the right way, up and not side-on like a fairground goldfish, all will be well. Can't wait until next week. I may bring my grouting tool.
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What kind of hair doesn't float?
Please don't answer that.
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Did you find any chewing gum?
When I was a kid they didn't go in for all that pool cleaning they do now - just made us walk though some icy cold bleach water on the way in and out and that was us sorted.
Glad you didn't embarrass us by drowning.
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Have you tried blowing air rings yet?
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Have you tried blowing air rings yet?
Yes, but it was an accident...honest. Cleared the pool, mind you. :-[
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Have you tried blowing air rings yet?
Yes, but it was an accident...honest. Cleared the pool, mind you. :-[
You were not wearing a wet suit then.
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Well done. I remember when aqualungs and breathing apparatus were sexy. James Bond, plus TV series like Sea Quest had divers bobbing up, giving their thumbs up and the "ok" sign, with a dagger strapped to their thigh. Quite the exotic caper.
Now every silly arse is doing it. No offence.
I used to date a diver, she kept her gear in the bath. She later went on to create Meerkat Manor. Lovely girl.
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Have you tried blowing air rings yet?
Yes, but it was an accident...honest. Cleared the pool, mind you. :-[
You were not wearing a wet suit then.
Not intentionally.
Well done. I remember when aqualungs and breathing apparatus were sexy. James Bond, plus TV series like Sea Quest had divers bobbing up, giving their thumbs up and the "ok" sign, with a dagger strapped to their thigh. Quite the exotic caper.
I'm sure there will be a time shortly, when I'm wishing it was The Bahamas and then a refreshing shower-off, and not Loch Long and then a hurried towel-down of bits that I was sure were there when I went into the water. :-[
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I've only ever dived on the pool or dorset or quarries. Highest outside water temp was 15 degrees, lowest was 8.
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Do you have an underwater camera Bill?
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And if so, that was a bit careless, wasn't it?!
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And if so, that was a bit careless, wasn't it?!
It's ok, it's divx. ..0
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Do you have an underwater camera Bill?
Olympus Ixus 950 IS with waterproof case (to 40m) but only used it in the pool before we stopped diving.
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Well there probably isn't much to see or should be seen in a public pool is there. It will be nice when you get out in the sea.
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Diving update...
Week 4 and I have now swapped regulators (and saliva) underwater with my buddy. I have cleared my mask many times by snorting out the water (and saliva). I have cast aside (and retrieved) my regulator and I have learned to walk into the pool like a real diver.
Does life get any better? :)
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Does life get any better? :)
Unless your "buddy" is Scarlett Johansson, definitely!
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Did you step into the pool or forward roll?
Were your eyes closed when you ditched and retrieved your regulator?
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Did "The Big Step"...as they cleverly call taking a big step into the pool. I am also quite proud that I managed to keep both mask and regulator attached to my person. I believe we roll on in next week.
I had my eyes open for the retrieval as we did it with mask on. In fairness though, I did do the mask on and off too and that went well. Eyes closed but no outrageous panic...just a bit of trying to keep calm and remember to use the mouth for breathing.
Great fun Bill, just wish I had started it years ago (with Scarlett Johansson, of course!)
:)
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The forward roll is most spectacular ... providing you get it right. Otherwise you just look stoopid.
The secret is not trying too hard and letting gravity work.
The hardest thing I've had to do is the ditch & don (just like James Bond). Wearing full gear, pootle to the 4m point of the pool, remove all gear and make safe (including switching off the cylinder), then return to the surface. Then return to the kit and put it all back on again. Sounds simple, but you use most of your breath just swimming (no diving down) down to the kit. Then its get the bloody regulator in the mouth, breathe in some water, curse, then switch on the cylinder, breathing in some more water then air. After that its relatively simple - providing you put your weight belt over your knee as you are kneeling on the bottom. The alternative is hilarious.
p.s. I did this for my Master Scuba Diver qual (under NAUI regs) and not through BSAC.
Another fun thing before this is to hold the BCD, cylinder (and loads of hoses) and mask, then jump in. Get down to the 4m point, then switch on the air and breathe, then don all the gear correctly.
Fun times.
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I'm impressed, Bill. It was nerve wracking enough taking my mask fully off, let alone do an underwater striptease. It's amazing though, how experience always tells. Our own Dive Master came in to oversee the lesson and when it came to do the mask off manoeuvre, a simple action from him was a major factor. As we went to take the mask off, he laid a hand on the shoulder. Instantly made things calmer because you physically felt the presence.
Like I said, I wish I had started this years ago when I first thought about it. Amazing. 8)
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You're so right about the calming effect. Just remember to breathe calmly and chill out (although 8 degrees water temp in March off a RIB in Kimmeridge bay) does to chill you if you are only wearing a wetsuit).
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You can't wear a duffel coat, then?
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I'm designing thermal pants.
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You can't wear a duffel coat, then?
There's nothing wrong with wearing a duffel coat. Might make the knees a bit cold. Oh, and probably you won't be able to get back out of the water with the weight.
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I'm designing thermal pants.
Not heard of the wooly bear suit you wear under the drysuit?
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I'm designing thermal pants.
Not heard of the wooly bear suit you wear under the drysuit?
Oh aye....nice and cosy looking too. The cynical part of me, however, thinks that seeing as how the dive club haven't mentioned how cold a Scottish Loch is in March, it means that it's really bloody freezing and they don't want to scare me off !!
Might even treat myself to some nice fleece shorts...mmmmmmmmmmmm ! ..0
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I've holidayed in Aviemore in March almost every year for the past 30 (time share), and one of the traditions is coffee and carrot cake at The Boathouse, on the shores of Loch Insch. It's a beautiful spot, and only a few years since the weather was so stunning for the whole week, that we were actually sunbathing on the sands, in swimwear, in sweltering heat...in March!
Of course, the following year the loch was completely frozen over.
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I have to hand it to my dive club, they are trying to acclimatise me well. The dive pool (I now refuse to call it a swimming pool, as I believe I am superior to that now ..0) is about 2 degrees away from having Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet drifting past on a bit of flotsam. The pool staff also have this lovely habit of turning the showers to cold if we are 5 mins overtime. Personal shrinkage is becoming a growing concern. :-[
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It will be c.c.c.c.c.c.c.c.cold
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Diving update.
I can confirm that a dry suit in a swimming pool, is poorly named. I have never sweated so much in rubber, since a party in...ahem, well that's another story. I came out drookit !
It was really good though, and totally different from the buoyancy jacket. It was rather bizarre trying to control the air in the suit, and I'm glad the training instructors paid close attention to me, as I went foot end up several times. I have never been so scared of a potential fart since a poor curry in the early 90's.
Tell you what though Bill, fair play to anyone who does that day in day out. Kitting up is a task in itself, and I ended up with two women undressing me. Which sounds fine until I tell you that both of them said "Keep a hold of your shorts", literally in unison. I daren't mention how they slagged my snorkel!
So it's theory in a fortnight and then, I think, it is into the open water. My advancing years allows me a bit of trepidation in this. I may have to paint "help" on the soles of my boots.
Great fun.
;D
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Tight rubber clothes...women undressing you...are you SURE you're at the right class?
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Never been surer. 8)
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Down, Periscope!
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No point in painting 'Help' on your boots. It goes on the underside of the fins.
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Good point. I'm going to develop fins with built in flares.
Money...come to Daddy!
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Written exam passed. Not only do I know it's wrong to drown, I can pick out the reason in a multiple choice situation.
Open water, here I come.
;D
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Be careful out there Aquaman.
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Written exam passed. Not only do I know it's wrong to drown, I can pick out the reason in a multiple choice situation.
Open water, here I come.
;D
Your wife bought you a paddling pool because you learned to write?