Posted: 8/19/2016 1:21:07 AM EDT
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In the navigation portion of my AOW dives we had to measure distance by counting kicks and time. I averaged 30 kicks and 30 seconds to go 100 feet. I started noticing my legs were getting a real workout and I used more air than I thought normal. I was focusing hard on the nav part and this didn't click until after, but was I trying to go too fast? What would be a good "pace" to go 100 foot? During the mapping we were measuring and I was doing the drawing on a slate and not moving around much or very far, and I used a lot less air. I know being relaxed is the way to go and I'm thinking I was unconsciously going too fast. |
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The best pace is a slow one. You'll see just as much and use a lot less air.
Rookie divers tend to swim quickly because it makes up for the lack of buoyancy skills. Swimming fast provides lift which in turn keep you from sinking. Subsequently they tend to use a lot more air because it takes more energy to move thru the water faster rather than slower. More energy translates into greater gas consumption. The best skill you can master is good buoyancy and trim. This will allow you to travel more slowly thru the water and observe things you'd normally miss. |
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The best pace is a slow one. You'll see just as much and use a lot less air. Rookie divers tend to swim quickly because it makes up for the lack of buoyancy skills. Swimming fast provides lift which in turn keep you from sinking. Subsequently they tend to use a lot more air because it takes more energy to move thru the water faster rather than slower. More energy translates into greater gas consumption. The best skill you can master is good buoyancy and trim. This will allow you to travel more slowly thru the water and observe things you'd normally miss. I'm rusty but not a rookie. I have my buoyancy and trim dialled in pretty good with needing a few tweaks. I wasn't taught what normal speed is under water. I honestly don't know if 30 seconds per 100 feet is fast or about right. |
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Not sure about the class exercise, but navigation in the real world is about consistency, not speed. Whatever your normal pace is, you would like to be able to go "out" x number of kicks. Go right/left x number of kicks, come back same number of kicks as "out", and left/right same number of kicks, and hopefully be back where you started. Or near enough anyway. Time taken is unimportant.
But unless you're in real low viz, or doing search grids, you typically use visual references (and only a general feeling for distance traveled, usually measured by time). Take a look behind you regularly on the way out, so you can recognize things on the way back. If you pay attention to depth change, that can be helpful as well. Say for instance you know the boot mooring is at 50 feet. At the end of dive as you make your way back and you hit 50 feet, you know "the damn boat should be around here somewhere" . 
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Quoted:
Not sure about the class exercise, but navigation in the real world is about consistency, not speed. Whatever your normal pace is, you would like to be able to go "out" x number of kicks. Go right/left x number of kicks, come back same number of kicks as "out", and left/right same number of kicks, and hopefully be back where you started. Or near enough anyway. Time taken is unimportant. But unless you're in real low viz, or doing search grids, you typically use visual references (and only a general feeling for distance traveled, usually measured by time). Take a look behind you regularly on the way out, so you can recognize things on the way back. If you pay attention to depth change, that can be helpful as well. Say for instance you know the boot mooring is at 50 feet. At the end of dive as you make your way back and you hit 50 feet, you know "the damn boat should be around here somewhere" . This was very low vis and some grid search patterns. The initial dive to determine how many kicks and seconds was using a known distance on a line. I wish I had been given some idea about how long it should take, but I understand that is a very individual thing. Even the fins used can make a difference. I probably pushed too hard and fast. I got more thrust from my Jet fins than another diver using split fins, and I have more leg strength and endurance. I will do it again on a fun dive and use different kick speeds and techniques. I am curious how a frog kick does. A lot of my diving is in lakes so low vis is normal, but that class took it to a whole 'nother level. I swear the night dive with all of the suspended crap n the water took vis into negative numbers. The hydrilla made using touch useless. I think I found the airplane by accident. It was a few hundred yards away from where I started and we had a couple of course changes on the way. |
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Don't misunderstand what I was saying. I have zero complaints with the instructors. The pre and post dive briefings were very good and thorough. Any questions we had were explained very well. Measuring distance was tough, especially later on the longer swims when I obviously didn't keep the same pace. I have always had a problem going slow. I want to kick, hard, and that is a habit I need to break. I have been like that since the early '70s when I started diving. This was an AOW course but covered what I did back then again. |
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This was very low vis and some grid search patterns. The initial dive to determine how many kicks and seconds was using a known distance on a line. I wish I had been given some idea about how long it should take, but I understand that is a very individual thing. Even the fins used can make a difference. I probably pushed too hard and fast. I got more thrust from my Jet fins than another diver using split fins, and I have more leg strength and endurance. I will do it again on a fun dive and use different kick speeds and techniques. I am curious how a frog kick does. A lot of my diving is in lakes so low vis is normal, but that class took it to a whole 'nother level. I swear the night dive with all of the suspended crap n the water took vis into negative numbers. The hydrilla made using touch useless. I think I found the airplane by accident. It was a few hundred yards away from where I started and we had a couple of course changes on the way. Quoted:
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Not sure about the class exercise, but navigation in the real world is about consistency, not speed. Whatever your normal pace is, you would like to be able to go "out" x number of kicks. Go right/left x number of kicks, come back same number of kicks as "out", and left/right same number of kicks, and hopefully be back where you started. Or near enough anyway. Time taken is unimportant. But unless you're in real low viz, or doing search grids, you typically use visual references (and only a general feeling for distance traveled, usually measured by time). Take a look behind you regularly on the way out, so you can recognize things on the way back. If you pay attention to depth change, that can be helpful as well. Say for instance you know the boot mooring is at 50 feet. At the end of dive as you make your way back and you hit 50 feet, you know "the damn boat should be around here somewhere" . This was very low vis and some grid search patterns. The initial dive to determine how many kicks and seconds was using a known distance on a line. I wish I had been given some idea about how long it should take, but I understand that is a very individual thing. Even the fins used can make a difference. I probably pushed too hard and fast. I got more thrust from my Jet fins than another diver using split fins, and I have more leg strength and endurance. I will do it again on a fun dive and use different kick speeds and techniques. I am curious how a frog kick does. A lot of my diving is in lakes so low vis is normal, but that class took it to a whole 'nother level. I swear the night dive with all of the suspended crap n the water took vis into negative numbers. The hydrilla made using touch useless. I think I found the airplane by accident. It was a few hundred yards away from where I started and we had a couple of course changes on the way. I wouldn't know what I would do if I dove in waters with more than 5 foot of vis. I might freak out... 
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I wouldn't know what I would do if I dove in waters with more than 5 foot of vis. I might freak out... Quoted:
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Not sure about the class exercise, but navigation in the real world is about consistency, not speed. Whatever your normal pace is, you would like to be able to go "out" x number of kicks. Go right/left x number of kicks, come back same number of kicks as "out", and left/right same number of kicks, and hopefully be back where you started. Or near enough anyway. Time taken is unimportant. But unless you're in real low viz, or doing search grids, you typically use visual references (and only a general feeling for distance traveled, usually measured by time). Take a look behind you regularly on the way out, so you can recognize things on the way back. If you pay attention to depth change, that can be helpful as well. Say for instance you know the boot mooring is at 50 feet. At the end of dive as you make your way back and you hit 50 feet, you know "the damn boat should be around here somewhere" . This was very low vis and some grid search patterns. The initial dive to determine how many kicks and seconds was using a known distance on a line. I wish I had been given some idea about how long it should take, but I understand that is a very individual thing. Even the fins used can make a difference. I probably pushed too hard and fast. I got more thrust from my Jet fins than another diver using split fins, and I have more leg strength and endurance. I will do it again on a fun dive and use different kick speeds and techniques. I am curious how a frog kick does. A lot of my diving is in lakes so low vis is normal, but that class took it to a whole 'nother level. I swear the night dive with all of the suspended crap n the water took vis into negative numbers. The hydrilla made using touch useless. I think I found the airplane by accident. It was a few hundred yards away from where I started and we had a couple of course changes on the way. I wouldn't know what I would do if I dove in waters with more than 5 foot of vis. I might freak out... I went diving in the ocean for the first time last January in Cozumel, Belize and Roatan on cruise excursions. Trust me- you get used to 100' vis real easy. |
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I would love to get a group of us local Arfcom divers together sometime. Quoted:
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Very nice. I'm just east of Rockwall outside Royse City. Maybe we can dive together sometime. I would love to get a group of us local Arfcom divers together sometime. CB at Grapevine Scuba is a great dude. Lets get a group together for some dives before the season is over. I |
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CB at Grapevine Scuba is a great dude. Lets get a group together for some dives before the season is over. I Quoted:
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Very nice. I'm just east of Rockwall outside Royse City. Maybe we can dive together sometime. I would love to get a group of us local Arfcom divers together sometime. CB at Grapevine Scuba is a great dude. Lets get a group together for some dives before the season is over. I Yes we do. One other guy here mentioned Wheeler Branch Lake near Glen Rose. He said it usually has a little better vis than Clear Springs but not much to look at. One platform. Hopefully with fall arriving there won't be as many people on the lakes churning things up and vis will improve. I have a SP 5/4 Everflex wetsuit so I should be good to dive u til the end of the year. Maybe. We need any divers on here to check vis locally to figure out where to go. CSSP is always an option. Even if vis is poor there are things to dive on. |