Purple Lobster Net

I found a very interesting interview with Cave Explorer Larry Green.  Although, cave diving is a long way off, I found some advice that is immediately applicable and will be my focus for not only the near future, but ongoing.

At 33 minutes into the podcast, Larry recommend developing complete muscle memory control over these five things:

1. Buoyancy.  Having good solid buoyancy control.

2. The ability to maintain good posture or trim in the environment your diving in.

3. Having good propulsion techniques that are adequate for the environment wherever that environment may be.

4.  Breathing.  Having a good understanding and recognizing how to keep your breathing under control.  Your breathing affects the chemistry of your body.  If you don’t keep that under control, your chemistry changes without your knowing sometimes.

5.  Your emotions.  Having a little self-honesty with yourself and not being distracted with emotions such as things going on at work or home or not wanting to be in the dive.

Larry recommends developing muscle memory to the point of not having to concentrate on these things.  He suggests to dive very conservatively while developing these skills.  And, he adds that it is not until these things are muscle memory and in control do you have the awareness to start pushing your envelope.

That sounds like good advice to me.

Direct download.

Link to Pod Diver Radio.  See Episode 138.  Episode description: “The journey “Into to Technical Diving? and “Doing What Works? with Cave Explorer Larry Green of the NACD and TDI.”

Although I had a leg-strapped dive knife as a teenager, I wanted to find something better this time around.  Sparked by a comment in a dive related podcast, I decided to look into a trilobite.   This devices meets my goals of not stabbing myself (and not easily cutting my air supply) while hopefully doing a good job at getting me untangled if the need arises.

Although Scuba Steve (the author of the linked podcast) had a Zeagle Line Cutter he mentioned wanting to get a trilobite.  The trilobite did seem a little harder to accidentally cut something unintended while also having a redundant blade.

Here’s a link to the podcast episode, which I recommend for anyone looking to get a dive knife.

Underwater exploration is the easiest thing we can do to travel to another world.  The life that exists there, is as strange and varied as any science fiction writer could hope for. Fortunately, it’s much easier to equip ourselves for travel to this brave new world than those outside our planet.

In my prior ventures into this world (in the ’80s), the only specific brand of gear I remember obtaining was a Sherwood Magnum regulator.  With my new opportunity to revisit this word, I plan to do my best to pick top quality gear that will last as well as serve me for the long voyage ahead.

When I was a teenager, my mom dated a great gentleman named Harvey.  Harvey was a kind man and was really the only father figure in my life.  Although, Harvey left this world far too soon, it wasn’t before he introduced both of us to a new world under the sea.

We both took an Open Water course with Dixie Divers in Fort Pierce Florida.  The course, taught by Mark Shaw, occurred over several weeks.  I remember studying the book from cover to cover and mastering the PADI dive tables.  I found every aspect of the course and certification dives exciting.  The most memorable dive was the Christ of the Abyss in John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo, Florida.  At that time, I do not believe it was covered in Fire Coral.

I also remember we trained in buddy breathing and at that time we only had a single 2nd stage regulator each.  I also remember that Harvey would take a while breathing before I got the regulator back.  This didn’t matter much since I could hold my breath for a long time as a teenager.  Also, at that time I don’t remember being told to continuously exhale while the buddy is using the regulator.  However, it could just be that I had forgotten that detail.

Unfortunatley, after the certification dives, Harvey became ill and it was many years before I returned to world he introduced me to.  Thank you Harvey.  I don’t know if I ever told him that.

I grew up in Fort Pierce, Florida.  Our family went to the beach many many times when I was a child.  There was an inlet on the left side over the main bridge to the beach.  The small inlet was protected by a sandbar that was about 30 feet from the shore.  As you walked out into the water, you would reach about six feet deep and then gradually get to the sandbar which varied but was usually about 2 to 3 feet deep.  I would put on my snorkel and mask and swim for hours.  I saw many fish, but remember none of their names.  At times, I’d be lucky to find a horseshoe crab.  Today, the area looks a bit different.

That place was the beginning of my comfort in the water.  And, it was the beginning of the spark that has made me continue my exploration in the water.