ouch

[nvr2l8]

I recently got my OW license and the next day I found out I didn't know what I needed to know to go diving. I went in the first open water day and immediately deflated and dropped like a rock and ballooned out my eardrum on the right side. It popped very loudly and hurt badly. I immediately experienced vertigo for my first time and that was scary at depth because I didn't know where I was headed and was just free falling. Luckily there was a dive master in training right with me and saw a problem and took me up.
Be very careful and don't begin your class the first night with a mask that doesn't fit. You may miss a lot of important things and fall behind the class. You may miss things that you needed to know for that first real dive in open water!
I did finish the day and the entire final day but with a large amount of pain. Doc says I'll be clear to dive in a couple of weeks.

Dive Dummy

[emcbride81]

Wow...that sucks...it seems to me that your instructor didn't do a very good job teaching. At least you survived, that could have gotten uglier.

[mchain]

Originally Posted by nvr2l8

I recently got my OW license and the next day I found out I didn't know what I needed to know to go diving. I went in the first open water day and immediately deflated and dropped like a rock and ballooned out my eardrum on the right side. It popped very loudly and hurt badly.

Ouch, that sounds painful. So what did they not cover on your course?

[nvr2l8]

I didn't mean to suggest that they didn't cover anything. I just missed it because my first night was a blow out because my mask didn't work. I was running behind and "playing in the shallow" for the next class because he was working with the others in the deep end. I wasn't allowed in the deep end yet because I couldn't get the mask thing right. The 2nd night I had it right but the rest were so far ahead already, we had a 5 person class, they were all quick and I had a slow start. The last night of confined after we took our written test, (which I scored the best on) in the class, we went to the pool for a little practice and our first CESA and I came up asking how I am supposed to hold my inflator in my left hand, and extend my right toward the surface as I try to clear. Everyone stoppped and looked at me and said you don't clear on the way up. I never heard that.
My understanding of bouyancy consisted of fin tips and hovering. I missed the entire part of the class (playing at the shallow end, waiting) where bouyancy was discussed at length. Er'go my fiasco at the OW dive. I was under the impression that we would have ropes to go down on in the lake as we did in the pool. I thought there would be ropes everywhere you dive. The book even discusses the lines on a boat. You can easily stop for clearing on a rope and when there weren't any I just assumed I was gonna just stop because I did so well on the written I must know what I am doing. WRONG!
I don't really have any idea what all I missed because I missed it.

Dive Dummy

[nvr2l8]

We had 6 pool sessions and I was a class of one for the first four. That"s why I say I don't know what I missed. He would work with the rest of the class first, then one on one with me while they worked on their exercises. This is why I say I am not sure what I missed.

Dive Dummy

[BouzoukiJoe]

That sucks. Hope your ear is better soon. Finishing with an ear problem may not have been the best choice.

[Sansho]

Sounds like you were doing the open water dives that are required to complete the OW certification. Perhaps you had too much lead weight, as you shouldn't have fallen like a rock. If you have an ear problem like that, it's probably best to terminate the dive, so you don't do any real damage.

[oddbod]

Try another instructor/shop for your AOW, it is up to THEM to make sure you know everything you need to know, that is what you pay them for. Sounds very sloppy just letting you flounder by yourself. Good luck with the ear and don't rush back too soon

[JugglingMonkeys]

Go back and study the manual closely. That will show you what you missed. You've got some time off diving anyway...

You DO need to learn this stuff. One day your life might depend on it.