New OWR Diver

[cruiserguy11]

I lived through the tests.

 

I'm now PADI certified. I can officially dive to 17,000 feet. Right?

 

Lookout Mexico...here I come. :D

[Dive Master]

Congradulations on your cerification and welcome to the wonderful world of diving.Always remember "A good diver is always learning" (from Dive Training magazine).The best way to improve your skills is to take additional training and dive as often as you can.

 

Have you joined DAN yet?

[CB5150]

Join DAN+ before you get in the water again!

[cruiserguy11]

Dunno yet ... one step at a time. They did include the paperwork in my package.

 

We only went down to 33 feet. Dark (bottom was muddy) and cold. I did leave off the gloves since our skills were easier without them I found. I also was always the one with the least air left after surfacing. My mask fit but with a mustache it leaked constantly so I was clearing it constantly...hence less air left. Yes, I tried a second mask and it leaked too. One instructor said to use Petroleum Jelly and another said not to on a silicone mask.

 

I hope I enjoy it more in warm water than I did here. I do understand the training (and apprehension) took away from the enjoyment I was supposed to experience. They kept asking me if I was having fun. I kept replying No...lol. By our final dive I did feel less apprehensive but it still wasn't fun.

 

I'm also finding this is going to be an expensive sport. I'm too old to NOT buy the best and the best looks expensive. One of the instructors had an $1100 computer that he loaned us for the navigating training. I made certain not to drop that. :)

 

We'll see how I like it in the warm waters of Mexico. Maybe I'll have fun. :D

[topspot]

My husband has a beard and mustache. He shaves just under his nose about 1/4 inch where the mask touches just before a dive or snorkeling. Solved his leaking issues. If I didn't know where to look for the spot on his face, I wouldn't know he shaved it.;)

[scubadiver888]

Dunno yet ... one step at a time. They did include the paperwork in my package.

 

We only went down to 33 feet. Dark (bottom was muddy) and cold. I did leave off the gloves since our skills were easier without them I found. I also was always the one with the least air left after surfacing. My mask fit but with a mustache it leaked constantly so I was clearing it constantly...hence less air left. Yes, I tried a second mask and it leaked too. One instructor said to use Petroleum Jelly and another said not to on a silicone mask.

 

I hope I enjoy it more in warm water than I did here. I do understand the training (and apprehension) took away from the enjoyment I was supposed to experience. They kept asking me if I was having fun. I kept replying No...lol. By our final dive I did feel less apprehensive but it still wasn't fun.

 

I'm also finding this is going to be an expensive sport. I'm too old to NOT buy the best and the best looks expensive. One of the instructors had an $1100 computer that he loaned us for the navigating training. I made certain not to drop that. :)

 

We'll see how I like it in the warm waters of Mexico. Maybe I'll have fun. :D

 

DAN is a great organization. If you have questions about scuba physiology or medical related question you should go to the DAN web site and search. They have a lot of free and useful information. When you become a member you will learn even more. Plus DAN has insurance for when you are away from home (doesn't apply if you are diving near home).

 

Your instructor is partly correct. You want to put K Y jelly on your moustache and it will help stop the mask from leaking. It will also not eat away rubber or silicone. If you use petroleum jelly it will eat away at the mask and make it fall apart.

 

Diving can be very expensive but it doesn't have to be. My instructor is an ex-military diver, commercial diver and technical diver. He has been to 330 feet deep. When you are diving to those sort of depths you have to be careful about the equipment you use. A good set of regulators might cost $1000+ dollars. But if all you are doing is recreational diving, you can get away with $300 regulators. Heck, you might be able to find a good set on eBay for $150. A good computer will run you around $200 to $300 new. You can easily spend $3000 on a computer if you want to go crazy.

[ScubaCruiser54]

You don't have to "buy the most expensive" to have great quality equipment.

 

In the last ten years, I have bought some "cheap" gear that was good for the limited recreation diving I was doing. Then my kids wanted to start... Time to regear... Upgraded BC from a low priced starter to a Zeagle Ranger that I bought new on Ebay... Still diving with it today. Bought a Zeagle Zena for daughter... She also got a new Oceanic Gamma Regulator with a basic Oceanic Octo and my Oceanic computer (about $200.00). I gave my son my Oceanic Alpha regulator set and bought him a Basic Oceanic Data plus computer.

 

I then upgraded my regulator to an Oceanic Zeta, later had trouble with it and bought a Delta 3 as my primary and use the Zeta as backup. Also have a pony regulator as well. Delta 3 is a great regulator. Then a friend gave me a really nice Scuba Pro that has become my primary.

 

One of my dive buddies uses a Zeagle that he bought new for less than $425.00 on sale. Great regulator withn high marks on testing.

 

Another dive buddy has an Atomic T2 (expensive), but he loves it and has money to put into diving... he is also an instructor and got a real deal on it.

 

You can spend a lot on a set up, but if you watch the various websites for sales and keep tabs on ebay, you can pick up some good equipment for a reasonable price.

 

I have made a lot of dives and I would use any of our regulators and have a good time. The Delta 3 and the Scuba pro regulators have adjustable settings, and they are so easy to breathe with....

[Dive Master]

DAN is a great organization. If you have questions about scuba physiology or medical related question you should go to the DAN web site and search. They have a lot of free and useful information. When you become a member you will learn even more. Plus DAN has insurance for when you are away from home (doesn't apply if you are diving near home).

 

Your instructor is partly correct. You want to put K Y jelly on your moustache and it will help stop the mask from leaking. It will also not eat away rubber or silicone. If you use petroleum jelly it will eat away at the mask and make it fall apart.

 

Diving can be very expensive but it doesn't have to be. My instructor is an ex-military diver, commercial diver and technical diver. He has been to 330 feet deep. When you are diving to those sort of depths you have to be careful about the equipment you use. A good set of regulators might cost $1000+ dollars. But if all you are doing is recreational diving, you can get away with $300 regulators. Heck, you might be able to find a good set on eBay for $150. A good computer will run you around $200 to $300 new. You can easily spend $3000 on a computer if you want to go crazy.

 

 

Just a quick update: DAN insurance covers you anywhere you are diving--could be in your backyard pool.For the DAN Medical Evacuation insurace to kick in you must be 50 miles or more from home---this policy covers you for any med-evac--does not have to be dive related.

 

I had a little incident on Father's Day at our local lake---came home and developed a numb and tingling arm.I called DAN the next morning and was told to go to the local hyperbaric chamber.One four and three quarter hour chamber treatment plus doctor's bill is now up to $7890.My personal insurance is paying about half---Thank God I have the DAN Preferred plan.Now just imagine if you were out of the country and had to be med evaced and undergo several treatments---could be thousands and thousands---or even worse you may not get medical attention without insurance or cash.ANYONE diving without dive insurance is being foolish---unless you won Powerball.