First dive.......Last dive??

[kgraham56]

Thing is, there are many ways to do this and one of them will work for you.

If your instructor does not think it important to help you find one that works for you

then you need to think about finding a new instructor!

 

 

WORD!

 

ken

[Mike&Nancy]

Hi guys, been awhile since I've posted. But, I've worried over this and pondered and about every other adjective you can think of, decided to go for the OW cert. I've gone back to the dive shop and doing some refresher courses, and we're going down to Table Rock in Missouri on the first weekend in May. Figure it's gonna be kinda cold so hopefully they'll have wetsuits for rent. The dive shop owner has been helping me out as to how to get in and out of the BC and it's really working good. I think I might have that down. I just have a bit of a balance problem sitting on the tank. But, that was the main thing I was concerned about. They have given me the list that each dive will entail and I plan on practicing on each and every one in the next 2 weeks. Hopefully next time I post on here concerning this, I will proudly be OW certified.

 

Mike

[Mike&Nancy]

Have decided to go back and refresh, and going to Table Rock Lake in Missouri over the first weekend in May to try and pass the OW cert. Have been going to the dive shop and practicing and the owner has helped me find a way in and out of the BC. Still having a little bit of balance problem on the tank. So, hopefully next time I post on here concerning this, I can proudly say I am now OW certified.

 

Mike

[Mike&Nancy]

Double Post. Sorry.

[frediver]

Great news.

Just remember that once that reg. is in your mouth you have air, so take your time.

Neatness does not count nor does it really matter if you are heads up,heads down or side ways, water is a 3D environment.

[Mike&Nancy]

frediver,

 

I read your reply while I was drinking a beer, and spit a load all over the monitor. That was so funny. I can actually imagine me heads down or worse yet, sideways. My balance really sux, buddy. I don't know how I stay up on the bike as well as I do. But, anyway, I really appreciate the help.

[frediver]

Glad you got a laugh, hope your monitor still works well enough to read the posts.

Diving should be fun, enjoy it, have another beer.

[ScubaCruiser54]

For a DM and operator to take any new or novice diver into 8 foot swells is negligent at best and criminal at worst. What if the dive ladder or boat slammed down on you?

 

Strange that you want to get a scuba cert which has the 40' and DM restrictions, yet yoou say you are independent... Get the OW certification. You are going to make two more dives to get it. The OW cert doesn't mean that you have to dive deeper than 40' or that you don't have to dive with a DM.

 

As for your comment about a friend only being c-card checked once in an extensive dive career... In the last three years, I have been C-card checked by every operator I have dove with in the Caribbean... This included DO's on Cozumel, Grand Caymen, St. Thomas, St. Marteen, Aruba, Curacao, and Roatan. It is happening more often. A couple did not allow a diver without their C-card to dive. Now that bites... But they are being told to do so by their agencies apparently.

 

I didn't think I would take any "advanced" dive training, but when I got active, I took AOW, nitrox, and Rescue Diver. If you dive a lot, Rescue Diver is well worth the time and effort.

 

Good luck diving.

[Mike&Nancy]

Scuba Cruiser 54,

 

I will probably only dive about once a year, when we go on our yearly Feb cruise. So, not too worried about going any farther than the OW cert. And I can see now that the "scuba" cert would have been a waste of time. I don't imagine there are very many clubs that want to mess with just 40 footers. And you are right again. I will probably stay within the 40-60' and probably will NOT dive without a DM close. And thanks for the advice, buddy.

 

Mike

[ericksonfm]

I am taking my sons Diving 18020 22 Grand Turk with Blue water divers. Never dove before any suggestions

[Sailfish]

Just another comment about dive operators & certification. I lead dive groups on cruises, and it has been my observation that most, if not all dive operators want AOW certification for many of the better dive sites. It used to be that OW certification was fine for the dive sites we would go to (we charter our own boat and request specific dive sites). But a few years ago, I began noticing that dive operators were not willing to take us to the better dive sites (ones they take you to when you dive consecutively with one dive operator), so now all my divers have to be AOW certified. It's a liability issue - not a safety thing, and as far as I am concerned a divers experience is more important than their c-card. But at least in the Caribbean, your experience doesn't matter anymore.

 

And my feeling is if you are not willing to keep diving, but do so only when you vacation every couple of years, why bother getting certified? You can do a couple of shallow dives with the discover scuba programs in just about every port. If you want to go beyond this, get certified, but please dive at least once a year! There is nothing more dangerous than a certified diver who has not been diving in 10 years! Those resort certifications are fine I suppose, but it's really hard to find a dive operator willing to take you out. That's my 2 cents worth on this!

 

Suzi

[starnsky]

I had your kind of luck trying to dive. I want to learn how to dive my husband suggested a dive shop in Alabama and I had never even heard of a regulator or any of the dive equipment. They strap everything on me and I went into a 30' pool. The instructor wanted me in the 30' water and when I got there, he left and I looked up and he was no where to be found. I did not know how to come up, again I did not know how to operate my BC. I crawled on the bottom like a crab until I reach the shallow part of the pool and I crawled out. He was no where to be found and now 10 minutes has past and he comes back and said he had a customer in the other rooom! My God I could have drowned.

 

So I got my money back and decided to go to Pensacola Beach to get certified. There were 20 of us in the class and we did the pool dive, everything went good and then the open dive was at morrison springs, which is very cold water. We only had two dive instructors for all of us and my husband volunteered to be the third. We all went down to 30 feet and he came up behind me and took my mask off, I hyperventelated from the cold water and had to come up, I was determined to do this and it took me 4 times to stay under without hyperventalating but while coming up he did not give me the 5 minutes or so that you are suppose take every so many feet and I ended up with a ruptured eardrum.

 

The next day with hurt ear and all we then went to the beach with high sea warning. We all parked 900 feet from the water and got dressed full equipment and all except fins, it was 110 degrees and I thought I was going to have a heatstroke before we got in the water. Once at the water My husband who was helping them because they did not have enough instructors would not dive, he told me that it was too dangerous and my ear should not get wet. So guess what after all that I went through, I QUIT! It broke my heart.

 

It is hard to believe someone would be you in dangerous conditions, but they did it to me twice. Just be glad you really did not get hurt.

[ScubaCruiser54]

Scuba Cruiser 54,

 

I will probably only dive about once a year, when we go on our yearly Feb cruise. So, not too worried about going any farther than the OW cert. And I can see now that the "scuba" cert would have been a waste of time. I don't imagine there are very many clubs that want to mess with just 40 footers. And you are right again. I will probably stay within the 40-60' and probably will NOT dive without a DM close. And thanks for the advice, buddy.

 

Mike

 

 

Another thing to remember is that diving is for fun. Never let anyone or any situation put you outside of your "Diving comfort zone". You are ultimately responsible for your dives. Make sure you are comfortable and at ease with your dive plan. Don't follow someone just because they are experienced if you are not comfortable with the dive profile and plan.

 

I have passed up a dive on a two tank trip just because I did not feel comfortable or good about my mental state to make an 80' dive at the time we were going into the water. I was not ill or sick, I was just not ready to go in and I didn't want to put myself or anyone else at risk. It's for fun.

 

My daughter likes to stay above 50 feet. I have no problem with that as I am a critter chaser and like to look at the colors and critters better than chasing deep diving.

[ScubaCruiser54]

Starnsky:

 

It's stories like yours that some people are forever turned off of diving. What a sad state of affairs on both of your attempts to enter the cirle of diving.

 

A good dive instructor is worth his fee. They spend the time that it takes to make a diver, not sell a C-Card. They should never leave a trainee unattended at depth to go to another room to sell anything. You should report that instructor to their certification agency for investigation.

 

I wasn't at either of these, but instructors are limited to the number of students that they can have at depth. If your husband was not properly qualified and certified, he would not be a proper person to use to get extra divers to depth. This sounds like an instructor just trying to get paid to certify 30 divers.

 

Give your ear time to heal, get your ENT to sign off that you can dive, and then find a good instructor. Interview them. Go onto the PADI and NAUI websites and look for instructors in your area. The instructors here limit their class sizes to 8-10 divers. They will then take only half of their class into the water at any one time. Training divers to dive safely should be their concern. Some put money over this. Avoid them!

[frediver]

Don't forget the YMCA for diving instruction.

[Mike&Nancy]

Starnsky, I feel now, like I came out on the top side. Mine was bad enough, but at least I didn't injure anything. Just sicker'n a dawg. However, just like Sailfish said, most ports have the Discover Scuba programs and I really enjoyed the one I did. But, they limit you to just one dive, and it's not for very long. I really would like to try a 2-tank dive. And Sailfish, I will only dive just once a year, when we go on our yearly Feb cruise in the Carib. I would love to do more, but with still working, and everything else going on, I feel lucky to get just that one. Hence, I probably will not ever get to AOW. Just will have to settle for the 60'.

 

Mike

[starnsky]

Starnsky:

 

It's stories like yours that some people are forever turned off of diving. What a sad state of affairs on both of your attempts to enter the cirle of diving.

 

A good dive instructor is worth his fee. They spend the time that it takes to make a diver, not sell a C-Card. They should never leave a trainee unattended at depth to go to another room to sell anything. You should report that instructor to their certification agency for investigation.

 

I wasn't at either of these, but instructors are limited to the number of students that they can have at depth. If your husband was not properly qualified and certified, he would not be a proper person to use to get extra divers to depth. This sounds like an instructor just trying to get paid to certify 30 divers.

 

Give your ear time to heal, get your ENT to sign off that you can dive, and then find a good instructor. Interview them. Go onto the PADI and NAUI websites and look for instructors in your area. The instructors here limit their class sizes to 8-10 divers. They will then take only half of their class into the water at any one time. Training divers to dive safely should be their concern. Some put money over this. Avoid them!

 

I have not given up, but like you said I will now really question the instructor. What was so upsetting to me is when I had signed up for these classes I just recovered from a spinal injury and had to learn to walk again because I had lost feeling in my legs. I was so wanting to dive that it had given ambition to get up and walk, and then run. It took me two years to get my strength back and recover. Diving magazines is all I read during this time, I so wanted it. I am crying right now writing this. I just wished they had known what this meant to me.

 

I went on cruise in Feb, and all I did was snorkel at each port, I so wanted to dive. When I got back I decided to try again but to try and find a good instructor who would go by the rules. I called two instructors in the Florida Keys area and told them what I had been through with the other instructors and basically they told me that is hard to believe and they would not help me and nobody would. They said that no instructors would have done this. I did not make any of this up, THIS REALLY HAPPENED! Hopefully I can find a good dive instructor. I am a great free diver now, but I really want to scuba. Thanks for your kind words.:)

[Sailfish]

Starnsky, I feel now, like I came out on the top side. Mine was bad enough, but at least I didn't injure anything. Just sicker'n a dawg. However, just like Sailfish said, most ports have the Discover Scuba programs and I really enjoyed the one I did. But, they limit you to just one dive, and it's not for very long. I really would like to try a 2-tank dive. And Sailfish, I will only dive just once a year, when we go on our yearly Feb cruise in the Carib. I would love to do more, but with still working, and everything else going on, I feel lucky to get just that one. Hence, I probably will not ever get to AOW. Just will have to settle for the 60'.

 

Mike

 

We do not limit our diving only to vacations; if I did that, I wouldn't dive very much! I don't like diving in cold water, but I do it to stay connected to the sport. Diving, like running, skiing and surfing requires some practice to maintain your confidence and level of experience. It's like any other sport - you do become a little rusty after a while. I know once you get certified, its for life, but diving a couple of dives every year makes a big difference.

 

Diving for me is all about having fun; after you get into that "comfort zone" which for me took about 50 dives, you can begin to focus more on your surroundings and less on your skills, because what you are doing in the water becomes almost instinctual. That's around time I began to really enjoy diving, taking photos, etc. Until I reached that stage, I was still focusing on my buoyancy control and my breathing. I can probably easily go a year without diving and have no problems in the water. But I know my first dive won't be as much fun as the last ones, based simply on my comfort level in the water, and I have over 1000 logged dives!!

 

I know not everyone feels the same way about diving as I do. But if you look at diving, which in my opinion requires a certain level of fitness and skill, like running, surfing or skiing, you will understand why maintaining your skill level is so important.

 

Just my 2 cents worth again. :)

 

Suzi

[starnsky]

Starnsky, I feel now, like I came out on the top side. Mine was bad enough, but at least I didn't injure anything. Just sicker'n a dawg. However, just like Sailfish said, most ports have the Discover Scuba programs and I really enjoyed the one I did. But, they limit you to just one dive, and it's not for very long. I really would like to try a 2-tank dive. And Sailfish, I will only dive just once a year, when we go on our yearly Feb cruise in the Carib. I would love to do more, but with still working, and everything else going on, I feel lucky to get just that one. Hence, I probably will not ever get to AOW. Just will have to settle for the 60'.

 

Mike

 

Mike, yours was just as bad and just as dangerous! I am looking for a scuba instructor. We are blessed to be going on a 21 day caribbean cruise in Feb 2013, again I love the water. I have already bought a regulator, bcd, apollo fins, ultra dry snorkel and a wetsuit. I am trying to not let the past bother me but it is hard to get over all that. I know there must be a good dive instructor somewhere. I wish you the best and now you know what not to look for in a dive instructor. GOOD LUCK!

[Mike&Nancy]

Starnsky, glad to see you already bought all the equipment that you needed. I thought about it but here again, diving only once a year, I just could not justify the cost and also the luggage fees. I do have my own snorkle, fins and mask, and that's about all they ask for and that's about all I want for myself.

 

Sailfish...........I don't know what to tell you. I love that you have the option of diving more often. And I would love to dive with you knowing that you have over a 1000 logged dives. I would feel very comfortable diving with you. But, I'm a 66 yr old dude, only doing this because of my bucket list and it got out of hand, and I never back down. I'm basically having fun, but it is a chore. For a guy my age, it is not a "given". But I will try and get the OW cert. I just don't have the option of getting out more than once a year on our cruise. Unfortunately, I still have to work, and we just bought a new house. So, I'll be around here talking about diving for awhile, LOL.

[starnsky]

Starnsky, glad to see you already bought all the equipment that you needed. I thought about it but here again, diving only once a year, I just could not justify the cost and also the luggage fees. I do have my own snorkle, fins and mask, and that's about all they ask for and that's about all I want for myself.

 

Sailfish...........I don't know what to tell you. I love that you have the option of diving more often. And I would love to dive with you knowing that you have over a 1000 logged dives. I would feel very comfortable diving with you. But, I'm a 66 yr old dude, only doing this because of my bucket list and it got out of hand, and I never back down. I'm basically having fun, but it is a chore. For a guy my age, it is not a "given". But I will try and get the OW cert. I just don't have the option of getting out more than once a year on our cruise. Unfortunately, I still have to work, and we just bought a new house. So, I'll be around here talking about diving for awhile, LOL.

 

Mike, my husband is 57 and I understand what you are saying about when its not fun, then it is a chore thing. Honestly 66 years young is not old! You must be like me, someone who would love to get certified if for no other reason than for ourselves. Even if you only dive once a year, you can choose to do shallow calm water and see amazing fish and coral reefs. Maybe we should take a dive class together. I am looking for an instructor with only up to 4 students. I don't want to dive deeper than 30' until I get comfortable with it so it will not happen for while. I want to be about safety first, and also be able to handle all situations that I may get in. I will never let an instructor put me in harms way again. You are not old, and you should do this for yourself.

[Sailfish]

Starnsky, glad to see you already bought all the equipment that you needed. I thought about it but here again, diving only once a year, I just could not justify the cost and also the luggage fees. I do have my own snorkle, fins and mask, and that's about all they ask for and that's about all I want for myself.

 

Sailfish...........I don't know what to tell you. I love that you have the option of diving more often. And I would love to dive with you knowing that you have over a 1000 logged dives. I would feel very comfortable diving with you. But, I'm a 66 yr old dude, only doing this because of my bucket list and it got out of hand, and I never back down. I'm basically having fun, but it is a chore. For a guy my age, it is not a "given". But I will try and get the OW cert. I just don't have the option of getting out more than once a year on our cruise. Unfortunately, I still have to work, and we just bought a new house. So, I'll be around here talking about diving for awhile, LOL.

 

We have friends who enjoy the water, and would rather do discover scuba than get certified. It's all about having fun and being safe, after all. Certification is not for everyone, but it sounds like you want to get certified - good for you! I hope you guys find a decent instructor - it's not easy.

 

You might want to look for an independent dive instructor not affiliated with a dive shop - there are quite a few out there who are licensed but not working for a store or dive operator - they have regular jobs and certify privately on the side. One on one instruction will cost you more than a shared class. If you already completed the classroom stuff, then all you have to do is find someone who will work with you in the pool and in open water at your own pace. Because instructors affiliated with a shop are on commission, someone you pay on your own won't have the same pressures. That said, dive instructors from shops are NOT allowed to do private lessons, unless you go through the shop - but some will, most don't. I recommend locating one NOT connected to a dive shop. You can always check on his or her credentials through his or her licensing agency -like PADI, SSI, NAUI, etc. I think you can also get input from YELP and other review forums.

 

Good luck.

 

Suzi

[starnsky]

We have friends who enjoy the water, and would rather do discover scuba than get certified. It's all about having fun and being safe, after all. Certification is not for everyone, but it sounds like you want to get certified - good for you! I hope you guys find a decent instructor - it's not easy.

 

You might want to look for an independent dive instructor not affiliated with a dive shop - there are quite a few out there who are licensed but not working for a store or dive operator - they have regular jobs and certify privately on the side. One on one instruction will cost you more than a shared class. If you already completed the classroom stuff, then all you have to do is find someone who will work with you in the pool and in open water at your own pace. Because instructors affiliated with a shop are on commission, someone you pay on your own won't have the same pressures. That said, dive instructors from shops are NOT allowed to do private lessons, unless you go through the shop - but some will, most don't. I recommend locating one NOT connected to a dive shop. You can always check on his or her credentials through his or her licensing agency -like PADI, SSI, NAUI, etc. I think you can also get input from YELP and other review forums.

 

Good luck.

 

Suzi

 

I have complete the online PADI course, so I need to find a dive instructor. I have called 10 so far and all did large group instruction and that is not for me. I am still trying to find one. Hopefully I will find the right one before my course expires.

[frediver]

Why not look up PADI on line and give the head office a call then ask for a referral to a independent inst. ?

[starnsky]

Why not look up PADI on line and give the head office a call then ask for a referral to a independent inst. ?

 

I never thought of doing that, thanks for that advice Monday Morning I will give them a call. I'm hoping to go to the Florida Keys area to get certified. The water is much calmer there. What a good idea, I will let you know Monday what they say...;)