what to expect on my first ocean dive

[bbarnett51]

Night and day different. And it will be the funnest day of your life! I'm excited for you.

Just make sure you don't get to caught up and forget to monitor your dive.

Have a blast!

 

[Guba]

I'm a little amazed at the generalizations made in the thread so far, all of which have to be taken as just that...generalizations.

Salt diving CAN be a "desert" compared to some freshwater sites, although others report just the opposite. I've seen salt dives that were, inded, nearly devoid of biodiversity and biomass, while I've seen some freshwater sites that were so thick with critters that one could not see their dive partner ten feet away...in 100+ vis! Of course, I've also seen salt dives with just as much population density.

Generally, for me, salt diving usually has better vis than MOST of the freshwater sites I dive, though both have exceptions. My last salt dive had terrible visibility while, as noted above, I've seen freshwater sites with stellar clarity.

In short, I think it's better to stay away from generalizing too much. Certainly, it would help in answering the question to know two things: where is the OPer used to diving, and where exactly will the saltwater diving be? I feel better answers to the question can be offered knowing these bits of information.

 

[spectrum]

I'm going diving in the ocean for the first time on Friday and I'm so excited!! I just want to know what to expect. How much different is it than fresh water?

That's hard to say without knowing what to compare to.

Temperature may or may not be similar.

For identical gear you will need some extra weight. Add a pound for each 40 pounds of total dry diver weight. That's 6 pounds for a diver that dresses out at 240. That's you and all the gear before getting in the water.

Visibility may be greater depending where and where.

If this is your first time dealing with a shore entry have someone mentoring you. If the conditions are marginal some tips can go a long way.

Something sweet will taste incredible after messing around in ocean water.

In many cases fresh water is about what you find (artifacts) where the ocean will offer more fish, plants, structure and stuff to see. Exceptions abound.

You will probably have more waves and surge to contend with. This can be apparent near the beach, in shallows or getting back on a boat.

Once you get in the water you fresh water skills should serve you well, the actual diving is quite comparable.

Be sure to rinse all of your gear afterwards. Salt water can leave significant corrosive residue.

Listen to the more experienced folks around you and have fun.

If you are at all susceptible pre-treat your self well in advance for motion sickness. We have been having awesome no side effect results with ginger tablets or dried ginger root.

Pete

 

[MG11]

I did my 1st ocean and boat dives in June, so can share a limited experience.

Listen to the dive brief if going on a boat.

Don't touch anything it might sting.

Keep your snorkel on your mask.

Hydrate.

Be very careful approaching the ladder, my 1st dive (and all but 1 of 8) the ladder was going 4ft up and down, (tip-timing is everything, time it, step on and hang on!!)

Go slow and soak it all in and enjoy.

I bought a safety sausage upon my return home, one dive we got swept down current, popped up in a rain storm in 4-5 ft seas 100-150 yrds from the boat! People were puking everywhere it was awesome!

Make sure your tank strap is tight! If on a boat where they setup your gear, check it anyway, two of the people in my group had tanks slide out and that pulls your head back.

Don't dunk your mask or anything besides a camera in the camera wash tub!! Saw relatively experienced divers do it several times and even I know better.

Tip the crew

Mike

 

[DivemasterDennis]

The OP's question is like asking "What will my first camping trip be like?" The answer is, it depends where you will be going. You might be in an alpine meadow at 10,000 feet, or you might be in a deciduous forest by a river or lake, or you might be in a desert carrying lots of water. The wildlife you see will depend on where you are, lizards or deer or other living things. So depending on where you go, it may be warm, cool or cold water, there may be a lot of color or not much color, there may be interesting formations or just a flat bottom, you might be able to see 100 feet or maybe only 30 feet; there might be lots of sea creatures or only a few. The creatures may be big or they may be little. But here is the good news: whatever combination of water temperature, visibility, topography and wildlife you have, it will be TOTALLY AWESOME! That much is known!
DivemasterDennis

 

[BuiltLikeABulldog]

I can basically summarize what to expect in one sentence. You can expect to have one of the greatest times of your life!
Don't worry about it! Go there and remember you're a guest in their home, so respect the marine life and they will respect you; and will be welcoming of divers for many years to come. Have an AMAZING time and be sure to report back how it goes!

 

[TMHeimer]

Shells (not bombs, though there are those also on some wrecks). Much prettier and more diverse that fresh water molluscs. If you are diving from a boat, there are many routines, as some explained. My biggee is always keep track of where the anchor line is. Makes life easy as you can use it as a reference for ascending and safety stop and surface right at the boat.

 

[jonnythan]

Technically you'll be more buoyant - typically around 30% with the exact same configuration you use in fresh water. Since there's always a slight current or some surge you'll have to work hard at trying to silt things up to ruin your viz. For me, it ruined lake diving forever - I never did it again.

Going off SC? Hope a Sandtiger cruises by...won't get that thrill in a lake. I still remember the first shark I ever saw - 20+ years later.

You're off by a factor of about 10.

You're 2.5% more buoyant.

 

[dpaustex]

Congrats!!!

Main thing is to listen to the DM's dive plan. Listen carefully, and ask questions. Be sure to let them know, ahead of time, that this is your first bluewater dive.

Main thing is your buoyancy will be slightly different.

 

[SeaHorse81]

There's much to be said about the amazing beauty to be seen, and just being a part of a force of nature. Mostly, it's amazing and it's what I look forward to all year. On the other hand, you can actually have a disappointing dive in the ocean just like you can anywhere else. It's mostly awesome, but not 100%, so no need to get too bummed out if it's not fantastic every time.

On a practical note, I find seawater to be extremely hard on my skin and hair, and have to thoroughly soap up after every dive. Seeing what it does to me gives me some understanding of why seawater is so hard on gear. If you take your own gear, give it some serious rinsing/maintenance throughout your trip. Or you can just rent gear, like I do. Not a perfect solution, but depending on your priorities, it can be a good option.

Congratulations, and I hope you have a great time!