Did your OW course prepare you to dive?

[undrwater]

Locally& elsewhere I have solo dived shallow shore sites that were new to me. I used online info. from various sources, as well as googling satellite maps -- you can see the basic bottom terrain. If a site was new to me I proceeded with much caution, even though I rarely exceed 30'. Tides usually are not a problem on the East (or Gulf) Coast of U.S. & Canada unless you are diving in an inlet.

I understand tides are very important in the PNW. In SoCal, not as much, but there are sites you can get in trouble if you are not paying attention.

 

[azstinger11]

What do you mean? Dive site? Dive planning? Or ....?

I believe the assertion is that once supplied with the details of the site (what to see, what depths, distance from shore, directions, etc) that they felt comfortable planning and executing the dive on their own (or rather without instructor assistance, LA County doesn’t do solo diving as a cert).

 

[TMHeimer]

I understand tides are very important in the PNW. In SoCal, not as much, but there are sites you can get in trouble if you are not paying attention.

True. Even in Nova Scotia there can be a slight outward flow during ebbing tide--if you sit on the surface and see how you drift out. I used to show students that when I was DMing OW courses. So if you dive with the tide going out you should not go as far out as you would otherwise, as you'll use a little more air (and effort) returning to shore. But this is subtle and shouldn't present a problem--shouldn't, that is. You don't want that situation if you get a bad cramp or two.

 

[SetheryJ]

So your saying that you have gotten to the point where there is no room for honing your skills, learn new skills, or gain more knowledge? I can only hope to get near there. Personally I hope there is always room to grow and learn. I would be bored otherwise

No…literally the opposite. I wasn’t replying to you directly. I was answering the OPs question. I have continually been taking courses and seeking out instruction since I got certified…

I think you misunderstood me?

 

[Tracerbullet]

No…literally the opposite. I wasn’t replying to you directly. I was answering the OPs question. I have continually been taking courses and seeking out instruction since I got certified…

I think you misunderstood me?

yes totally. Thought you were replying to my comment.

 

[Gbair89]

I think it depends on the student. I told my instructor in ow that my end goal was full cave certed. So with that mindset I was in the pool before class even started practicing trim and being neutral. On my check out dives in the quarry it was a bit different than the pool. Seemed intimidating. But I buddy upd with someone who had about 5 dives under his belt and we did a cpl more dives after the checkout dives. And I felt comfortable. I was ready. It all depends on the new divers mindset. If you don’t stop someone and say hey can we talk about this again real quick. Or hey I feel like I don’t have that last skill down like I think I should. COMMUNICATION was the biggest support in becoming what I am told by a vast majority of who I dive with a very good diver with the low number of dives I have (65). I’ve also seen ppl coming out of class doing there checkout dives that had no buisness leaving the pool. When I talk to them a little about a cpl things like not bringing the wall with ya when we wall dive. I’m brushed off and can tell they are just worried about sucking on the reg instead of where they are in the water. Just my thoughts tho.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Haha, no. I dedicated my own time to practicing, developing skills, seeking out a better working knowledge of theory, etc. frankly, I’m shocked more new open water divers don’t die.

The quality and ease of use of the gear these days does a lot to cover for a lot of incompetence.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

If you don't know anything about a dive site, you are not prepared to dive there, no matter how much training you have.

I was a technical instructor with more than 800 dives when I dived in Puget Sound. I absolutely needed the local knowledge of the friends with whom I dove.

What if you are the first one to ever dive a particular site, what then?
How do you prepare for a site that no one has ever explored and you are the first?
I have been that person.

 

[SCUBA BAH]

Nope

 

[boulderjohn]

What if you are the first one to ever dive a particular site, what then?
How do you prepare for a site that no one has ever explored and you are the first?
I have been that person.

I have been that person, too. Maybe not the first to dive it, but the first one I knew to dive it.

In that case, you get as much information as you can and use your best judgment. "Judgment" is a word that, unfortunately, dive agencies are reluctant to use. They prefer black and white rules, and in many cases, those do not work. I argued this at length with PADI in terms of overhead environments, and I am happy to say that after they asked me to suggest wording for using good judgment for assessing overhead environments, they asked me for permission to use my wording for coming course revisions.