First Dive Trip

[saxman242]

There will be a group from that shop going, and we are going to the "Social" the night before we leave to meet everyone. I am hoping that those other folks will be cool with helping the newbies...

You'll be just fine.

 

[Hank49]

The instructor from the dive shop where my sister-in-law is doing her training will be there (he is the one doing our Open Water Dives). There will be a group from that shop going, and we are going to the "Social" the night before we leave to meet everyone. I am hoping that those other folks will be cool with helping the newbies...

I feel pretty comfortable with my basic skills, with the possible exception of mask clearing (getting better, but still not my favorite thing).

Practice it. You can do it shallow water off the beach. Take off the mask and open your eyes. Just get used to the feeling. You got this.

 

[Xta]

You will be completely fine! No one will expect you to be an expert. Ask questions, and have fun.

Good for you on going to the "social" before hand to meet everyone. You'll most likely never have to dive just you and your buddy, unless you want to. All boat dives I've ever been on have been guided. If it's a smaller boat they usually give you specific directions before boarding on what procedure is like... what you should carry with you to the boat. If there's a dry area on the boat or not. Stuff like that. If it's a larger boat, they usually brief you once you're on board. (If there's a bathroom pay attention when they tell you the flushing procedure!)

Also, good for you and your sister! I love to see more women taking up diving!

Just wanted to add... No one likes clearing their mask. It's something you get used to though. I hated it, always felt like I would drown... But now, if my mask is fogged, I'll actually flood my mask just a little, shake my head to swish the water around, and clear it. If you had told me that when I first started diving, I never would have believed it.

 

[dmaziuk]

Yes, but AFTER the 4 dives with the instructor, then what??

Do you know where you're staying on Bonaire?

 

[outofofficebrb]

I have just finished the classroom and confined water parts for my PADI open water certification. My sister-in-law and I (both in our mid fifties) will be doing our Open Water dives end of March in Bonaire as part of a one-week trip offered by her dive shop. I am hoping that the group can offer some tips/suggestions regarding our first trips on a dive boat once we have completed the certification. The thought of the two of us jumping off of a dive boat without an instructor is a bit daunting.

While everyone is telling you that you will be fine and everything will work out in the end and it is true, it is normal and justified to feel the way you do. Ask about the dive arrangements off the dive boat. Will you have a dive guide? Is everyone planning their own dive and diving their plan with their buddy teams and just meeting back on the boat? Is diving with the instructor or group leader an option? If there is no guide available and diving with the instructor or group leader isn't an option you can also ask about hiring your own guide. While some might think it's not necessary, I say that it's worth it if it lets you enjoy the dive for what it is and not worry as much. There's no sense going all the way out there just to be stressed out underwater and worrying about everything and not being able to focus on the diving, the environment, and improving your skills. It doesn't mean you shift the responsibility of planning a dive to someone else as you should still understand the dynamics of that, but it is one less thing for you to worry about as you concentrate on something like your buoyancy, breathing, looking at stuff, thinking about the time/duration of the dive, how far you've gone, air consumption, navigation, etc. As you can see, it's a lot, and someone who is newly minted as a diver will struggle more with this than others so I can understand why you might be nervous.

Let them know it's your first time on a dive boat. Let them know you'll want to observe or be explained the nuances of things - like where you should "be" to what the best ways to get in/out of the water is, efficient ways to set up your gear and prepare for the dive, where you should leave your stuff, etc., no matter how basic it may seem to them. To seasoned divers, it is second nature and some of us have become complacent to how much a "thing" all these "things" add up to be but it can be very intimidating for someone who is not usually around boats and diving off one, no less.

We were all there at one point. Some of us might have been a lot more comfortable than others and that is OK. We're all different. If anyone feels they were never a beginner or at that point at any point in time, it might be because it has been so long and they aren't remembering correctly. I love that you are approaching this conservatively because I think that is always the safer option.

 

[dmaziuk]

Ask about the dive arrangements off the dive boat. Will you have a dive guide?

Unless the group rents the whole boat and makes a different arrangement w/ the shop: yes. At least on DFB boats, and I expect on Buddy's as well.

 

[DonnaDogMom]

Do you know where you're staying on Bonaire?

We are staying at the Divi Flamingo.

 

[Doctorfish]

There will then be a Dive Master/Guide in the water with you for every boat dive. The house reef at Divi has easy entry from a pier with steps into the water, is shallow and current free. The site is a mini wall so nearly impossible to get lost. You will almost certainly do your open water certification dives there so by the time you go out on your own, you will be familiar with the entry and the dive site. I don't think you will need a private guide there.

 

[TMHeimer]

For possible future reference, all the charter boats I've been on in Canada & U.S. you dive with no guide (unless you pay extra for one). I have read this is the case most of the time here.
It may be a good idea to do some benign shore dives just you & buddy to prepare for guideless boat dives should you be in that situation. Ideally, a buddy with Rescue Cert. or at least an experienced one. I know that may be difficult to find.

 

[Doctorfish]

At Divi Dive there is always a guide in the water on the boat dives.