a newbie to diving and have some questions

[thefreeviper]

so as the title says im a newbie with some questions. i can give a brief little description on me and then the questions. so 2 weeks ago i got my open water in jamaica. while my instructor was amazing im afraid to admit that i left standing with alot of questions. i recently bought my gear. well most of it. i bought most items used for a starter but will start upgrading. and the only things im left looking for is a wetsuit, fins, and a wrist computer. i have loved my dives and im pretty sure this is something i could get into. mabey one day i could make a job out of. i have always loved and wondered about the underwater life. right now im at only 9 dives.

now some of my questions are pretty small for now. but will start getting into bigger ones as i go. so to start. what type of fins should i get. im into just open water from a boat. with a few shore dives. and i like to be around like reefs and things but would like to get into cave diving and photography. so do i need a split fin or those nice curved type??

another question i have is how can i find a dive group in the area i am. right now its not a biggie for next month i am moving to el paso. ( military and being stationed there). and anytime i have tried searching for a place to dive or even just a group its like i cant find anything.

and i thinkly lastly is my question about weights. im not to sure about this topic. i have read a few forums that have mentioned them but i am kinda lost. like what 10# or 8# or ect means. or even how i pick what weight i should use. without having to be in the water. or should i do it in the water.

i would like to thank anyone who read my weird questions. and thanks more to anyone who can give an answer.

 

[Saudi-Diver]

Personally I would go for a nice simple paddle fin to start with. I have tried both and although its a personal thing I like paddle fins over splits.

To find like minded people that are in to diving go down your Local Dive Store and have a word with the staff, they should put you in touch. Also this site has an area which can put you in touch with other divers in your region. Here in the UK we have a club system which is quite good, if you like club environments and the ensuing politics! I am ex-military and we had a very active dive clubs on the bases I served at.

As for weighting, you should all ready have a ball park figure about how much Lead you need after doing your open water, that changes with equipment and exposure protection and you need to do a weight check every time you reconfigure your equipment. There are loads of good threads on this board on weighting do a search.
Its really a choice between soft weights and rigid weights, weight belts/ harnesses and weight integrated BCs. Try before you buy, you can burn up an awful lot of money till you settle on a equipment configuration you like. Most of all get out there and dive!!!!

 

[TartanFrog]

Welcome aboard from another new diver!

I use split fins. I selected those based on the advice from an instructor because of a fake knee. Long story but retired military and it got crushed a long time ago on a night jump.

I agree! Check with the local dive shops in El Paso and surrounding area. There might be a military affiliated shop there where all or most of the military folks like to go. There may even be a group on the installation.

On weighting. Definitely agree. I use a 7mm for the colder water here and a 5mm at the warmer locations. Takes a completely different weight configuration. I am looking at getting a harnass and backplate BC which will again take a different weight arrangement. So as stated, check each time you make a gear change and Log it into your dive log!!! That way you will have a good idea of what to wear with each gear configuration.

Separate note! Watch your six down there in El Paso! I have a good friend who lives there and he says it is crazy because of the current issues!! Send me a private message if you want more info.

Good luck with diving. It is definitely a lot of fun!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

If you plan on caves in the future stay away from splits. Go for the old reliable jets, hollis f-1's, oms slipstreams, or hog tech fins. Get spring straps as well. The hollis fins come with them standard and they are 3 position adjustable.

As to your weighing. As a new ow diver this is one area where your training was severely lacking. There is no excuse other than laziness for your instructor not showing you how to properly determine your weighing requirements. Proper weighting is a critical skill you should have. That this was not passed on to you really pisses me off. At work now so going into detail is tough but when I get home this afternoon i'll post the method I use for you.

 

[TSandM]

Welcome to diving, and to Scubaboard!

If you would like to try to get a dive or two in locally before you leave, check out the nwdiveclub.com site. There are quite a few active divers in the South Sound area there, and lots of people who are delighted to dive with new divers.

If you have any vague intentions toward cave diving, you need to buy simple paddle fins. Many folks use ScubaPro Jet fins, but Dive Rite makes a paddle fin, and someone has already mentioned the Hollis fins. I don't know what you can get through the Ft. Lewis dive shop, but you can talk to them (I understand the discounts there are substantial).

 

[Goannaman]

Here is another vote for the Hollis F1 fins. I just bought a pair and love them. I have never been into split fins, but I vastly prefer them to my Tusa imprex tri ex.

As others have said, weighting is important, and sadly, often skipped over in lieu of "you look like you should wear about twelve lbs, here you go".

 

[Amphiprion]

Here is some quick weighting advice to start you off. Go to the local lake or pool and gear up with all the equipment that you would normally use. Have only 500 psi in the tank. Add or subtract weight until you are neutrally buoyant in the water with a deflated bc. You will know that you are neutrally buoyant when you rise a little bit as you inhale and descend a little bit as you exhale. Don't kick or use your hands to stay in position because this will throw you off. Aluminum 80 tanks are buoyant when near empty. You want to be neutral so that you don't float up against your will. Add 4 pounds or so for salt water.

Check out scubatoys for an oceanic wrist computer that has a gauge mode. They are simple and work. You can use as a bottom timer and depth gauge as you get into tech.

Stiff paddle fins if you want to get into tech at some point, although you probably have a way to go.

 

[thefreeviper]

so i did not even know that fort lewis had a dive shop and i wish i would have known it a long time ago.lol so thank you very very much TSandM

 

[DiveNav]

first of all .. welcome to the club

I recommend your next class should the Peak Performance Buoyancy where you can fine tune not only your weighting but also how to control your breathing.

Also, if you are looking for dive computers, you can use the Dive Computers Research Tool to compare them and see them in action.

Alberto (aka eDiver)