Advice prior to taking an OW Cert Class

[TSandM]

I think the biggest suggestion I'd make to someone who is about to take their class is that they NOT buy the most expensive, fanciest newfangled mask, fins and snorkel that the dive shop sells. Buy simple, inexpensive stuff, and upgrade if and when you find it necessary. Masks need to fit, but few people need purge valves in them. Snorkels can be simple tubes, and "dry" snorkels have little advantage. Fins can range in price from $40 to well over $200, and the vast majority of divers are diving happily with some in the lower price ranges.

 

[nwhitney2003]

I just got my OW cert. last weekend and some of the best advice I got was to go slow with all the skills. "Slow is fast" as someone on here said before. I know a lot of other people have already said this but relax. Relaxing will help you focus and will help small problems from becoming big problems. Don't buy a knife, light, or any gadget like items right now. They will only be a distraction and you don't need distractions. Get an underwater watch/timing device, you don't need to spend alot may be $20. Also, read the intros in the book, the more familiar you are with the material the easier time you will have in the class. Don't miss any class time or pool time. During your OW cert. remember that you wouldn't be there if the instructor didn't think you could perform the skills. Stay hydrated, can't say that enough. Sit in the front of the class if possible. Ask questions. Have fun. Sorry I didn't put this in any particular order. When you get your OW cert. come to the Northwest and we'll go diving. Let us know how it goes.
Good Luck.

 

[Bob_Simon]

I as well just got certified last week and "ditto" to all that has been said here.

I might add that the couple of things that helped me the most was; 1. Being comfortable (relaxed) in the water, and it appears you have that nailed; 2. I made a promise I would read the OWD Manual word for word, and take all the mini quizzes without looking at the answers at the bottom. Reading the manual "word for word and completely" really helped me understand what we went over in class and what we did in the confined water. The cert dives were just plain fun after that.

BTW - Did you know you can cough and throw-up through a reg. Man can't wait for that experience. You'll be happy to know it was just mentioned and not practiced as a skill.

 

[Bob Vincent]

As someone who was recently certified (this weekend I get my AOW certification) I can tell you:
First you....relax. And then read the book. Answer the knowledge reviews at the end of each chapter and you will be prepared. It's not hard stuff to learn.
Then....make sure you have adequate gear prior to your first pool session. Your instructor and dive shop will help you with this.
Watch out for....making the skills harder than they are. Relax. Take your time with the skills. Realize you CAN breathe through your regulator. Relax some more.
Then....HAVE FUN!

AWESOME ... YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES SOME TO KNOW THAT? Very Cool!

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Yep. Everybody is right on. Relax, enjoy the experience. All you need is mask, fins, and snorkle. And TS is absolutely right. Fit a mask, don't go for gadget and glam. Buy the lower priced easy stuff to start, because your tastes will change and you'll just end up buying more. I would bet that everyone here has at least two to three masks and sets of fins.....
Read the manual, answer the knowledge reviews.
Take you time in the pool. Skills are to be learned and enjoyed.
All you really have to do is breathe. The rest will come.
Enjoy. Time of your life, kid......

 

[fisherdvm]

First you do.... learn how to swim a stroke that requires rhythmic breathing (breath out as face goes under water, breath in as face breaks the surface) like a good breast stroke or a good crawl stroke. This will keep you from panicking when you are in rough sea.

Then .... find the best program in your area, not necessary the cheapest or closest

Watch out for this... LDS trying to sell you fancy BCD with up down buttons, "best regulator out there", purge mask, super dry snorkel, and best fins on the market. The cheap 5 to 10 buck snorkel even without the dry feature will do, and the simple J tube will make you a better diver/snorkeler. Any diving mask will do if it fits you well, and look for the low volume and low profile types. Actually, Tylos make some of the least expensive and very low profile mask that was recently reviewed. Stay away from multiwindowed mask and masks with purge valves. Find masks that does not bite down on your upper lip too hard, they are uncomfortable to dive for long period of time. I personally prefer the double feathered mask skirt, it is gentler on your lip as it seals laying flat, rather than a ridge cutting on your upper lip. Don't buy BCD or regulator until you have at least 25 dives.

Hmmm. Maybe a scuba diving for dummies book - I personally like the layout of the PADI OW book, but others prefer SSI which I hate their writing style.

 

[dewayne405]

I too am recently certified... Got my PADI OW card today in the mail.... WOOHOO!!!!

Some advice: Buy good gear, but don't break the bank... I spent over $300 on fins, weight belt, booties, mask, and snorkel... I now know that I could have done the same thing, and purchased online for most of that, had it in 2 days through ScubaToys and saved myself $150 minimum... Believe me I got good gear, but I could have been a bit wiser then, and still had good gear.

#2 key advice wear really good waterproof sunblock...SPF 70-85... My fiancee and I burned really bad on our pool dives, I have the scars to show it... Water amplifies the sun's UV Rays, and thats bad, so either wear a full wetsuit, or get some good waterproof sun block and apply it often...

Most importantly, Relax and enjoy the ride, this is truly an awesome life experience... Relax and enjoy...

 

[BlueReef]

#2 key advice wear really good waterproof sunblock

INDEED! - you reminded me of my OW, and I will add - I woke up one day with my neck stuck to my pillow!! not a pretty sight lol. Didn't scar though, but yeah oozed a lot couldn't even turn my head for a few days for fear of cracking - nice!

 

[RonFrank]

This is not difficult stuff, and I'd go for a passing score of 100%, but you only need a 75%, IOW's, on a multiple guess, not difficult!

Read the book, do the quizzes, and review. Things to review most are ear clearing, ascent rates, Skills, Saftety stop info, dive profiles, hand signals, and the dive tables. IOW's review the things that you are going to need to do to dive. I can't stress how important it is to clear early, and often. New divers screw up their ears all the time.

Skills like Compass navigation and similar are important, but what they teach you is only a starting point, and no one is proficient at most of those types of skills after an OW class.

Pay attention to the instructor, take things seriously, and you will be fine!

Have fun, and be safe!

 

[tfsails]

My advice would be to remember that the skills taught and learned in OW class are not obstacles to be overcome on the way to a certification, but tools to keep you alive and comfortable underwater.

At my shop, we like to tell students that they can't buy a certification from us, only the training. The student earns his/her certification by demonstrating that he/she can do what is necessary to survive the diving experience. This in no way means that what we do is difficult or dangerous; just that we humans are entering an environmant for which we were not designed, and we need a certain amount of training in order to be safe in that environment.

Having said all this, relax, go out and enjoy yourself, and be prepared to become addicted!