After your ow course, were you able to dive without Dm/instr?

[Germie]

The open water diver course is officially designed to let divers dive as autonomous divers, so able to dive without supervision with at least another open water diver.

But was you able to dive without supervision?
Did you feel I need more practise?
When was you ready? After ow, or after aow, or have you never done any dive without supervision?

My course gave me a solid base, I started diving couple of times a week and we build up our own experience in nightdiving and deep diving before starting the aow course without any problems. I see not a lot of divers get such a solid base. A lot get a cert, and then are afraid of diving on their own.
I know not all divers learn in the time and some need more time. Some are talented and naturals, others don't. But the ow course is designed to learn you enough basics?
Or not?
Tell me your own experience about how capable you felt after the course.

 

[Dogbowl]

I have always dived with my buddy and at least “a DM in the water”. I’ve only really dived in places where a DM was the norm (Caribbean and Indo) and mainly boat diving. I haven’t had a chance to do shore diving yet (like in Bonaire), where diving is on your own. Locally, a DM is not the norm but if I’m diving locally, it is with an instructor on a course.

I would be comfortable diving on our own now in benign conditions (like Bonaire), but not when we were really new.

I don’t think OW or AOW prepares divers well to dive on their own. But of course that depends on the instructor and the student.

 

[Divectionist]

I got certified at age 14, so was not comfortable going alone, which did not happen anyway. I am not sure how it would have been as an adult, but I think one of the key things one needs to get comfortable with as a new diver is underwater navigation and a general sense for a dive site, distances, and surfacing using a DSMB and such.

I doubt that most newly minted OW divers are equipped to be carefree out there with another fresh buddy, and would prefer to follow some yellow fins showing the way, for another 10-20 dives.

Following a DM would allow new divers to focus on themselves until buoyancy, trim, SAC, equipment is under control, and then also allow them to focus on their environment and underwater sights, before being task overloaded with navigation and dive planning.

Once one emerges from the drills of an OW certification, diving just begins. Only when the above basics are comfortable should additional loading come. That said, any diver, at all times, should have what it takes to look after him or herself, and a buddy, to get to the surface safely and attract attention. Based upon that, no shame following a DM.

If I go explore a new site, I also follow the locals or the guide on the first dive if I can.

 

[diversteve]

I did my 4 cert dives off a boat in SoCal in the 80's. The 5th dive the our instructor said my buddy and I could go alone while he took some in the group. So we did.

I will dive with a DM if they require it but normally we like to do our own thing. We choose locations where that's common practice - like liveaboards.

I will occasionally follow the DM if there's something of specific interest they can show us.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

After my OW I did local diving with other divers non of whom where qualified as DM or Instructor. I built up experience under different conditions on 55 dives before taking AOW. I have to say I learned more from my buddies on those 55 dives than from the instructor on the AOW. We did shore dives off rock platforms, sandy beaches with challenging surface conditions, serious drift dives, boat dives and night dives. They ripped a strip off me if I silted things up or didn't maintain reasonable buddy contact.

I must acknowledge that my navigational skills were lacking for some time. Part of it was having buddies that were exceptional navigators in our group. It took a while before I was confident enough in my navigation to travel overseas on my own on dive trips.

We prefer to do pleasure dives with experienced safety conscious "non professional" buddies as we have found them less inclined to expect to dictate/control the dive.

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

I finished as an AOW and felt confident enough in my skills and abilities to dive with out a guide , i just found some nice dive buddies who some were very experienced and learned almost everything i know from them.

They did not hold my hand in the water or anything like that but they did give me some pointers and tips which really helped me feel more comfortable in the water.

 

[markmud]

My first dive after OW was a solo dive.

It was a completely benign location. The hard bottom was at 40 feet. I went back and did a couple more solo dives a few days later.

I learned how to tow a dive float on those dives so my diver-wife could keep track of me (she was certified up to rescue and had dived around the world--I was the newb).

markm

 

[Russjstewart]

Dinosaur alert here.
Did my ”OW” course in Dec 1980. The next time I dived with a guide/dive master/ instructor was Oct 82 , by which time I had done 42dives and had 31 hours underwater. With a deepest dive of 37metres. I wa doing a CDAA cat 2 cave diving course with an instructor.

 

[JXT71]

A question like this has a lot of gray area for a yes or no answer. I felt like I could plan and execute a simple dive with a buddy after OW (at the same location with similar conditions), but I'd be the first to say it wouldn't have been the BEST idea.

To those who feel they were not able to dive without a DM/Instr: Is it because you were lacking the necessary dive skills/knowledge? Or was it a matter of self-confidence (from fear or inexperience)?

 

[Graeme Fraser]

We see this a lot with new OW students. They're on a high having just completed their OW and are dead keen to get out there and put their new found skills into practice. However it is a big step and therefore perfectly reasonable and prudent for them to still have a 'safety net'.

Our dive centre operates a Sunday Dive programme which allows inexperienced divers participate in dives organised by experienced DM's and Instructors. This is not a hand holding exercise and divers are still expected to plan and execute their own dives, but under guidance with information on tides, current, entry/exit, etc. We have a number of experienced non-pros who are also happy to buddy up. This also allows newbies the chance to meet new buddies in their area, which isn't always easy.