lulubelle
Contributor
- Messages
- 863
- Reaction score
- 96
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
Hi there. I have briefly scanned the thread, so my apologies if I say something that has already been said.
Only you know and are responsible for what your level of skill and comfort is likely to be in deeper and sometimes unruly waters, and what preparation you should do. I have taken very seasoned and highly trained divers with ocean experience out who had a tough time despite good dive briefings, I have taken new divers offshore who were doing their first ocean dive who did very well and took to it quite naturally. This is no concierge diving here, so you are truly responsible for yourself in all ways.
Many of the operators will REQUIRE that you have AOW or some deeper dives in your logbook. If you do not, they may not be willing to take you out. Some of the operators may do so on the condition that you hire a DM to dive with you for a couple of dives. You should inquire before making your plans. And Nitrox would be something I would recommend doing in advance if you plan to dive any of the deeper wrecks. Consider looking into doing the AOW coursework in advance, and doing the dives here in NC. What better opportunity to get your first taste of wreck and deep diving than with an instructor who is diving with you on a deep wreck? There are some which can be quite suitable for a newbie, like the USS Spar.
If you do not have an instructor or DM with you, It is a good idea to try to do your first dive on a more shallow wreck, or at the very least, an intact wreck like the Spar. But quite honestly, probably my greatest recommendation would be that you and your father buddy up with experienced offshore divers instead of each other for your first couple of dives. That was my strategy. My third dive after I finished my OW was offshore. My buddy was a SAR diver with 500 plus dives. It was quite possibly the most overplanned dive of all time, I was very comfortable, and it went well. It was done on tables with air. Fabulous 11 minutes or so
. My first equipment purchase was a computer, and my first course after OW was nitrox. I'm sure that some might flame such a leap of faith for a new diver, but I live here, grew up on this ocean, am well familiar with it's whims, pulled someone out of it the first time when I was 10, and felt OK about my decision. And to your point, it is where I am. I could either learn to dive here or not.
I won't touch the pony topic with a 10 foot pole as to whether or not you should carry one or not. Go to NC Divers and search the forum for some very heated discussion of the pros and cons. And talk about it with your AOW instructor. Personally, I do not use one. But I only dive with known buddies, do real buddy briefings on board, carry a single HP steel 100 which I never use more than half of before my time is up, and am very careful with gas planning and management with my buddy. I'm good with that. I am thinking about getting one in the event that I wish to dive with unknown buddies. But I am with Captain James. You are still working on basic skills. I wouldn't recommend adding another quite yet. I also carry two SMBs, one bigger one for deployment from depth, one smaller on for the surface should the first go missing. I would not recommend that either of you be without, it is a big ocean. I also carry a big reel, but if you don't know how to use a reel yet, that may not be of any help.
I think you can find a safe and reasonable way to dive while you are here. Good luck, dive safe.
Only you know and are responsible for what your level of skill and comfort is likely to be in deeper and sometimes unruly waters, and what preparation you should do. I have taken very seasoned and highly trained divers with ocean experience out who had a tough time despite good dive briefings, I have taken new divers offshore who were doing their first ocean dive who did very well and took to it quite naturally. This is no concierge diving here, so you are truly responsible for yourself in all ways.
Many of the operators will REQUIRE that you have AOW or some deeper dives in your logbook. If you do not, they may not be willing to take you out. Some of the operators may do so on the condition that you hire a DM to dive with you for a couple of dives. You should inquire before making your plans. And Nitrox would be something I would recommend doing in advance if you plan to dive any of the deeper wrecks. Consider looking into doing the AOW coursework in advance, and doing the dives here in NC. What better opportunity to get your first taste of wreck and deep diving than with an instructor who is diving with you on a deep wreck? There are some which can be quite suitable for a newbie, like the USS Spar.
If you do not have an instructor or DM with you, It is a good idea to try to do your first dive on a more shallow wreck, or at the very least, an intact wreck like the Spar. But quite honestly, probably my greatest recommendation would be that you and your father buddy up with experienced offshore divers instead of each other for your first couple of dives. That was my strategy. My third dive after I finished my OW was offshore. My buddy was a SAR diver with 500 plus dives. It was quite possibly the most overplanned dive of all time, I was very comfortable, and it went well. It was done on tables with air. Fabulous 11 minutes or so
. My first equipment purchase was a computer, and my first course after OW was nitrox. I'm sure that some might flame such a leap of faith for a new diver, but I live here, grew up on this ocean, am well familiar with it's whims, pulled someone out of it the first time when I was 10, and felt OK about my decision. And to your point, it is where I am. I could either learn to dive here or not. I won't touch the pony topic with a 10 foot pole as to whether or not you should carry one or not. Go to NC Divers and search the forum for some very heated discussion of the pros and cons. And talk about it with your AOW instructor. Personally, I do not use one. But I only dive with known buddies, do real buddy briefings on board, carry a single HP steel 100 which I never use more than half of before my time is up, and am very careful with gas planning and management with my buddy. I'm good with that. I am thinking about getting one in the event that I wish to dive with unknown buddies. But I am with Captain James. You are still working on basic skills. I wouldn't recommend adding another quite yet. I also carry two SMBs, one bigger one for deployment from depth, one smaller on for the surface should the first go missing. I would not recommend that either of you be without, it is a big ocean. I also carry a big reel, but if you don't know how to use a reel yet, that may not be of any help.
I think you can find a safe and reasonable way to dive while you are here. Good luck, dive safe.
