Finding a dive buddy when you are new???

[Lulunew2scub]

Hi Everyone...Since I am a single woman, and about to finish my OW class, I am wondering how you find a dive buddy and will the other experienced divers in our LDS want to dive with you when they know you are still a newbie??

 

[Diver0001]

Hi Everyone...Since I am a single woman, and about to finish my OW class, I am wondering how you find a dive buddy and will the other experienced divers in our LDS want to dive with you when they know you are still a newbie??

Do you have the opportunity to join a club?

R..

 

[Wildcard]

Hi Everyone...Since I am a single woman, and about to finish my OW class, I am wondering how you find a dive buddy and will the other experienced divers in our LDS want to dive with you when they know you are still a newbie??

This is a great place to start looking. Some divers are very arrogant about there UW time, avoid them. I would think that most would welcome most any diver. Dive buddies can be hard to come by sometimes. No one ever wants to show up.

 

[UndrWatrDan]

Hi, as already stated, checkout some of the dive clubs in your area. When I moved to the Dallas/Ft Worth area, I didn't have a dive partner. I visited several of the dive clubs in the area, found one I liked and instantly had many dive partners. This board is also a great resource for meeting divers in your area. Good luck and have fun.

 

[junior diver]

I don't know if this is to do with my age but I always find it easy to get a buddy. I've got 67 dives but on my first dive after the OW certification I just asked the person who was sat next to me on the boat and he said yes. I'm not fussy about who my buddy is but if they arn't very good you try to improve them or point out nicely and they will normally try to make you feel more comfortable. If they don't I won't dive with them again. Unless they point out something I was doing wrong and they are correct, then I will make a specific point of diving with them again.

 

[CUunderH2O]

I agree with the others; join a dive club. I'm a single woman and had no dive buddies after my course. My LDS's dive club dives twice a week, and one of the guys I've been diving with is a DM candidate & needs more dives logged. Bingo. I've logged 10 dives in the 3 weeks since my OW course. Get out there and keep diving. If you're not comfortable diving with other newbies, find someone more experienced and dive with them. Worked for me

 

[chepar]

When I was first certified, I was in the same situation. I was a single woman and didn't know anyone else that dove. For a long time I "made do" by getting buddied at the harbor with people I had just met - mostly tourists, so no long term prospects.

I suggest that you find a club in your area that is a good match for your personality and "philosophies" about diving. All dive clubs have different "personalities" - i.e. some have members that are primarily interested in tech diving, some have great people, but are a little flaky about scheduling and then sticking to the schedule, some are really tight as a group and it's hard to feel like you really belong. Once you find the club(s) that are right for you, everything will fall into place.

This board is also a good resource - for the longest time I was the only member from Hawaii. Then all of a sudden there were a bunch of Hawaii members - and this is where I found my dive buddies.

Above all, keep diving - even if a lot of time goes by and you still haven't found a regular buddy. The more you dive, the greater your chances of finding them - I went for over a year without a regular buddy.

 

[Lulunew2scub]

Thanks everyone for the tips..I have really liked all the people that I have met so far at my LDS, so I wil probably join our Dive Club there. I know there has got to be other people in the same situation. Thanks again!

 

[fun2chase]

What is the best way to find dive clubs in your area?

Thanks,
fun2chase

 

[saltwater taffy]

I couldn't agree more, join a dive club. They will have divers with all different skill levels. If you find yourself where you don't have a dive buddy, don't be afraid to speak up and ask in the divemaster will buddy up with you.

Have fun, this is a great sport.
SWT