Finished OW Cert yesterday!

[Skidoomn]

Just wanted to say Hi. Been ready this board since I signed up for the class. I have found this site very useful. I had plenty of pre class thoughts about mask clear, etc. However found that they weren't near as bad as they sounded to complete. We even got to do our first dive on our own after the last class dive. It was comforting to hear the instructor say "this was probably some of the worst vis to dive in"(about 4 -5ft) in a lake. If you can do it in this poor vis you can do it in pretty much any vis. Now of course I,m already looking at equipment. We will be diving again next week.

Thank You

Bob

 

[DandyDon]

Good Go, Bob!Welcome to the obsession. Good way to spend all of your money you'll ever have.

How about going to Introductions forum and introducing yourself, so we can welcome you apporpriately...

 

[TravisT]

Hey Skidoomn, I am currently in my OW certification class. I'm in a two week NAUI course and have done a lot of the drills you were speaking of. I was planning on making a thread talking about my experiences in the OW class this far as there seems to have been a lot of trouble, from what i've read recenetly, with mask clearing, equalizing ears, ect.

And even though those are common troubles to have, there is a significant amount of people that overcome those problems as well as a significant amount that don't have problems at all.

I think i was more nervous about mask clearing after reading some threads here than I was before I came to these boards. Although i've learned a lot, primarily people only write about the problems they are having rather and not enough positive experiences.

I've been loving every minute of the class up to this point, the drills and all!

 

[Skidoomn]

TravisT, I agree I was really kind of freaked out after reading all the mask clearing problems people had benn having. But, I found it alot easier than I thought once in the class. The thing that helped me was to remember to relax. Just remember to breath thru the mouth instead of using your nose. The instructor was great at reminding us that if you can do these skills in a 10-12ft pool you can do them anywhere. It doesn't matter if your down 15 ft in a lake our 60ft in the ocean.

 

[JimHar99]

Congratulations Bob! I've finished my class and I'm just waiting for my Open Water cert dives on 07/24 & 07/25.

Like you I started reading this board about the time I started my class and the information was very helpfull. With all of the horror stories I read about mask clearing I was surprised that it was so easy for me. The only thing that gave me a little trouble was taking off the BCD at the surface then getting back into it. On the bottom it was no trouble. I have now got that all figured out (too much air in the BCD when I took it off). Now that the class is done I just can't wait for the certification dives and to finally get into some water that's not a pool. Again, congrats..

 

[jhelmuth]

Congrats bud! Now just keep on divin'...

 

[grumpygrouper]

Hi
Congratulations on your open water. Diving will open your
eyes to a new world.

 

[scubaxris]

Congrats and welcome to the underwater world...get ready to be broke like the rest of us!!!
Christopher

 

[texdiveguy]

Congrats!!!!

 

[scubarn0203]

Congrat 2 U!!!!