first ocean dives--Help!

[BKP]

My wife felt similarly to you on her first ocean dive (which was also in the Keys). However, once you're down, and you get your first close-up look at the reef, I think you'll find your biggest concern will be that you'll have to return to the boat before you've seen everything there is to see.

A guide is a good idea your first time out, more to give you a guided tour, and comfort level, than to make sure you don't get into any trouble. I have seen *many* OW students kneeling on the sandy bottom, next to Molasses, or French reef, or in site of the Benwood, going through their skills... All, easy, fascinating, beautiful dives...

Enjoy yourself... (although, I have no doubt you will...)

 

[fisherdvm]

My husband and I are new divers (last summer). We are taking a trip in April to Key Largo and my husband wants to do some shallow diving. I am getting a little nervous. Does anyone have any tips/suggestions for this trip? I would greatly appreciate it. We are thinking of paying extra for a guide since we are newer.

The weather in Key Largo can be unpredictable. I've had good weather only 1 of the 3 trips there. An old timer complained that he has NEVER had good weather in the keys in his 16 years of diving, and was promptly whammed by a 8 ft plus waves within 10 minutes of uttering such statement .... and hurt his back.... I really felt bad for him. But he shouldn't have sit in the bow of the boat going through 5 ft waves.

Paying extra for a DM guide is a good idea. Although navigation of many of reeves are simple (they are just fingers) and you can count them one by one and get back to the boat. Some dive sites have relatively few land marks, and combined with unpredictable currents, it is difficult to dive. I buddied up with a very experienced Key Largo diver (1000 + dives) who used to live in the Keys, she still had to surface (carefully I might add) to double check her headings.

The wreck dives are a breeze to navigate. I would say most divers can handle the navigation fine, if you keep it simple. Perhaps others can suggest otherwise, my understanding is that the reeves near Pennenkamp are relatively shallow, and the park based LDS tend to take you to closer sites (less sea sick). If the dives are cancelled due to the weather, you can walk over to the beach and dive in the lagoons (loaded with lobsters and tarpon). It is kinda sad to see the lagoon and beach having been invaded by so much algea and muck that the vis is less than 20 ft at times.... But it is a good refresher dive to start your dive vacation if you are newbies. Rent your gears from Pennenkamp park, and head out to the lagoon to do your check out dives, and get the weight figured out (for a wet empty tank). Then you will be ready for the boat dive the next day. I think their charge is $150 for 3 (two tank) boat dives, and all the dives are less than 40 ft, gears included (minus wetsuit). We also dove with Bluewater diver who had a smaller boat, but were quite accomodating. Silentworld accomodate beginner divers well, and you can try all kind of new gears (including backplate/wing) if you so desired.