first open water dive

[Debay777]

had me first open water dive. We dove the Indra off of Morehead City NC. Vis sucked, only about 6 feet. lots of muck in the water. being a little seasick didnt help but i soon got over that. took lots of pics with my ultra expensive high tech fuji underwater disposable camera (2 for 11.00). most will be dark green fuzz im sure. i got a bunch of pics of cudas. very neat fish. i got a little panicky when i jumped in the first time. i had to learn to trust the regulator all over again. i got out of breath and had to hold onto a rope to get back on my game. once i was breathing good and calmed down i tried to descend. tried. too bouyant. had to tack on 7 lbs. then all was well. most of the fish we could see were regular run of the mill swimmers. sea bass, i think sheepshead, baitfish by the tons. urchins, and various little crabs and such. the amberjack and spanish would not come in close enough to get a picture of but they had the bait ball stirred up real good. it was neat to watch. after my buddy chummed during the surface interval, we had lots of cudas. they apparently like burger king....lol. over all fun, but i will definatley be doing the 50 minute dive next time. 2 x 25's just isnt long enough to really absorb whats going on around you. i cant wait to go out again. woo hoo!! deepest of 61 feet today. not much but a lot f your rookie!!

 

[moneysavr]

Plan a Florida SE coast trip this winter! you will love the vis and warm waters!
Sounds like you had fun!
good luck on the diving aand photos!
Dive safe,
Brad

 

[herman]

Not the best of first trips but hey it's under water. Seasickness, thats a lot of fun...as long as it's someone else. I never head off shore NC without being on SS meds. A lot of drug stores near the coast have it in 1ooct bottles pretty cheap if you know what to ask for. Now you need to come join some of us at the quarries and hone your skills. See you on the NC board.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Congrats on your first open water dives. Like MoneySavr head to the Keys. I have been to Key Largo a couple of times, great diving. Stay away from Huricane season though.

 

[herman]

By the way, do you know a bunch of us off the NC board are headed to Key Largo in a few weeks? Your welcome to join us. We have a house rented so the room cost is pretty reasonable.

 

[CrazyScuba]

Congratulations on taking the first steps toward an incredible life adventure!
You're gonna love this sport, sounds like you've got the right frame of mind to be an addict like the rest of us...

Britt :fish:
:fish:

 

[Debay777]

im hooked for life. much to my wifes financial dismay...lol. i wish i could afford a trip to florida right now. we are staying above water but not by much. a trip would put us deeper than my wallet can go. sometimes i wonder if OW cert doesnt mean open wallet. PADI put another dollar in. i am fixing to get some gear though. my LDS is selling some of it 05 stuff pretty cheap. they are selling a sherwood silhouette (???) for 180.00 thats right on with online prices. i know its a basic model but i think that right now my main concern is getting into the water on my own equipment. its the same one that we wore (but new) in training. i liked it and it worked well. i know the reg/octo/guage rig is usualy first, but i think ill spend more money on the reg assembly for right now rather than BC. i do have some extra cash comming in soon so i will be able to knock out some of the reg within the next 4-5 months. i do believe that im going to go with the aqualung titan lx. my lds offers it with a free octo also by aqualung along with a 10% rebate. no matter how i play it, ill end up spending about the same on a 1st/2nd/octo, so the price is excellent there. i dread the computer purchase. i gotta pick JUST ONE, and then be able to pay for it. lol. im a gadget freak, so i want them all. ill prob end up with the atmos 2. seems to be an all around fav.

 

[timle]

61ft is plenty for your first open water dives. Take is slow and have fun. Its a great sport.

Consider your gear purchases slowly and carefully. I don't regret anything I bought really but I bought a BP/W not too long after my BC.

The aqualung deal is a limited time offer from the manufacturer. If you plan to use it makes sure its still in effect when you plan to purchase.

Welcome aboard, stay safe, and have fun

 

[Diveral]

Glad you enjoyed it and had a great time. Try to get down to the Keys on vacation sometime soon, you'll love it. Take it easy on the gear. Sometimes you get lucky with your first purchases and get something you like and will use a while and sometimes you don't. I bought a new BC last year (my third) and really wished I had bought a different type. OTOH I am diving with a 20+ year old Sherwood Magnum that is still going like a trooper.

Go quarry diving with some of your local scuba divers and join a nearby scuba club if you can find one. You can try the NC Wreckdivers forum here on scubaboard or try the NCDIVERS forum- http://www.ncdivers.com/. There is a good group of divers hanging out there who will give you all kinds of good advice. Most will even invite you to go diving with them and will loan you different gear so you can try them in the quarry to see if you like them. Try before you buy. You may be able to buy good used gear from them for some of your less critical gear needs.

AL

 

[Ed Palma]

Congratulations! The others are right! When it comes to buying your gear, try out different types and brands before purchasing the one you want. Check out the other threads here on the board to get some insight on the pros and cons of your possible choices. If budget is a consideration, there's a lot of servicable second-hand gear floating around. Even computers, for that matter. Oh, and try to get your wife into diving, even on an intro dive (but better done in a place with better viz and less choppy waters so she too can get hooked!)... Its a very important step!