Got certified, now what?

[Scuba Fluff's Girl]

If you know SCUBA is for you, go ahead and research every piece of gear and buy the right stuff at good quality and nothing less.

Then take your gear and dive locally with the aim to streamline it (hose lengths, where things are stowed, etc), tweak it, get your weights and distribution for best trim right for various type of tanks/changes in exposure protection and note all of these things down for future reference. Then you are ready to gather experience with a setup you know and trust.

If it was me:

Computer - get a good one with AI, Buhlmann algorithm ideally custom gradient factors, nitrox etc., to future proof it as you advance (yes Shearwater fanboy)
BCD - get a BP/W, steel if mainly local, alu if mainly travel, simple webbing harness, 30lb or so wing if diving single tanks (take a look at XDEEP, I would if I was in the market)
Regs - get a high quality set, balanced, environmentally sealed, Venturi/WOB adjustment on second stage, don't skimp on the Octo (Scubapro is a solid choice)
Mask - consider a frameless design for the best field of view, get two and carry one as a backup (Atomic does fine masks)
Fins - get some sturdy rubber fins with metal spring straps, fat rails that work well for a frog kick and helicopter turns (fan of the Zeagle Recon here)
DSMB - suggest a small closed oral inflate DSMB on a spool (Halcyon does a nice one)
Cutting - get a knife and a trilobite
Lights - get a couple compact lights around 1000 lume with multiple power outputs, 18650, push button (I like the Sea Dragon Mini 900)
Emergency - think about a storm whistle, your lights, a PLB in a canister if boat/remote diving
Exposure protection - get a drysuit if it's actually cold, everything else is miserable in cold water. Ideal to have a drysuit and a 5mm as it will cover a great range of conditions. Additional gear like hoods, hooded vests, socks, gloves etc. go a long way in improving comfort when diving wet.
Redundant air supply - maybe you like the idea of diving with redundant air supply right away, so consider putting your octo on a compact regulator on a slung pony bottle of sufficient capacity for your depths based on your SAC.
Tanks - if you are going local more often than not, look at getting a steel tank, Faber 85 is a beautiful choice getting some lead off you and into a nice and compact package on your back, with AL80 comparable capacity.

Do not fall for dive packages at your dive shops. Research and dig deep and you will be able to dive the same setup for a very, very long time, without regretting your 'retail outfit' choice.

This is awesome! Thank you. I have spent hours in research and I do agree with staying away from the packages! Thank you for this.

 

[Scuba Fluff's Girl]

You appear to be very committed to doing lots of diving so I am going to suggest a certification that requires deeper learning, but the benefits are multiple. Consider a Nitrox course since Nitrox can increase your bottom time when used appropriately. More bottom time for most is usually a good thing.

There are many agencies that offer Nitrox, and I recommend you consider the TDI, entry-level Nitrox course. If you like this flavour of training from a more technically-oriented agency, then you could take the TDI Advanced Nitrox course. These two courses would give you a solid foundation in using enriched air (21 - 100 EAN) without staged decompression. Your learning effort will be more significant than OW and AOW since some consider these two TDI Nitrox subjects to be similar to a college-level course. If you liked TDI Nitrox and Advanced Nitrox, then TDI Deco Procedures will open up an incredible world for you!

Enjoy your diving, training and continuous learning.

Thank you!

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

This will be you at every party, family gathering, encounter at the coffee shop, etc.

 

[Scuba Fluff's Girl]

Welcome to the beautiful underwater world!

You have been given some great suggestions so far. I think your idea of diving locally is a great one. Now what skills to work on?

I believe more new divers should practice air sharing drills. When I was getting started, my more experienced buddy would hit me with the out of air/gas (OOA/OOG) sign randomly. I never knew when it was coming. It was a great way to continue to develop the skill and to learn that as long as I remain calm, all is good.


So I would do OOA drills, keep working on buoyancy and trim so you don’t look like a seahorse in the water. Also, if you have someone who can help, the most reef friendly propulsion technique you can use is the frogkick. I highly recommend learning that as it helps not just the reefs but on gas consumption due to the built in glide cycle.

Keep diving and keep us updated!

Yes! We were talking about working on air sharing drills. Great idea on having your buddy randomly hit you with the OOA signal. We will incorporate this into our diving!!

 

[maadJurguer]

Welcome. Navigation is a useful skill, especially if you start to venture out into guiding yourself vs. being led around. Perfect buyoancy is another good class if you can find a decent instructor.

 

[Scuba Fluff's Girl]

This will be you at every party, family gathering, encounter at the coffee shop, etc.
View attachment 562621

 

[lexvil]

Lake Pleasant sucks, but it's good practice. I'll swing up to put hours on my CCR before a big cave trip, and it's definitely a good place to practice skills. It's pretty chilly this time of year. If you're not in a drysuit, it's not comfortable.

This guy, ^ badger him until he takes you diving, dive dive dive, then have him help you find gear!

 

[Scuba Scott]

It has already been mentioned but the next thing you should should both do before your trip is get Nitrox certified.
There are other posts with good advice but the Nitrox cert actually opens additional diving opportunities.
On your trip you may want to consider a deep certification if you can fit it in your schedule.

 

[formernuke]

Just pratice the basic drills and bouyancy control. Get to where you can do each drill flawlessly while maintaining your position in the water table. Practice all the finning techniques.

The only reason I recommend other certs if if they are needed aka required by charters etc. The exception to this is drysuit if you plan on diving cold water.

 

[NothingClever]

Congratulations, Fluff on yours and your other half’s AOW certification.

I think you’re on track with the idea of getting more dives in at the local lake. If it’s too cold to dive in a wetsuit and a drysuit is out of reach (for whatever reason), look for a competitive pool with a deep end for competition diving. It’s not glamorous but it will fulfill its purpose of refining your procedures to confidently walk through the fundamental aspects of a dive from start to finish. That way, you fly to the Caymans confident and focused on enjoying your experience while learning new things in stride rather than getting stressed trying to stay caught up.

Regarding gear, I think @Divectionist gave some really, really good advice but @EberWolf followed up with great advice about restraint, also. You might consider prioritizing your gear purchases per the following - (1) Mask, booties and fins, (2) wetsuit, (3) computer, (4) BCD, (5) regulator set, (6) camera.

Each one of those equipment categories represents a doorway into a myriad of manufacturers and types of configurations (i.e, jacket style versus backplate and wing). One can easily suffer from analysis paralysis and get blown about by empassioned opinions here in the SB forums. You might consider looking at ScubaLab ( ScubaLab ) to help narrow down the choices. Well, at least it’s a start point to help you get educated on what the mainstream choices are thus allowing you to do further research at a shop and/or here on SB if you want something more specialized.

Regarding your computer, there is a new computer out that has an excellent price point and user-friendly size. You can find it here.....Deep 6 Excursion Dive Computer. I bought one for my wife based on its simplicity, the algorithm it uses (Bühlmann - proven since 1965), the modest size and the sustained presence of the owners of the company here on SB. They are bombproof guys and committed in heart and mind to diving.

SCUBA is not a cheap activity; I have purchased several varieties of the same bit of kit to dial in what I like. Accept that you may buy something thinking you’ve hit a bullseye only to dive with it about 10 times and realize you should have bought something else.

I would not discount SB’s marketplace as a good location to shop. Since you’re not diving every weekend, there’s no need to be in a rush to buy equipment. Learn what you can about equipment so you can spot offers when they come up. You can save a lot of money here. Don’t be afraid to reach out to rational and reputable people here on SB to get their advice. There are some real fruitcakes on SB but there are some really, really great dive professionals and seasoned dive community leaders, too.

To follow up the post from @Skulmoski , you might consider taking an introductory course to technical diving before you buy your BCD and regulators. Many certifying agencies offer this course. Some have been in the game much longer than others and will have a better probability of giving what you need. Don’t let the title throw you off; the course is aimed at helping recreational divers who are hungry to learn more. The course will teach you some great diving skills [such as different finning techniques and ways to improve (reduce) your air consumption] and help you get to know dive equipment much better. That way when you go to purchase some new dive kit (such as your BCD or regulators), you can do so from a more informed perspective.

Be very selective about your future instructors. Spend a lot of time on this...it will be worth it. Don’t chase cards or pledge your allegiance to an agency. Find a skilled instructor who will take the time to TRAIN you rather than just give you an orientation to the skill.

Good luck with the journey. Have fun and let us know how you and your other half get along.