Got certified, now what?

[Flatline]

Won’t reiterate what has been said. I’m a shearwater fanboy. Can’t go wrong with a Perdix. Not a rechargeable fan. I want my primary dive computer rock solid at a moment’s notice. My friend loves the Teric. It’s ok. Don’t really like him anyway.

Locations.... You are a skip away from some phenomenal diving in so cal. Channel Islands. San Diego. Big Sur. On a liveaboard you can do 15+ dives in 4 days. My new dive friends loved the trips that I took them on. Considered them to be transformative in their experience level. Use some care in choosing the dive and if it is something you will need a guide for. Very little handholding with an emphasis on personal responsibility. Diving the Pacific coast can really build your capabilities.

Side note. Because I live in Cal and got tired of freezing my butt off, I started diving dry in 96’. You can’t enjoy a dive with your teeth chattering. Southern Channel Islands in Octoberish can be tolerated in a wetsuit. But that’s the kind of sissy I am.

 

[TSS]

Well, hello from Myanmar
Myanmar: the best kept secret diving destination in Asia

 

[Jay Adams]

Its important to not rush into gear and courses, getting comfortable UW and doing your drills flawlessly is key to being a better diver. Remember that an OW student with 300 dives will always outshine an AOW student with 25 dives.

I dived with an open water diver in Grand Turk, his skills were greater than half the people on the boat, he had over 500 dives in his log book. he said he never felt he needed another certification... experience is much better than a cert card... As others have said. Dive, Dive, Dive and Dive some more. unless you are only a vacation diver, there is a lot to see in a lake