Greetings and thanks from some new divers!

[Dive n00b]

Hey Everyone,

This is my first post here, but I have been lurking (reading a ton) for quite a few weeks now. I figured it was time for me to register and start posting, and the first thing I wanted to do is thank you all for all the great info that has been accumulated in the forum archives here.

My wife and I got certified at Scuba Caribe in Punta Cana during our honeymoon back in May. I already know that learning how to dive together will be one of the most rewarding gifts we will ever give eachother.

I've got the itch to dive, and have had it since my first open water test dive... that itch has grown daily since that first day and reading SB has magnified it 10 million fold.

At first I stumbled across this website looking for info on what gear to buy next (we already have masks, fins, and snorkels) as we had planned our next dive trip to the Mayan Riviera next spring. Had no idea what to expect in the Mayan until I started reading about how awesome the Cenotes are, and some of the other great dives... then there is that whole proximity to Cozumel, and well.... I know we're heading there for at least a day during our week to dive too.

Anyways, as the excitement continued to build I began to frequent here more... I have learned a ton already and continue to absorb more and more each visit. So much so, that I realized that the next bit of gear that the wife and should equip ourselves with is more experience diving. That being said, instead of focussing on what wetsuit, or reg/bcd combo to buy, we decided to focus on how we could get out diving sooner than next spring.

Well... we figured it out. Next Saturday we are off to Nassau to dive Stuart Cove. We cant wait to get in the water again. Unfortunately the wife is scared of even watching you tube video of the shark adventure dive at SC so it may not happen on this trip, but we are there often enough that it wont be an issue to do it on a subsequent trip once we have a few more dives under our belts.


I do have a few questions, about what to expect at SC but this post is long enough, so I'll wait for some replies before I fire off more questions.

Thanks everyone... I can't wait to learn more from you all... I find it awesome that some of you have logged dives in the thousands... I'm so jealous!

Cheers!

 

[Down4Adive]

congratulations from one noob to another, on both your wedding and your cert. I will be getting married in june and we got certified together too. Its great isnt it. Here is to a great life and many great dives together for you and your wife.

 

[CamG]

Congratulations to you and your wife Dive n00b! It is good to welcome you to SB also, it sounds as though you did exactly as I in the start of my scuba infancy. You are in the right place to learn a hoard of wisdom, some opinions, tons of useful information / facts. There are some really awesome people here on SB, and I have made some life long friends in the scuba community.
I challenge you to get involved with your local dive scene by means of local dive club or LDS. I have had the opportunity to dive so much more once I got connected into my local diving community.
My wife also dives and my two children are snorkeling maniacs. I was concerned about cold water at first. Now it is I who has to admit when it is to cold to dive wet! My wife and I both decided due to our location and desire to dive dry suits were a must!
It was expensive at first but so worth it in the long run! We have had the pleasure of diving every month but February this past year, when we complete our ice certification no missed dives for us! It is a unexplainable joy for me to share these moments with my wife as you have experienced also.
A heart felt welcome to the dive community to you both and hope to meet you at Gilboa or the Great Lakes some time! Good luck and safe diving to you both!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[Dive n00b]

congratulations from one noob to another, on both your wedding and your cert. I will be getting married in june and we got certified together too. Its great isnt it. Here is to a great life and many great dives together for you and your wife.

Cheers brother!!! Only a few months into marriage & diving, and diving is dominating all of our future vacation planning.

Make sure you guys decide to honeymoon somewhere where you can get a bunch of diving in between the uhmmm... honeymooning!

 

[Dive n00b]

Congratulations to you and your wife Dive n00b! It is good to welcome you to SB also, it sounds as though you did exactly as I in the start of my scuba infancy. You are in the right place to learn a hoard of wisdom, some opinions, tons of useful information / facts. There are some really awesome people here on SB, and I have made some life long friends in the scuba community.
I challenge you to get involved with your local dive scene by means of local dive club or LDS. I have had the opportunity to dive so much more once I got connected into my local diving community.
My wife also dives and my two children are snorkeling maniacs. I was concerned about cold water at first. Now it is I who has to admit when it is to cold to dive wet! My wife and I both decided due to our location and desire to dive dry suits were a must!
It was expensive at first but so worth it in the long run! We have had the pleasure of diving every month but February this past year, when we complete our ice certification no missed dives for us! It is a unexplainable joy for me to share these moments with my wife as you have experienced also.
A heart felt welcome to the dive community to you both and hope to meet you at Gilboa or the Great Lakes some time! Good luck and safe diving to you both!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

Thanks for your heartfelt welcome Cam! You're right... diving is an experience that I am so happy my wife and I can share. I need to warm her up (literally) to the idea of diving in the cold etc... so we can really take advantage of some of the great wrecks and freshwater diving we have just a few hours away in Tobemorey.

Thanks again and all the best!

 

[Down4Adive]

dive noob,

I just noticed where you are from. I have family in kitchener. what is the diving like around you? Is it as cold as it sounds? I may just have to visit the family in canada (and maybe sneek off to see those wrecks you talked about ). I live 10 miutes from the ocean right between san francisco and los angeles in san luis obispo california, so most of my diving is done in about 54 degrees. There is a lot of kelp and some great sea life and rock formations. The vis can be hit and miss on shore dives, but I hear that the boat diving is great (I will be doing my first soon).

 

[TSandM]

Thanks for the thanks!

I had the same experience . . . Had a dive buddy turn me on to ScubaBoard, and then I spent hours and hours reading in the archives. I highly recommend reviewing the Accidents and Incidents forum, especially the near misses; you learn a lot of things NOT to do that way. I also found it very useful to identify a couple of posters whose writing seemed thoughtful, and go read as much as I could of what they wrote. One good one, Diver0001, is really no longer here, which is sad.

Anyway, you've got a great approach -- To be better diver, get out there and dive!

 

[ScubaSteve]

I will add my 2 cents to this. I am from Guelph which is about 1 hour west of Toronto (and 20 minutes from Kitchener I might add). Diving around here in some of the more popular places like Tobermory (here) can range from a high of 66-68 degrees to very cold ice water. I dive 7mm wet year round and I usually start diving around June when the water is 45 degrees or so and stop in November when it gets too cold outside to comfortably change (plus the water is down to the high 40's).

The diving is by no means tremendous here but for getting underwater, it is good. Most of my diving is done 1 hour closer than Tobermory in Wiarton (here). It is comfortable and easy diving. I tend to stay away from the charters because they add cost. Shore diving is free and therefore my favourite (unless I want to see what the boat will dive).

If you are ever in the area visiting your family, let me know.

Steve

dive noob,

I just noticed where you are from. I have family in kitchener. what is the diving like around you? Is it as cold as it sounds? I may just have to visit the family in canada (and maybe sneek off to see those wrecks you talked about ). I live 10 miutes from the ocean right between san francisco and los angeles in san luis obispo california, so most of my diving is done in about 54 degrees. There is a lot of kelp and some great sea life and rock formations. The vis can be hit and miss on shore dives, but I hear that the boat diving is great (I will be doing my first soon).

 

[Dive n00b]

I will add my 2 cents to this. I am from Guelph which is about 1 hour west of Toronto (and 20 minutes from Kitchener I might add). Diving around here in some of the more popular places like Tobermory (here) can range from a high of 66-68 degrees to very cold ice water. I dive 7mm wet year round and I usually start diving around June when the water is 45 degrees or so and stop in November when it gets too cold outside to comfortably change (plus the water is down to the high 40's).

The diving is by no means tremendous here but for getting underwater, it is good. Most of my diving is done 1 hour closer than Tobermory in Wiarton (here). It is comfortable and easy diving. I tend to stay away from the charters because they add cost. Shore diving is free and therefore my favourite (unless I want to see what the boat will dive).

If you are ever in the area visiting your family, let me know.

Steve

I think Steve pretty much hit the nail on the head, although from what I've heard and read, Tobemorey has some of the best freshwater diving in North America and viz is top notch. Apparently there are a bunch of great wrecks there, a few being all wood paddle boats etc... from way back when. That being said... I've never experienced it first hand.

Perhaps you can pop into the Ontario Freshwater Freaks forum on this board. I checked it out yesterday and there appeared to be many knowledgebale local divers like Steve, and a bunch of great pics etc... of the wrecks in Toby.

 

[Dive n00b]

Thanks for the thanks!

I had the same experience . . . Had a dive buddy turn me on to ScubaBoard, and then I spent hours and hours reading in the archives. I highly recommend reviewing the Accidents and Incidents forum, especially the near misses; you learn a lot of things NOT to do that way. I also found it very useful to identify a couple of posters whose writing seemed thoughtful, and go read as much as I could of what they wrote. One good one, Diver0001, is really no longer here, which is sad.

Anyway, you've got a great approach -- To be better diver, get out there and dive!

Good advice... thanks again!