Greetings from New Jersey

[fashionablylate]

Hello everyone.
I'm a brand new diver -- not even completely certified yet. My first two "checkout" dives were two days ago, and I have three more dives scheduled for tomorrow. From the first moment I stepped into the training pool, I knew I had found the "thing" that I had been looking for, and even though I'm not official yet, I'm already enrolled in classes (Night / Limited Vis, Navigation, Nitrox (IANTD), and Deep Diving) for additional specialties. I'm really pleased to have stumbled across this community, and hope that I will eventually fit in.

One of the things I have noticed with most of the divers I have encountered is that they are learning SCUBA so they can go diving at a vacation resort destination. I feel like I am in the vast minority of people who decided to learn to dive for the sheer enjoyment of it, and wondered what others have found. I'm in for the fun, for the challenge, and for the long haul. My goal is to become proficient in all aspects of technical diving, and to become an instructor.

I would love to hear from any other divers in the NJ/NY/PA/CT area who might want to dive with an enthusiastic newbie, too. I will probably be spending a lot of time at Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania until I have enough experience and confidence to consider the wrecks off the Jersey shore, but if you're looking for someone to dive with, I've got the time and the motivation!

Cheers!
-Andrew

After realizing how much I enjoyed the underwater environment, and based on my goals for diving, I have outfitted myself with the following gear, and any comments would be welcome.

Fins: Oceanic Vortex V12
Mask: Oceanic Xsite 2 and Cressi Big Eyes
Snorkel: Oceanic Sonora
Regulator: Cressi Ellipse Titanium
Octo: Cressi Ellipse
Computer: Oceanic Versa Pro
BC: Oceanic Chute 3
Wetsuit: ScubaMax 3/2mm (looking at Oceanic Farallon 7mm for local diving)
Drysuit: None yet, but hope to have Viking by November
Boots: Bare hard-sole
Gloves: Bare 5mm gauntlet style
Hood: Oceanic, no model...just says Oceanic on it
Tools: Cressi Orca and Oceanic Probe
Lights: UK D8, and C8, plus assorted glow sticks
Tanks: Two steel 120's on order, but won't be here until December, reportedly because of a steel shortage, according to the shop owner. Weird.

 

[XJae]

hey andrew, welcome to the board.
visit the locals at wreck valley.

 

[GrierHPharmD]

Welcome to the board and the sport! It looks like you've got a pretty ambitious training schedule planned. I'm glad that you decided to share your enthusiasm with us.

One word of caution, though. As you progress through your classes, be sure to take some time to just dive for the fun of diving. You can never overestimate the value of out-of-class experience toward honing your skills.

I can talk, having jumped from OW to AOW almost immediately. Then I took a little bit of time to try different types of diving: ocean vs. quarry vs. springs, wreck vs. reef, deep vs. shallow, open water vs. cavern, and I learned volumes about my own abilities and preferences. In particular, be sure that you've got plenty of dives under your belt before pushing the limits and doing technical dives. Too many people read the stories and decide to go straight toward the deep, dangerous end of the diving spectrum and pay with accidents and injuries.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, just advising a careful approach to moving through the training. We want to have you around as a Scubaboard member for a long time!

Best wishes and safe ascents,
Grier

 

[fashionablylate]

Thanks XJae. I'll be keeping an eye on the wrecks valley corner of the world. I appreciate you stopping by to welcome me.

 

[fashionablylate]

One word of caution, though. As you progress through your classes, be sure to take some time to just dive for the fun of diving. You can never overestimate the value of out-of-class experience toward honing your skills.

I wish it were that easy, but finding a buddy who isn't too experienced to want to dive with a newbie isn't as easy as I thought it might be, and I suspect that if I don't continue taking classes, I'll end up sitting on the shore staring at woefully at the waters I'm forbidden to enter solo. Better to take the classes and get the dives if that's the most convenient way to go about it. With so many specialties to choose from, I'll have almost enough for Master Diver just in certification dives.

I can talk, having jumped from OW to AOW almost immediately. Then I took a little bit of time to try different types of diving: ocean vs. quarry vs. springs, wreck vs. reef, deep vs. shallow, open water vs. cavern, and I learned volumes about my own abilities and preferences. In particular, be sure that you've got plenty of dives under your belt before pushing the limits and doing technical dives. Too many people read the stories and decide to go straight toward the deep, dangerous end of the diving spectrum and pay with accidents and injuries.

There is nothing I'd like more than to have the kind of constant exposure to diving that you're describing, and that's one of the reasons I bought equipment right away. I knew if I wanted to dive, I'd be more likely to do it if I could simply jump in the car and go on a moment's notice.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, just advising a careful approach to moving through the training. We want to have you around as a Scubaboard member for a long time!

Best wishes and safe ascents,
Grier

Thanks Grier. I'm thankful that you took the time to welcome me here. Your insights were helpful, and I hope you'll stay in touch.

 

[Shaka Doug]

Welcome to the "club" and good luck with your checkout dives. You will find that SCUBA is something that will always leave you learning and wanting to learn more. It's addictive and will provide you with invaluable life experiences. Enjoy it and respect the water. It has changed my life and I'm better because of it. I hope you get lots of great dive experiences to put in your log book. You will meet some really interesting folks along the way too.

Aloha,

Shaka Doug

 

[MB104]

I wish it were that easy, but finding a buddy who isn't too experienced to want to dive with a newbie isn't as easy as I thought it might be

Wrong......I'd be happy to dive with a "newbie". There is even a thread on this topic.

Welcome to the board. Join Wreck Valley if you want to keep in touch with local divers in your area. I am a NJ diver too and enjoy Dutch just to get wet once in a while.

Where y'at? What shop do you use?

 

[DandyDon]

Howdy!

Welcome to SB!! :happywave Put us in your computer's favorites and check in often. This is a great place to learn, compare, argue Look around our various forums - everything from New-To-Scuba to Instructors-Only to Dive Medicine.

Your gear selection looks great. You need lots of spae parts, of course - spare battery for the Versa Pro, fin starp, mask strap, etc. Three suggestions I always push, though - Safety Sausage, Storm Whistle - even if you carry a Dive Alert, and 4 Belt Keeprers, in case you ever have to use a belt for one reason or another.

don

BTW - Did you set up your Profile? Some ideas for your Profle might be taken from looking at mine. Click on my Username to the upper left, then click on my Profile, and see what I've done. For your's, click the [CP] in the upper left of the screen, then click [Edit Profile]. If you need any more help, PM me direct.

 

[GrierHPharmD]

Oh, I understand about getting dives in by taking classes - that's how I got most of my early ones in North Carolina. I understand and sympathize!

Good luck,
Grier

 

[fashionablylate]

Wrong......I'd be happy to dive with a "newbie". There is even a thread on this topic.

Welcome to the board. Join Wreck Valley if you want to keep in touch with local divers in your area. I am a NJ diver too and enjoy Dutch just to get wet once in a while.

Where y'at? What shop do you use?

Hi MB104. I'm definitely interested in joining wreck valley. I noticed they have a topic specifically for people who are in need of buddies, so that's a huge leap in the right direction. I didn't realize their main site was such a cool resource.

I'm in central NJ in Westfield, and I dive out of Treasure Cove Watersports in Westfield. It's a nice shop, and the owner has been taking exceptionally good care of me. I'm going to be at Dutch both days this weekend, hoping to get in 7 dives between the two days.