Hardest thing to do?

[Sea Turtle]

Hi All,

I am interested in getting certified but I haven't gotten there yet. I was wondering what the hardest thing to do was during the certification process--classes and diving?

 

[gj62]

It is different for different people. If you are not in the water alot, mask clearing can be an issue. If you're comfortable snorkeling, then you might find that bouyancy control is problematic. If you're younger, or have had sinus problems, equalizing may be difficult.

Overall though, nothing is terribly difficult and with practice and patience, all these can be overcome.

Good Luck! Fill out your profile some so we know more about you -it will help us to respond more on-target.

 

[glbirch]

I suspect you'll find that different people had difficulty with different parts of the course depending on their own strengths and weaknesses. For some it's the math, for others ear clearing. For me, the only thing that caused a problem was taking off the mask underwater. I'm really not a mouth breather so I had to work a bit on overcoming the habit and breathing only through the regulator. No big deal, just took a little practice.

 

[H2Andy]

Hi All,

I am interested in getting certified but I haven't gotten there yet. I was wondering what the hardest thing to do was during the certification process--classes and diving?

i guess it depends on the diver. from my experience, an area where people have trouble is clearing their masks or taking the masks off under water.

but i would not worry about this too much. pick a good
instructor and a small-ish class, and make sure you work
with your instructor on whatever problems prop up, and you
will do fine!

 

[DBailey]

For me, the hardest thing was to learn to pace myself underwater. I was too excited and want to zoom off and see everything.

Take H2Andy's advice and find a good instructor. Ask for references and follow up. A good instructor can help you work through any problems you might have. A bad instructor can turn you off from diving completely.

Once in class, as any question that you have, no matter how silly it seems.

 

[OneBrightGator]

The hardest part for me was waiting for my certification card

Ben

 

[detroit diver]

Good advice so far on the instructor. I just want to add, make sure you feel comfortable doing the skills-don't let someone rush you thru the class.

 

[String]

Hardest part for me then (and still is now!) is kitting up on a small RIB prior to a dive. I still take ages and make a mess of it

 

[PolsVoice]

Take H2Andy's advice and find a good instructor. Ask for references and follow up. A good instructor can help you work through any problems you might have. A bad instructor can turn you off from diving completely.

*stepping up on soapbox*

I second this motion, but I would also ask around and see if you can find a Local Dive Store (LDS) that you would be comfortable working with and taking the class from them. I took my Open Water, Advanced Open Water, and Nitrox classes from the same dive store and they get all of my business... a.) b/c the know me and my needs since they've seen me in the water, b.) they cut me deals b/c I do a fair amount of business with them, and c.) I trust that while they're trying to make a buck, they did not try to gouge me b/c I was new.

*stepping down from soapbox*

diving is the best way to enjoy the water! Go for it! why settle for the top three to five meters of water when you can descend and share in what more than 2/3s of the life on earth experiences! Ask some of your diving friends (preferrably those that dive at times other than while vacationing) about local classes or LDS that they suggest.

 

[cobaltbabe]

My challange was taking my reg out and swimming the length of the pool under water. Finally after alot of practice it became no problem. The only other thing was taking my gear off at the surface and mounting the tank. Be very very careful when you do this. If you hit the wrong way it really really hurts.