Hello from Savannah!

[Mssn52]

Hi there, yes I do live in Savannah! Where in Georgia are you?

I was not clear from your post whether or not you actually got certified —was it during your open water certification dives that you did not finish the dive? If so you will still need to finish your certification, otherwise you’re now a certified diver. It sounds like you do need work on your skills, but this is not uncommon for newly certified divers.

Try to find out if there is a dive shop near you that allows you to practice in their pool and start there. Inquire at the local dive shops what their pool practice policy is and choose the shop that allows you to get wet! Another class, advanced open water for example, or peak performance buoyancy, will get you practice with an instructor. Relax, it takes time to get comfortable scuba diving and you are just at the beginning of your adventure.

From Georgia it is not a long drive down to Ginnie Springs where you and your buddy may also practice in an open water environment that is very much like a pool (as long as you don’t go into the caves!)

I read it that she is a certified diver and was on her first dive after certification, and her SO (who may be a more qualified diver, and perhaps have patience issues) was not paying as careful attention to the OP as she may have wanted.

Here is my advice. Find your LDS. Many will let you play around in their pool with a DM/instructor to help you get comfortable in your gear. If your buddy has patience issues (I do also, so I get it), next time you go diving, hire a DM to dive with you until you feel relaxed and comfortable in the water. Sometimes diving with a group will allow you to find a buddy who doesn't come with all of the baggage that diving with your SO brings.

 

[Mssn52]

Thanks Wookie!

Oh, my bad, she did say she was certified, I mistakenly thought this happened during her open water certification dives.

 

[Mssn52]

No worries! I live outside of Savannah work in Savannah

 

[aquacat8]

@Mssn52 if you are near Savannah GA I’d be happy to get in the pool with you when I get back from Florida. Free. You just need practice.

 

[aquacat8]

@Mssn52 My dive buddy used to be my significant other, and when I broke up with him at first I was scared having to handle everything by myself, and diving with various buddies. But in some ways it was the best thing that could’ve happened to me in my development as a scuba diver. Now I have gained a lot of confidence to the point where I’m very interested in solo diving because I view diving with buddies as solo diving with a friend. With more practice you won’t be terrified when you lose your buddy, you will just calmly look for them, according to whatever buddy separation protocol that you have established ahead of time.

 

[aquacat8]

Mssn52 I sent you a conversation which we call a pm or private message