Question How long can I wait before...

[TMHeimer]

Diving is tiring for many people at first, especially classes. It is good to go soonish to reinforce what you’ve learned, but diving tired is less than ideal or fun. Perhaps wait until the next weekend if that feels better to you.

I agree. I have seen students and new divers struggle with the physical aspect. I do think part of it is mental-- once you know the work involved before & after the actual dive you are mentally prepared. Even if you dive weekly like myself, it's not enough regular use of the muscles to make it much easier. But yeah, the sooner you start the better.
I recall once a 20 something year old guy just having to stop on the beach after a course dive and I asked if he was OK. He said he just wasn't used to all this WORK. I was about 60 at the time and thought the dive itself was an easy one.

 

[RobPNW]

I think you'll find that outside of a class environment you will have more fun because you'll be focusing more on the dive than on what the instructor wants from you.

 

[Endler's]

Things like which button is fill and empty on the inflator hose...

I struggled with this a bit in the beginning. My epiphany was to realize, that the inflator button is right where the inflator hose plugs in. Of course, practice using the inflator whilst diving helped the most. Diving is like all sports; the more you dive, the better you get. (See where this thread is heading?)

 

[Cthippo]

I finally

I struggled with this a bit in the beginning. My epiphany was to realize, that the inflator button is right where the inflator hose plugs in. Of course, practice using the inflator whilst diving helped the most. Diving is like all sports; the more you dive, the better you get. (See where this thread is heading.) View attachment 749201

had success remembering "Thumbs up (fill), point down (dump)" until it became automatic. Been a month since I have been in the water so I may have to start over.

 

[Bob DBF]

Hi all,

If everything goes as planned tomorrow I should get my OW certificate, however I feeling that my DS is pushing me to go diving with them already next Sunday, because he say is better to start to put in practice straight away, even tho this make sense, to me feels a bit pushy so I was wondering how long is acceptable to wait before start to dive after you complete the OW ?

Wait only long enough to find someone to go with. Once you know enough divers to buddy with, you can get picky on when.

The biggest problem with a new diver is finding a buddy. The shop is trying to help you get a circle of buddies and, in the long run, more customers for them, a win for everyone.

My advice, since it worked well for me, is if you want to be a diver, dive every chance you get.

 

[schuylerclark]

I finished my certification (in the Caribbean) with my wife on a Friday, took Saturday off and did our first dives on Sunday. For me, the certification dives were far more taxing both mentally and physically. Those next dives were very fun and relaxing in comparison. Obviously I wouldn’t push your comfort level, but I’d say hop right in if you want.

 

[SlugLife]

You should be ready to dive the day you complete your training, and the sooner and more often you dive the better! If you're not ready, expect your instructor to fail you.

That said, you're probably not be ready for EVERY dive. You should be instructed to "dive within your limits" in the course. When you're just starting out, those limits might be relatively shallow, good visibility, and an attentive dive-buddy. There's zero need to go 100ft deep on your first dive. For myself, I always do a shallow-practice-dive or even waist-high-water practice whenever (a) I haven't dove in several months, due to the winter, or (b) I've made changes to my equipment or (c) want to practice a skill I'm not that confident in.

Make sure to talk to your buddy as you're planning the dive (before you hit the water). Let him know you're newly certified, need to get acclimated, won't be going deep, or quick. Since your buddy is offering to dive with you and knows about your course, he's probably cool with this, but you need to actually discuss it.

One of my early experience diving was assuming we'd be doing a buddy-dive, and then as I was putting on my equipment, my "dive buddy" splashed in the water, and then was off solo-diving before I was even 50% ready. He wasn't trying to be a jerk (he was a decade-long friend at the time), but he was also a mostly solo diver.

 

[Belzelbub]

You should be ready to dive the day you complete your training, and the sooner and more often you dive the better! If you're not ready, expect your instructor to fail you.

Either that, or you'll pass but your instructor has actually failed you. Failed you in the sense that they failed to get you ready to dive autonomously.

OP, I would not recommend waiting as long as I did, but there were extenuating circumstances. I was first certified in 1990, but did my first non-training dive in 1997. My initial instructor did an extremely poor job. I was definitely not ready after that class, so I took another OW course where the checkouts were completed in the end of 1996. My first fun dive was in early 1997.

Dive as soon as you can, but waiting a couple weeks won't hurt. Also make sure that first dive is something you are quite comfortable doing. Going with the instructor is not a bad idea, but the goal for your first dive is that the instructor is not diving as an instructor. They shouldn't need to correct anything you are doing.

 

[CT-Rich]

Dive buddies don’t fall ripe from a tree. They are made (groomed?). You need to find someone that has similar goals and interests as a diver. That means experienced divers are out there looking to replace buddies that have gone down a different path or someone that is more available.

You are better off finding a dive buddy with some experience that can show you the ropes, as opposed to insta-buddies who are just as ignorant as you. As long as they are willing to respect your limitations as a new, inexperienced diver, get in as much diving as possible. Shops and instructors have a vested interest in keeping you engaged.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I waited a couple days. Only because I had to work. Otherwise I'd have gone the next day.