An option is this, does your LDS have regular dive days, if so, attend it and sugguest diving this place. They most likely will as all divers like changing up the dive sites. This will also help with the mother as you will be out with the dive shop.
How long should a new diver wait before diving without DM
- Thread starter jaybombs25
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OP
jaybombs25
Contributor
ohh but u see on the island there no "LDS" it's more like local diving companies that take the tourists out.. and that costs quite a bit to do that everytime I want to dive
oh, the problems of living and diving on the island of St. Lucia.......(sarcasm intended) HAHA....want to trade?? See my avatar/photo!
OP
jaybombs25
Contributor
ohh noo lol NOT solo i intend to go it with a friend of mine who got certified same time with me
jaybombs25:
Until your check out dives are over. Seriously, if you are certified and aren't ready to dive on your own with just a buddy from the same class, you were ripped off. Get your money back and take a better OW class.
jaybombs25:
If you were well trained and passed on your own merit you are prepared to dive within your training with peers immediately. A mentor is a wonderful thing but you should not have any need for a paid DM or instructor.
Pete
I think loosebits has it right with the "relieved" comment 
I was very nervous (and pretty horribly unskilled) after OW, and I think I had about 30 dives with experienced buddies or DMs before one of my OW classmates and I ventured out and did a dive on our own. We did a familiar site, and a shallow, simple dive, and at the end of it, we stood up and high-fived one another, because we were so thrilled we'd done a dive ALL BY OURSELVES!
Sounds like you have a good setup for a first "newbie" dive, in a site you know well from snorkelling, and good water conditions. You'll really enjoy that first time on your own.
I was very nervous (and pretty horribly unskilled) after OW, and I think I had about 30 dives with experienced buddies or DMs before one of my OW classmates and I ventured out and did a dive on our own. We did a familiar site, and a shallow, simple dive, and at the end of it, we stood up and high-fived one another, because we were so thrilled we'd done a dive ALL BY OURSELVES!
Sounds like you have a good setup for a first "newbie" dive, in a site you know well from snorkelling, and good water conditions. You'll really enjoy that first time on your own.
lmorin
Contributor
My wife and I got certified in Florida, did some accompanied dives in the Caribbean, then with about 10-12 dives under our weight belts, took a vacation in the Keys. There, for the most of the reef dives (which are generally fairly shallow), the boat master takes you to a site, tells you what to expect and the approximate directions, then says, "Be back in an hour or 500 lbs; try not to get lost." We were worried about the latter part. It was a good learning experience in easy conditions and we have repeated it several times since. We did worry about getting lost, but we learned to focus on certain aspects of basic navigation and we were forced to attend to our gauges and watches, etc. Being led all the time is not good for developing a variety of skills, but one needs to apply a little wisdom to the process of learning to dive without a leader.
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As long as you are diving in similar conditions to which you were certified, I see no reason why you should need any person but another certified buddy.
Now if you were certfied in the clear warm waters of florida in a .5 miil skin and 5 pounds on your weight belt and now for some reason you want to fly off to California where you are going to be wearing a 7 mm wetsuit with a signifigant amount of weight on your belt. A place where we are thrilled to get 30' visibility etc. At this point, I recommend you hire a DM.
As far fetched as that scenario sounds, when I worked as a DM on the boats you have no idea how many times I actually did see it happen.
Now if you were certfied in the clear warm waters of florida in a .5 miil skin and 5 pounds on your weight belt and now for some reason you want to fly off to California where you are going to be wearing a 7 mm wetsuit with a signifigant amount of weight on your belt. A place where we are thrilled to get 30' visibility etc. At this point, I recommend you hire a DM.
As far fetched as that scenario sounds, when I worked as a DM on the boats you have no idea how many times I actually did see it happen.
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