How long should a new diver wait before diving without DM

[jaybombs25]

thanks guys..Hopefully this summer 20+ dives from now ill start.. mainly b/c im not home right now

 

[String]

Im not too happy with training standards that lead to people asking this question.

Certification should mean you're safe and qualified to dive without instruction or professional supervision.

By all means dive with a more experienced buddy and keep it simple to start with to gain experience but i see a lot of people asking this sort of thing. Worries me slightly about the training quality.

 

[Buoyant1]

On vacation dives I've been hooking up with DM's mainly because I don't want to get placed with an insta-buddy with less experience than me (wife doesn't dive, no close friends that go on vacation with me that dive either..and haven't hooked up with the cousin who dives on a vacation....yet!)

But this past summer was the first time I actually ever went down with people that weren't either DM's or "pros"..and I lived to tell about it!

 

[1_T_Submariner]

I agree with above but, I wouldn't want to rely on a DM...I was talking to a friend that was certified the same time I was but then we took different path. He has went on some trips that have DM's in the water and I have only been on trips where there was no DM in the water. Anyway he thought it was really strange that I haven't dove with a DM since OW. Not sure what the point of that ramble was other than everyone is different. Maybe try to find some experienced mentors etc...or start with your equally experienced buddy and stay very conservative. Good luck!

 

[GulfDiver77]

My first dive after being certified was with just a buddy. But I was confident in my skills and didn't try a 100' dive. I stayed in a cofortable 50 to 55' range.

 

[EvaL]

I dove without DM right after I got my c-card. So unless you're really insecure about diving, save the money, find a really good, experienced buddy (or join a good local dive club with helpful divers to team up with) and do as many dives as you can. This way you can practice what you've learned and continue learning about diving. This buddy may actually have more good skills/techniques for you to learn from than your DM or instructor and it's free. Of course, it doesn't hurt to buy your buddy a drink or meal after the dive, especially if you learned something great or if he saved your life or something like that during your dive.
In the 2 years that I was divemastering (I was shore-based, not on a diveboat), I did not encounter any new local divers contacting me to guide them. The only certified divers I dove with were out of town divers who weren't familiar with the local dive sites or those who haven't been diving for years.
Dive safely (and a lot).

 

[jon m]

another thing i did/do- when i do go out with a dm on a boat tour, ask what/where you'll be headed (plan), take a heading and follow your compass. it will make you much more comfortable navigating if you understand where you're going rather than blindly following the dm and relying on him/her to get you back to the boat.
also- at the end or beginning of your dives practice skills! mask removal, reg recovery, buddy breathe, ect. there are divers on this board that have 1000 logged dives and still practice skills- it will only help you when you need it!

 

[Thalassamania]

also- at the end or beginning of your dives practice skills! mask removal, reg recovery, buddy breathe, ect. there are divers on this board that have 1000 logged dives and still practice skills- it will only help you when you need it!

You're right ... on every dive.

 

[Mossman]

Certification should mean you're safe and qualified to dive without instruction or professional supervision.

By all means dive with a more experienced buddy and keep it simple to start with to gain experience but i see a lot of people asking this sort of thing. Worries me slightly about the training quality.

Which begs the question whether a junior type of certification is warranted for such inadequate training, certifying the holder only for diving with a DM.

 

[fisherdvm]

Which begs the question whether a junior type of certification is warranted for such inadequate training, certifying the holder only for diving with a DM.

I think that junior certification is a "restrictive" certification. In Michigan, as a teenage driver, you are "restricted". Meaning your parents can take away your driving privelege.

There are plenty of 10 to 15 year old kids who are immature, incapable of clear judgement, and can not be counted on to assess risk. I think if they were certified, it means that they should be arms away from a responsible adult, and diving only very conservative low-risk shallow dives.

Then there are lot of young adults 18 to 26 who still are not mature enough to drive, nor to scuba dive.