I am certified.....now what?

[nickjqz]

So my girlfriend and I went through the PADI open water certification class at Aquatic Dreams in Modesto and we did our open water dives in Lake Tulloch. Now that we are certified we are not quite sure where to go from there. We live in Merced and want to dive at least once a month at Monterey but we do not know any spots nor have we ever dove in the ocean. I am not sure what to do now, any help would be appreciated. Should we higher a dive master? Are there any spots that beginners can go? Basically we just need a spot that we can go to once and then keep diving there to strengthen our skills so that we can do other fun dives.

 

[oly5050user]

I have not been to Monterey in ages.There use d to be a lds named Bamboo reef there if I remember correctly. I would suggest locating a LDS in Monterey and taking a advance ow course with them. You will not only gain new skills but will be introduced to the new environment under supervision and who knows you may make a few new friends there with others who may be in the class with you.

 

[Buttons]

You've got the right attitude. I recommend finding a Dive Club/Team in your surrounding area. My husband and I joined a dive club/team through a dive shop and they plan trips all the time. They helped us become familiar with our equipment and local dive spots, which allowed us become more confident and proficient in our diving. You can Google Merced scuba dive clubs, but your best bet may be to get in contact with the group that certified you and ask them for local dive clubs/teams in your surrounding area. You may also want to search ScubaBoard for Merced dive clubs/teams or create your own post looking for other divers in your area and plan a dive. If you have the $$$ another suggestion I strongly recommend would be to continue your education and go for your advanced scuba certification course. After my husband and I got open water certified, we dove right into advanced. It really helped!! From there we went into specialty courses such as Underwater Navigation and Search & Recovery. Try and plan dives at least once a month so your skills stay fresh. Good luck and safe diving!

 

[g1138]

Welcome to the scubaboard!

I think you should hire a guide or talk with some local divers/dive shops in person before going in the ocean. Monterey Bay will be much much different than a lake.
I'd recommend your first dive to be at Lover's Pt or Breakwater.

Lover's Pt. is relatively shallow, it takes quite a swim to get past 30ft. Lots of kelp though outside the winter time, so bring a cutting device and learn some techniques on how to dive and deal with kelp. In fact, bring a cutting device for all your ocean dives anywhere. The terrain in the shallow portion is nice and kinda "mountainous". There's lots of fish, algae, and inverts to see in the shallow side (10-25ft).
Lower's spans pretty wide out from the small beach, so on dives here you'll have to utilize a compass to make it back.
You are technically forbade by the city to dive there after 11am. Parking is free, either a 2 hour limit or residential from across the street.
Some quick kelp tips to remember are:
- if you get caught, relax and let the kelp loosen it's grip on you
- don't spin around in a circle unless you know how the kelp is caught on you
- to break kelp either bite it, cut it, or bend and fold it.
- you can swim up through kelp to reach the surface if you do it slowly.

Breakwater is the popular go-to spot for most Basic OW classes in our area. You usually dive to depths between 40-60ft depending what part of the site you dive.
It's relatively easy to do a dive with little thought to navigation, as you can follow the breakwater wall through your whole dive. Keeping it on your right means you're heading away from shore, on your left it means your going into shore.
When you're ready for some more compass work you can dive to the Metridium fields or along the Pipe. There's always plenty of new things to see here; tons of life on and off the wall.
Parking here is metered, $1.50/hr or $10 for the whole day.

 

[DiveNav]

Congratulations and welcome to SB.
I suggest Breakwater too.
I also recommend that for your first dive there you hire a guide. Not because the spot is difficult, but because a good guide will tell - and show - you all the nice things you need to know about the place

Despite being an Instructor myself, when I dove the Breakwater the first time I hired a DM; I wanted to see the Metridium field and he took me right to the spot!

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[Peter_C]

I too agree getting someone who is willing to teach you more about beach diving would be a good thing. Make sure they are willing to take the time to explain surf entries, weighting, and work with you two on buoyancy etc. A little helping hand could help make diving more enjoyable. You are not ready for AOW yet until you get a couple handfuls of dives under your belt.

Breakwater would be the perfect spot, although there are other places to go too.

Get out and enjoy your new sport!

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Kelp does not require a cutting device. If you bend it, it will break like a carrot. Or you can bite through it.

Prevention is the cure. Tape your fin straps so they don't catch the kelp.

I've got about 1800 dives in Monterey and have only needed a cutting device once, to free a fish caught in some stranded fishing net. A old scallop shell did the job.


Chuck

 

[Peter_C]

And Chuck didn't even offer up his webpage with great information LOL
New Monterey Diver Information


Also make sure to continue to practice those air share skills and such that you learned in open water.

 

[fisheater]

While giant kelp will break like a carrot, bull kelp will not. You need a cutting device (or your teeth) for bull kelp.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[g1138]

^^^And pterogophora is too stubby to bend
Although if you get caught up in that you're either doing science or you're doing something wrong.....or both