I love new divers

[lundysd]

I think the term "newbie" should be used cautiously, but anyone with less than 10 dives most definitely fits into this category. I don't care if you're Jacques Cousteau, with less than 10 dives you are no pro (hell even with 100 dives you're just beginning to be proficient imho)

 

[LiveforDiving]

To anybody who's beginning to feel stale, or beginning to wonder if it's worth hauling all the gear all the way to the water, or who feels that local dive site you've seen a hundred times just doesn't have anything more to offer, I have one piece of advice.

Take a newby diving.

I dove with a really lovely lady tonight who was doing her 7th dive. We dove in the dark (not her first night dive, before somebody swats me) and in fairly bad viz. She was using borrowed equipment (mine) with which she wasn't familiar. I think my brain would have imploded in that situation when I was as new as she is.

Not this gal . . . She just trucked along, despite having her mask leaking badly, and she was so excited and thrilled at the stuff we saw. (We did see a humungous ling cod, just lying in the kelp in the shallows. Even I got excited about that one.)

I remember Rick Inman, replying to a thread I posted as a new diver about whether people minded diving with novices. He said, "When they point excitedly at the sea stars, I remember that I once felt that way." It's so true.

Want to make it all fresh and sparkly again? Take a newby diving.

What you described is what made me want to become an instructor, and what makes me continue to love teaching the OW class above all others. I get to see so many people get started in diving and have all sorts of adventure. Seeing brand new divers point at starfish in amazement as you described always makes me smile, no matter what else the day has brought.

Here is to the rest of us never losing that magic.

Living

 

[Ben_ca]

I love taking newbies out.... the "oohhsss" and "ahhsssss" at the starfish and anemones that we take for granted and the enthusiasm are reward enough.

 

[Wildcard]

Exactly my point. The good doctor has had , what a year and a half in? Great advice great person to have on board, but WOW, I guess newby is a perspective....
Im prolly way out of line tonight and feeling way to POed. So if I am very sorry...

 

[lundysd]

So you really don't think that less than 10 dives shouldn't be considered a "new diver"?

Just because Lynne has been diving a shorter period than you doesn't make her unqualified as a diver. By that logic, we're all new divers, including you....

Lynne was simply making a positive point about the excitement and wonder found in inexperienced divers -- I think we all agree that's a good thing

 

[Ben_ca]

Exactly my point. The good doctor has had , what a year and a half in? Great advice great person to have on board, but WOW, I guess newby is a perspective....
Im prolly way out of line tonight and feeling way to POed. So if I am very sorry...

Dude,
Your posts are usually right on but tonight you are a bit off... You are ripping into Lynne for being a good mentor and taking out a "newer" diver out and being a good mentor/buddy... If youare PO tonight please do not take it out on her.

Yes Lynne has not been diving that long compared to others but she is pasionate about her diving and is selfless in writing abouther experiences and sometimes even her embarassments.... This is what Scubaboard is about... The sharing of our diving experiences. I say she is doing an outstanding job. I say Carry on

edit: spelling

 

[creamofwheat]

You know, one year and 82 dives later, I still feel like a "newbie" and i still stare in wonder at the anemones, and if I come across a grunt sculpin, oh boy! They're my favourite.

I usually dive with divers who are more experienced than me and I am the new diver being mentored. I'm pleased that my passion hasn't disappeared yet and that everything still seems new and exciting. I wonder how long it'll take for it to go away, if ever.

Yay, diving is the best.

 

[300bar]

Yes I love to take a newbe on a dive tour aspecialy when they
start to point to all of the 11356 crabs(yes I count them every time) they see for the very first time
Or when they try to follow a fish,who always seems to be just out of range
This is just what makes instructing o so funny

So keep on doing it,they will love you for it.

 

[bgi]

I get the same thrill with astronomy and diving with newbies. All the WOW's and OOOHH's are the same whether the newbie is seeing a beautiful planet (Jupiter, Saturn), or some really nice-looking galaxy or neblua through a large telescope. The big difference is, on a reef you can't hear them until you surface!

Suggestion: If you enjoy diving on a reef, try freeloading at a local dark sky observing event. Find someone interested in sharing the night sky with you. Big telescopes are better. ;-)

 

[scubaaaronh]

I to think Lynn has the right to call her a noob. She has demonstrated her skill in the sport time and again by her posts. Although she is still learning like the rest of us i dont think she is off base.

Any ways back on topic.
This summer we had a fellow join my wife and i. He certified through the school she did and was at the quarry we were going to dive. The school was there doing a training session and he was going to join them just being certified for a few months. He bought all his own gear and was grossly overweighted on his first dive. he had a problem with his bouyancy, up and down. after the first dive on our surface int we were talking about this. First thing we did was got his weight adjusted. then with more talking i found that he was adding to much air then venting it to try to get neutral. on the second dive we dropped to the platform i had showed him how to add the samll bursts to his bc then breath and see what the affect was after a few times he was hovering still a little up and down but not crashing and rocketing all the time and, had a grim from ear to ear. It was cool seeing that i was able to help someone out like that.