Ideal diving conditions for new divers?

[Jerry_]

- comfortable temperature

- good visibility

- slowly declining seabed

- easy access for getting in and out

- no, or little, current

- good safety infrastructure, or easy access for emergency services


....

Usually you can't have it all, but some places are better than others

 

[TSandM]

In an ideal world, an OW class would give a student an introduction to a variety of sites in the local area, including diving from shore and from a boat. But in practice, that can be difficult to do. For example, in our area, charter boats cost $80 for a two tank day, and there certainly isn't an extra $80 built into the cost of the class . . . people would have to pay extra, and some might want to do that, and others wouldn't. In addition, the loading sites for the charters are not always convenient to where the divers live, which makes a day of open water dives on a boat a LONG day for both students and instructor.

On the other hand, doing the dives the way we do them, at simple shore diving sites with easy access, leaves our students prepared to dive in a place they can dive virtually any time, any weather, and on any tidal exchange. This will get them in the water . . . if they go on to dive actively, or seek out some con ed, they can expand their repertoire of sites and conditions. In my ideal world, AOW would involve a day on a boat, with a nice wall dive and a gentle drift. That would round out a diver's beginning experience here quite nicely.

 

[TMHeimer]

We do the same. Nice 20' benign shore dives, easy entries. All of the usual local sites are in a very large bay, so regardless of wind direction there is usually a place where surf is reasonable or better. The charter is only $50 Canadian (can you believe that?), but it would also make for a very long day.

 

[iluvtheocean]

my questions for the OP would be where in the world are you and would you be diving local or traveling? makes it easier to answer the question... here, there's easy shore diving and plenty of easy boat dives, with fresh water dives a drive north.

 

[Oldbear]

+1 for taking a Local Discovery dive if available.

There have been numerous threads and posts on ScubaBoard describing the benefits of hiring your own Divemaster for your first few dives. A dedicated Divemaster is not the same thing or same experience as a guided tour by a Divemaster. Cozumel diving comes to mind.

If you are fairly new divers perhaps think about taking a specialty course, such as Peak Performance, AOW or a fun course like Fish ID from a boat. You get you boat and local dive experience plus get that additional training from a dedicated instructor and have a good time.

 

[freewillie]

Most dive sites used for training beginners have similar features. The entry/exit should be easy enough a complete novice can handle. The navigation also should be fairly simple so even a novice can use the compass.

That being said, even the "easiest" of sites can be dangerous and tricky depending on how conditions change. Our local training beach is usually fairly simple to shore dive. Long stairs start at the street and provide a relatively easy walk down and back from the street to the beach. Entries are over sand and short surface swim to the drop down point. Easy navigation with compass points reading 0/180 in and out from the shore and 90/270 out and back to the rocky reef under water.

When surf is minimal it is very simple getting in and getting out. But, once surf picks up and waves are 3-4 feet and higher even experienced divers hesitate a bit and most will just cancel the dive to wait for better conditions. Under optimal conditions 1-2 feet surf good visibility is 25-30 feet. Average visibility is about 15-20 feet. Once the surf picks up, especially if has been present for few days then visibility drops to 10 ft. or less. And the surge along with poor viz makes it difficult to keep buddy contact making accidents more likely for beginners if you get separated.

Keep in mind exposure gear as well changes the conditions. If you certify in warm tropical waters then going to full exposure gear with thick constricting wetsuits with hoods that increase feelings of claustrophobia and gloves with decreasing manual dexterity will present new problems and increase task loading. Especially in beginners already trying to go through a mental diving check list.

Mostly it's a function of conditions that make the sites appropriate for beginners. And since conditions can change even the easy dives can become more advanced.

My advice would be at least to dive the same site you did your check out dives and with someone who is more experienced than you. Use the same exposure suit you trained in as well and at least the same or better visibility as your training conditions.

Never be afraid to thumb or cancel a dive if conditions aren't safe for the dive, even at the same "beginner" site your did your check out dives. It's better to walk away uneventfully and dive later than have unexpected events and never dive again.

 

[Brian J]

I offer another vote for conditions similar to training. Waves for my beach dives were two to three feet off the southern California beaches, and I had no problems with surf or 5-8 foot visibility during or after my certification. But I knew certified in a pristine, warm water location and nearly ended up in an ambulance when he tried a California beach dive. (I wasn't there; heard about it over dinner one day)
A little while after getting certified I went to Cozumel. Diving without an exposure suit was a problem for me. Initially I was over weight, and I had problems managing a big bubble in my BC. On a subsequent dive I was about neutral starting the dive, leading to real problems when my tank was 4.5 pounds lighter at the end of the dive.

If I were to experience something new, such as a quarry or the Great Lakes, I would want a buddy who can babysit me. And I suggest a supervisory buddy for anybody else when they try diving in a new environment. This might not be necessary in a Florida spring, which looks a lot like an oversized swimming pool, but it is a good idea in almost any other new environment.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

In addition to the things other people have mentioned (good vis, easy in & out, no ripping currents, etc) I'd add one thing.

Good stuff to see. Otherwise you might as well limit them to diving in a pool.

 

[Steve_C]

Spent a morning at LaJolla shores with a bunch of DM/instructors who all decided not to dive because surf was too rough. Along comes an OW class (probablyl 20 in size) and they try to wade out during a lull. Folks on shore prepared for the disaster. Big swell came in rolling the class. Less than half made it out. Some had to be helped back onto the beach by bystanders. Many were dozens of yards from their instructors and the instructors had no clue where there students all were.

I guess all that survived the class and kept diving can dive about anything.

 

[Diver0001]

New divers - First timers, people on their first few dives after finishing a scuba class

My opinion to start with

• avoid heavy current (ie dive at slack tide or in a lake etc)
• avoid diving with winds over force 4 beaufort (ie, max 20mph) until you have a bit of experience
• avoid diving where the entry and exit are difficult if possible
• avoid diving in sites with significant complications to navigation
• dive with at least the same amount of visibility you had during the OW check out dives.

Generally speaking, going back to the same site where you had your check out dives is probably a pretty solid bet. After making your first few unsupervised dives there then start to spread your wings. In your local area there are probably websites with information about popular dive sites that will include maps and advice about how to dive them.

R..