My OW certification checkout dives didn't go so well unfortunately.

[tomcatbubba]

I also live in the DC area and there are shops in your area that will put you in the swimming pool for three to four days of repeated drilling. By the time you are done with such an extensive pool work you are already a diver and you are only learning ascent control and navigation in the quarry. The quarry with limited vis is the most suited place for it because I learnt my underwater navigation in 100 feet vis and it was a freaking joke! Once you have done your checkout dives in quarry conditions, Caribbean diving is a piece of cake.

While Caribbean makes great diving destination it is far far from being the best training destination. I am not sure how many days of pool work you did prior to being introduced to the ocean but if you told me that your dive operator did not even have a pool and you started with your skills in the ocean itself then I would not be surprised.

Like Captain Sinbad mentioned, you might try Lake Phoenix down by Richmond in the warmer months. Typically in the mid to high 70's above the thermocline from June to October, and the visibility is usually pretty good. I like teaching there. A standard 5mm should be just fine. Even a 3mm works July and August.

 

[purbeast]

Well I'm back state side now and I'm still not quite 100%. I'd say I am like 90%. I did get to enjoy my last 2 days pretty much relaxing on the beach and around the pool with my wife and kid so at least there is that. I will say when we went to the final group dinner I was very salty when the instructor who planned the trip passed out everyone's OW and AOW certificates, and I didn't get one. It was a tough pill to swallow and I told my wife I didn't even want to go to that dinner, but I'm glad I did go so I could hang out with the group and hear about everything.

The same instructor plans trips regularly and has one going back in Jan, March, and May (the next 3) and I am trying to find an angle to see if my wife is cool with me going back in January for a long weekend. I could go Friday - Monday and in both sat-sun do the dives I need to finish my OW and then get my AOW right after. But we'll see if I can do it then, I may push it back slightly but I'd love to get this done and I'm now itching to get in the water more since I had that taste of it.

I'd prefer to do it with a group like this again because I enjoyed how everyone progressed together and the comradre of it all. If I can't do it though, we typically go to the keys in the spring so I'd probably just do my final dive down there. My instructor said any time I need a referral to just let him know and he will provide the paper work of me having completed the first 3 skills dives.

 

[George Monnat Jr]

Was this PADI and you did 3 of the 4 OW dives?

 

[purbeast]

Yes this was PADI and I did the first 3 skills dives of the 4 required for OW certification.

 

[George Monnat Jr]

Your Instructor should've certified you as a SCUBA Diver, meaning you did the pool, written, and first 2 OW dives. That way you can dive with a professional (instructor or DM). When you finish the 3rd and 4th dives, you should be upgraded to OW Diver.

 

[purbeast]

Your Instructor should've certified you as a SCUBA Diver, meaning you did the pool, written, and first 2 OW dives. That way you can dive with a professional (instructor or DM). When you finish the 3rd and 4th dives, you should be upgraded to OW Diver.

Interesting, I didn't even know that is a thing. I'm sure if I asked him for that he would give that to me. He's local here in the DC area and I keep in touch with him so that would be easy to get from him. Same if I need a referral if I wanted to go do the 4th OW dive on my own somewhere else.

The thing is, the next time I go anywhere that I would be diving, it's probably a place I could do the 4th OW dive anyways so I'd rather just get it done to complete the certification process.

 

[George Monnat Jr]

Interesting, I didn't even know that is a thing. I'm sure if I asked him for that he would give that to me. He's local here in the DC area and I keep in touch with him so that would be easy to get from him. Same if I need a referral if I wanted to go do the 4th OW dive on my own somewhere else.

The thing is, the next time I go anywhere that I would be diving, it's probably a place I could do the 4th OW dive anyways so I'd rather just get it done to complete the certification process.

If the diving is with a DM and not going too deep (>40'), then you can dive with the group - even before the 4th dive and OW certification. Either way, have fun

 

[Neilwood]

Your Instructor should've certified you as a SCUBA Diver, meaning you did the pool, written, and first 2 OW dives. That way you can dive with a professional (instructor or DM). When you finish the 3rd and 4th dives, you should be upgraded to OW Diver.

The only thing with that is paying for two certificates. I have no doubt that a lot of instructors probably forget the existence of Scuba Diver as a level of its own as it is something that is not used very often as most people will go straight for OW.

 

[George Monnat Jr]

The only thing with that is paying for two certificates. I have no doubt that a lot of instructors probably forget the existence of Scuba Diver as a level of its own as it is something that is not used very often as most people will go straight for OW.

My shop does this when students don't have time to finish full OW but need to go on a trip where Scuba Diver will work. The shop doesn't charge anything extra, if they paid for the OW class but finish the last 2 dives later. I do think PADI charges for the extra c-card.

 

[60plus]

New
Your Instructor should've certified you as a SCUBA Diver, meaning you did the pool, written, and first 2 OW dives. That way you can dive with a professional (instructor or DM). When you finish the 3rd and 4th dives, you should be upgraded to OW Diver.
This is similar to what happened to me. I got half way through my OW and a storm blew up so could not complete on that vacation. Arranged to complete with a different outfit on next vacation but because they were very busy instructor was only available for 2 dives so no time for error. 10 days before vacation I fell down stairs (water on polished wood steps) and through a banister rail. When I came to do my final 2 dives I was in no fit state, hire BCD was not good fit, and the sea was rough so had to abandon again. Totally cheesed off at this stage. Did 3 shallow fun dives as permitted with scuba diver cert. Determined not to be denied my OW, upon my return home I bought my own well fitting BCD and regs and booked 3 pool practice sessions to make sure I was able to do the remaining OW exercises no matter what happened on my next vacation. The sea was a bit rough and donning BCD at surface was a bit testing but the confidence the extra pool sessions had given me meant I knew I could do it. Persevere.