KDAD
Contributor
Hi to All,
New member here from Northern NJ just want to say thank you to all for your recent and past posts that I have learned so much from while lurking over the past two months. You have really helped me improve as a diver with an emphasis on safety, buoyancy and trim, and finning techniques and helped with gear selection. Current gear that I have thanks to your shared experience is a HOG back plate and wing, HOG D1 Cold first with Classic seconds (long hose primary/bungee secondary), and Jet Fins. Hopefully I will be picking up a few tanks and wet suits soon.
I have done two introductory dives - the first in Playa del Carmen last August and recently in Anilao, Philippines. I was hoping to get certified before the Anilao trip but timing wasn't right. I was able to get three nice dives in there though and can say that the macro life was pretty nice. The instruction was so/so. There was no class work and very limited confined water work but my guide was introducing trim and finning and trying to get me to not scull. It was a good experience overall because I can look back now and appreciate what he was trying to teach. The instruction in MX was very good with a few hours of class, followed by confined water skills, and then open water dives. I would use that shop for instruction again but will be doing my OW local. Maybe AOW next year after I get some dives logged...
I am looking to get PADI OW certified here in NJ before late spring and do some local quarry dives, shore dives, and if appropriate some shallow boat dives. Also going to try to get a few OH and IL quarry dives in and maybe a Lake Michigan shallow wreck as I travel out there for work and want to shoehorn in a dive or two. I could use a local NJ dive buddy...
My wife is my travel buddy. She has a similar rig to mine. I don't anticipate much local diving from her. We have been going to Kauai, Aruba, Mexico, and Florida very regularly so dive spots there are on my list, especially Cozumel and Florida shore dives.
Sorry if too long - after reading hundreds of posts the past few weeks I guess I owe some back.
New member here from Northern NJ just want to say thank you to all for your recent and past posts that I have learned so much from while lurking over the past two months. You have really helped me improve as a diver with an emphasis on safety, buoyancy and trim, and finning techniques and helped with gear selection. Current gear that I have thanks to your shared experience is a HOG back plate and wing, HOG D1 Cold first with Classic seconds (long hose primary/bungee secondary), and Jet Fins. Hopefully I will be picking up a few tanks and wet suits soon.
I have done two introductory dives - the first in Playa del Carmen last August and recently in Anilao, Philippines. I was hoping to get certified before the Anilao trip but timing wasn't right. I was able to get three nice dives in there though and can say that the macro life was pretty nice. The instruction was so/so. There was no class work and very limited confined water work but my guide was introducing trim and finning and trying to get me to not scull. It was a good experience overall because I can look back now and appreciate what he was trying to teach. The instruction in MX was very good with a few hours of class, followed by confined water skills, and then open water dives. I would use that shop for instruction again but will be doing my OW local. Maybe AOW next year after I get some dives logged...
I am looking to get PADI OW certified here in NJ before late spring and do some local quarry dives, shore dives, and if appropriate some shallow boat dives. Also going to try to get a few OH and IL quarry dives in and maybe a Lake Michigan shallow wreck as I travel out there for work and want to shoehorn in a dive or two. I could use a local NJ dive buddy...
My wife is my travel buddy. She has a similar rig to mine. I don't anticipate much local diving from her. We have been going to Kauai, Aruba, Mexico, and Florida very regularly so dive spots there are on my list, especially Cozumel and Florida shore dives.
Sorry if too long - after reading hundreds of posts the past few weeks I guess I owe some back.
but I will complete it now. I previously went through two DSDs; one of which was thorough. I think that I was able to provide representative data.
