New Diver from Texas

[prickly pear]

Hello there,I am super new to this. I got Scuba certified 2 years ago, ad hate to admit, have not gone diving since. I do not have much opportunity for diving here in Texas, and I need a drastic change of scenery, so was considering moving to central America for a few months to get some more experience and ideally get certified as Dive Master. Do I already have to have a certain number of open water dives to begin that training, or will I get those open dives as part of my training. Getting dives under my belt here in texas, with no gear, scuba buddies, or water anywhere nearby is rather difficult. Any suggestions as to how I can best begin my journey would be much appreciated!

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Welcome to the boards. You have some great opportunities to dive in Austin. There are some fantastic people here who would be more than happy to buddy up with you in Travis, the Comal, or Canyon just to name three spots near you.

You would do much better heading south with experience under your belt and a full set of gear you know and are comfortable diving.

Best wishes to you in your future endeavors.

 

[driftwood]

First, welcome to ScubaBoard. Your profile says you live in Austin. Both Scubaland and Oakhill Scuba have dive clubs with regular scheduled dives. Also, Toms Dive and Swim occasionally has group dives. So no problem finding a dive buddy.

Right now the best local diving is in San Marcos at Aquarena Springs. Unfortunately that isn't an option right now, but that could be changing in the next couple months. The Comal River is pretty good for shallow drift diving, pretty sure that Duggan Dives in Universal City does a weekly dive there on Thursday evenings. Your best dives in Lake Travis are offered by Robert at Lake Travis Scuba.

Be sure to introduce yourself on the Texas page under Regional Forums.