New Diver - question boat diving

[Greg Bridger]

I'm fairly new to diving as well and found I picked up a lot of tips and experience by going on a weekend dive package. The one I did was a long weekend. Two nights accommodation and six dives. Our boats were allocated a dive master who led about eight of us. They explained boat procedures and gave us all opportunities to ask questions. We also dived with different dive masters on different days on different boats with different skippers and each outing had new divers on them from various places with different levels of experience. The long weekend was invaluable from a learning experience as well as a confidence level point of view

 

[Rich Keller]

Question: If I am scheduling a dive boat dive and ask for a dive master to dive with me and my buddy (who is also new to diving) are they going to think I don't have enough confidence to be diving at all?

Question 2: How should I approach skilled divers with questions and possibly ask if I could dive with them? I want to learn all I can and enjoy my new sport. I don't want people to not want to dive with me because I am new.

Asking to have a DM with you is defiantly the right thing to do for now. They are going to think you are one of the smartest new divers they have seen. The best way to start a conversation with anyone is to ask them an open ended question about themselves that requires more then a yes or no answer. People love to talk about themselves especially when they have an audience. Ask them about their gear, places they have been, how many years they have been diving and how they got started. Then ask follow up questions particularly in the areas of their experience and how they got started.

 

[Lorenzoid]

If one is a newly minted OW diver (at least if PADI--I can't speak to the others), I can't imagine NOT doing one's first 10-20 dives with a divemaster or at least buddied up with an experienced diver. I hired a divemaster for most of my first 10-20 dives. PADI OW really doesn't prepare one to do it all with any degree of confidence. As I recall, on my first 10-20 dives I was so preoccupied with my gear, buoyancy, etc., that I could never have managed to also navigate back to the boat.

One tip if you hire a private divemaster: Confirm whether the divemaster is really going to be buddied up with you. That sounds like a silly question to ask, but at one operation in the Keys, I hired a divemaster to accompany me on a Spiegel Grove dive, only to discover that several other people had hired the same divemaster for the same dive. In other words, we were one big group with a divemaster. I haven't returned to that dive op since, and that was 10 years ago.

 

[Superlyte27]

Hi - I am new to diving. So new, in fact, that I just got my OW certification Jan. 2013. I live in Ft Lauderdale so there are plenty of sites to see. I will be diving South Florida and the Keys.
Question: If I am scheduling a dive boat dive and ask for a dive master to dive with me and my buddy (who is also new to diving) are they going to think I don't have enough confidence to be diving at all?
South Florida is mostly drift diving and is how I got my certification but my instructor really took good care of me in making sure I stayed on course and got to the meet up point with the boat.
Question 2: How should I approach skilled divers with questions and possibly ask if I could dive with them? I want to learn all I can and enjoy my new sport. I don't want people to not want to dive with me because I am new.

I have run/raced speedbikes all my life and have found that many in the sport are very snobbish and don't want to associate with new riders. Me? I loved to help the new people especially the girls who didn't even know the clutch from the brake. Thanks...

DUDE! I couldn't be happier that you asked these questions. Thank you for your wisdom and maturity, something that I sometimes lack.

Let me try and answer these questions...
First, if you are with a good dive operation, they should be happy that you know your limitations in a field where so people ignore theirs. If they can't understand that you will feel more comfortable bringing a divemaster, choose another operation. As you're walking out the door, tell them I said, "YOU SUCK". There is no issue with you bringing a divemaster. Kudos to you for being man (or woman) enough to speak up for your desires.

Secondly,
This sport is filled with a bunch of snobby people. But, there are 10 times more people who want you to fall fully in love with this sport, and will do whatever they can to make that happen. Seek out those people. They'll be easy to find. You'll know in the first 10 minutes of conversation with seasoned divers whether they are an a-hole or someone that is interested in diving with you. Be up front, don't be cocky, don't be a know it all, listen more than you speak and you'll go much farther than I did in my first year of diving.

Welcome to Scubaboard. I look forward to seeing how you progress.

email me anytime you have any questions
peter@ultimatecavediving.com

 

[MAISY]

Wow! Thank you everybody for the encouraged response! Just reading the posts have gotten me more excited about diving. I will not hesitate to ask for a dive master to help me. I know my limitations and will start seeking out the experienced divers who are excited to help a new kid on the block. Thank you all again! :angel2: Safe diving!

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Even though I m a self avowed Scuba Snob, and co-author of two books containing that phrase in the title, I assure you that the vast majority of people who dive are nice people who welcome new divers. Remember, everyone on the boat was once new, and most are casual divers. Do not hesitate to share your diver bio with the boat crew, and do not hesitate to dive with a DM if that is what makes you most comfortable. Keys diving is not known for current, and I think it is a great place for new divers to get some bottom time, especially in the northern keys in the marine park. Also know that in my experience new divers often have superior skills to divers who have not been active and who have developed some bad habits. Enjoy your dive, know that even if some on the boat are standoffish, most ill be pleasant and helpful. Have a great time.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Bratface]

Congratulations on your certification. I think it is wise to hire a DM or ask one to dive with you. Don't worry about what anyone thinks. You can build your confidence and your skills by feeling secure in the water.

When I was a new diver, I went to Bonaire alone. I called ahead and told them I was a new diver and they told me no problem. When I arrived and showed them my c-card, they smiled and said I was so new that the ink hadn't even dried. It was my 7th dive and I was looked after by everyone on the boat. I was glad to be accepted and watched over by a great group of people.

Safe diving to you and your buddy.

 

[farsidefan1]

My first dive trip after certifying was, well, I survived. I bounced around quite a bit, had poor air usage, used my arms too much and pretty much everything else you can imagine. My next trip I got incredibly lucky. I went to a place I could dive 5 times a day and joined a group of experienced divers that were willing and happy to help me. Dee politely pulled me aside and said she noticed I was new and asked if I would mind some suggestions. Of course I said PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. She helped me get my buoyancy and trim figured out. That combined with an intensive dive schedule made and amazing difference. My air consumption (SAC rate) dropped from .83 to .51 that week. I also made some lifelong friends. I still join them at Cocoview every year. Thanks to the Texas swamp divers for letting a Utah refugee join you

 

[rmh84]

You're TOTALLY doing the right thing IMO. If anyone treats you poorly over that, you don't want to dive with them anyways!

I was lucky enough to have a father with well over 2000 dives, and my very first saltwater dives were with his best dive buddy, a Tech Trained DM who has sadly passed on now. That first saltwater dive (off Jupiter FL) would have been an absolute disaster without them.

I've been on several group boats with new divers. Yes, our dives were a little shorter because of them, but hell, I was new once too! Depending on what dive operation you're diving with if they send a DM as a guide, and the group is small enough he may be able to keep a closer eye on you, but if it's a big group you'll likely want to hire your own.

 

[Rogersea]

Wow! Thank you everybody for the encouraged response! Just reading the posts have gotten me more excited about diving. I will not hesitate to ask for a dive master to help me. I know my limitations and will start seeking out the experienced divers who are excited to help a new kid on the block. Thank you all again! :angel2: Safe diving!

HI Maisy,
Congrats on ur recent certification. I believe the best option for you is to join a local club and dive with them when ever possible... THis will help you develop a network of dive buddies and provide you a local pool of mentors... I think the next best option is to use a paid DM, but that is my second option in your case.


Cheeers,
Roger