New diver with a few questions V. Went diving uncertified in Mexico, hooked...

[RMichaelson86]

Hi all,
I just got back from Cabo San Lucas where I went diving for the first time, I'm not certified. One of the most frightening but rewarding experiences of my life. Literally ran head first into a monster six foot white tip shark... Clear water, went down about 80 feet.

I live in Santa Cruz, CA, (bay area, SF, etc). I'm now looking to get certified and have a few questions.

1. I hear it is a good idea to find a really good instructor and course to get certified. How do I go about finding a good course/instructor, and can anyone here make recommendations? Is this important, does it really matter?

2. How much would it cost to buy decent equipment, to get all set up?

3. Anything else I should keep in mind?

4? Any good diving off the coast of California?

Any other advice appreciated! Thanks,

Ryan

 

[TSandM]

I would highly recommend contacting Breakthru Diving. They teach at Monterey. A good instructor is critical, and a good course is highly desirable. You should not be in a hurry, nor should you be looking for the quickest route to a cert card. This is a sport you enjoy SO much more if you have adequate skills to be comfortable. You can learn well from any really good instructor; I can tell you with certainty that the instructors at Breakthru Diving are as good as you can find.

Equipment costs depend on what you decide to buy, and whether it is new or used. Costs can vary by an order of magnitude depending on those factors. You will spend at the very least a number of hundred dollars -- if you are careful, conservative, and take time and buy used. You can easily spend many thousands of dollars otherwise. I think my initial gear setup was between $2000 and $2500, bought new, but not buying the best of the best. I replaced almost all of it within six months.

What to keep in mind? Diving is supposed to be fun. It should be fun. The people who teach you should give you the skills to have fun doing it; and the equipment you buy should be safe, comfortable, and easy to use, and facilitate having fun. You won't have a clue when you start what you want to do with this skill or where you want to take it -- you may end up going places you never imagined or knew were possible (personal experience speaking here!) Be open to the experience, to the moment, to the learning you can do, and to the people who can help you -- and there are a lot of them on Scubaboard.

 

[xSandman3]

Hi all,
I just got back from Cabo San Lucas where I went diving for the first time, I'm not certified. One of the most frightening but rewarding experiences of my life. Literally ran head first into a monster six foot white tip shark... Clear water, went down about 80 feet.

Congratulations for not being dead...you are lucky you didn't have any issues arise that you were not trained to deal with.

To answer one of your questions, yes, there is plenty to see off the coast of CA. Go to the California Kelp Divers area and start reading.

 

[RMichaelson86]

Congratulations for not being dead...you are lucky you didn't have any issues arise that you were not trained to deal with.

To answer one of your questions, yes, there is plenty to see off the coast of CA. Go to the California Kelp Divers area and start reading.

From what I have been reading it does sound like diving should be fun around the area.

I have also been researching uncertified dives... I have found very few people who have ever been taken 80 feet while uncertified... A little frightening. Myself and the diver went down, he was with me the entire time, but I did actually feel a bit nervous. What if something were to happen to the instructor with me?

Regardless, I'll look back on it as a positive experience.. Without it I wouldn't have taken up an interest.

 

[Courtneyf82]

Yea Ryan, I didnt even realize you said 80', you've been deeper than me! Lucky Buddy!

I'm surprised noone has attacked you for going diving uncertified, but it probably wouldnt be as bad as that poor guy who admitted to taking lobster on SCUBA in Florida, man, he got it bad!!

 

[mrjimboalaska]

Get the training and DIVE DIVE DIVE! I was on my 4th discover scuba dive, due to never having time to certify, when I went to 80' in Jamaica, diving a DC-3 wreck. Instructor liked my skills in the water and trusted me, but since have taken many classes, the most rewarding being Rescue diver class. Have fun diving....JImbo

 

[RMichaelson86]

Yea Ryan, I didnt even realize you said 80', you've been deeper than me! Lucky Buddy!

I'm surprised noone has attacked you for going diving uncertified, but it probably wouldnt be as bad as that poor guy who admitted to taking lobster on SCUBA in Florida, man, he got it bad!!

I actually had a friend with me when we went diving. He hopped in the water and began to hyperventilate, backed out completely.

Had I known the risks/dangers of diving uncertified (I didn't at the time), I don't think I would've done it. I knew zero about diving at the time I chose to do it. Regardless, it was the most amazing thing I've ever done. Difficult trying to explain it, but I think I've found my niche.

 

[Fastmarc]

... when I went to 80' in Jamaica, diving a DC-3 wreck.

Do you remember where this wreck was?
I would like to check it out.
(sorry for the 'hijack')
Marc

 

[Diver Dennis]

Were you guys on a Discover Scuba course? A good instructor is the key to becoming a good diver. There should be lots where you live and don't be afraid to ask for references. It is also a good idea to rent for a while and see what type of equipment you like best and to make sure you will be diving enough to justify what can be a huge investment in equipment.
I live in Puerto Vallarta for most of the year and I use an analogy from what I've seen there when I talk to new divers about plunging into diving head first. After your first few dives you feel sort of like some people I've seen who are on their first real holiday and fall in love with their destination. Why not buy a piece of paradise?They are the the most susceptible to be sucked into buying a Time Share and when they get home they realize what they have done and are stuck. It might be a good idea to wait until they come the next time before they make any big purchase that is a lot of money and they might not end up liking or using too much. Same with diving, it is an amazing sport but you have to honestly evaluate how much you will be doing it before spending a substantial amount of money on equipment you can rent. If the water in California is too cold for you to dive in and have fun, you may end up diving only on vacation, so how many days a year would you dive then?
I certainly don't mean to be a wet blanket here but I've seen too many people spend a bunch of money on gear they use maybe 5 or 10 days a year. So definitely keep on diving but hold off on the big equipment expenses until you get into it a little more.

 

[AXL72]

Do your homework for your best interests.

I think that most Dive shops / instructors will be good in teaching you the skills and sharing the knowledge you will need to dive safe and successfully.

However, shop around. I got certified through the Chicago Park District for $20 in 1987. Every Wednesday night for 13 weeks I and about 25 others had class and pool sessions before we completed our 5 open water check out dives for our OW certification. I am not sure if California cities or even Chicago does this anymore.

You may also be able to take a university SCUBA course, regardless of age, for certification. Just check around.

But again, I think almost any instructor will be able to train you. The decision may come down to price. I have found that a one to one type certifications works pretty well. I got certified for AOW with a great shop in Key West. THey were training 3 OW students and three AOW students. Older instructors are invaluable for experience knowledge and wisdom they can share, and they do a good job with safety. Younger instructers are great at stressing safety and planning before a dive. At least the good ones are.

In terms of the best of the best gear, I always get a chuckle out of seeing divers with great sparkling top of the line gear who can't manage their buoyancy and bump into coral tearing up what we go down to see. It just cracks me up, cause I think afterwards to mysself, "hey nice gear, but are you any good at diving?" I guess the same can be said about drivers. "Hey, nice beamer, but are you any good at driving after 3 accidents?"

Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Good luck!

P.S. I agree with Diver Dennis' advice. If Dennis is an instructor, he sounds like he would be a good choice for certification if the opportunity presents itself.