Next Step

[RikRaeder]

On these forums I see superdivers, neodivers and all walks in between. What I'd like to ask is what skills should a new diver be working on towards becoming an advanced diver (expression used liberally).
I got an OW certification 20 years ago and haven't dived since. Last November, I took a PADI OW course and was re-certified and have since decided that diving is indeed something I'd like to become a part of.
My question is: what skills should a neophyte diver develop to get the most out of SCUBA? Of course Buoyncy control, emergency proceedures, buddy awareness, and dive planning, but what else can all you mega-experienced divers recommend that I work on in my next 20 or so dives to help me get the most out of the SCUBA experience.
I'm not sure exactly where I want to go with diving (eg; wrecks, deep, caves, photography, rescue, etc), but I do know that I want to continue to make undersea self-devlopment a part of my life. I enjoy the feeling of being somewhere different and critcally self-reliant.
So what should I work on in my next 20 dives to become more comfortable and perhaps find the diver that I should be? My next 20 dives are coming up very soon, and I'd appreciate some suggestions on what to think about as I enjoy them.
Thanks

 

[ckharlan66]

You mention Bouyancy Control but that can not be over emphasised. That and Trim will help make you the most effecent in the water and when you get those dialed you will enjoy diving so much more because you will spend so much less effort fighting the water and will just be able to glide through it. You will be able to do your stops on the way to the surface with out fighting with your BC. It will also help you to stay off the bottom and avoid silting out the area you are trying to see.....it might still happen occationally but it will be much rarer.

I will let others add more.

Enjoy the water

Chad

 

[Quarrior]

You've pretty much covered what you need to practice. Now, don't concentrate on practicing to the extent that you don't get to enjoy diving.

For things like bouyancy and trim which really affect air consumption, the more you dive, the easier they will become.

Find yourself a mentor, I did and he really helped me. Someone that dives a lot.

So, just go dive and have fun.

 

[Louma]

Buoyancy control, buoyancy control, buoyancy control. As a good diver, you should be able to stop anywhere in the water column anytime you want to. This takes practice. Most divers I see, even with lots of dives under their belts, have bad buoyancy control. Everything else is secondary and will be learned over time. And if you do take AOW, don't get freaked out by the thought of the night dive, once you do it you'll see it's probably one of the most relaxing and rewarding dives you can make.

 

[Scuba Cowboy]

Taking an AOW course would be a good idea, you'll get exposed to some different types of dives and it might help you decide where you want to go with your diving. Just remember, the course doesn't make you an advanced diver, diving makes you one. So i'll echo what others said, go diving as much as possible.

 

[mudhole]

Welcome back to diving. . . Your next step on the diving ladder should be toward your local diving opportunity. If you live close to a diving area - go there often. Help carry tanks, others need to refill and you will quickly make friends. Diving clubs can help a new member gain experience in whatever specialty you are interested in. Another post mentioned Advanced Open Water class, If you don't know other local divers, this is a good way to pick up new skills with an instructor watching over you. The other divers in the class may be good dive partners after the class.

As far as step by step lessons. . . experience. When you have completed your certification. Look for a place to dive where you can dive shallow, watch your bubbles. Beginners make lots of bubbles while they become comfortable with the strange feel of equipment, their underwater surrounding, etc. The comfort of your surroundings as you learn bouyancy control will let you begin to see the fishlife around you. Fish are frightened by clumsy motion of hands and arms of a new diver. First you will be able to watch smaller baitfish, when you become more at ease with your surroundings you will see bigger fish around you that may be stalking the baitfish. Only after you can approach fish without disturbing them, you can make the choice to photograph them or take them home for the table. When that happens you'll have lots of divers that want you for a dive buddy.

 

[spectrum]

Pay attention to your buoyancy and keep a focus on your trim. Trim will be more of a gear configuration matter . When you get buoyancy and trim working together you really have something.

Meanwhile take the AOW course and get exposed to some new facets of diving that you can enjoy and grow into.

Relax and enjoy your dives. As long as you have a mentality of continuous improvement you will develop just fine.

Pete

 

[RikRaeder]

Thanks so much, everyone, for your input. Since local diving is WAY expensive in Japan, I've opted for several trips to sunnier climes in the next couple months (less then twice what the local trips would cost). I'll be maxing out my dive time and so will focus on building up my skills (and enjoying the dives). Your advice is greatly appreciated, and I look forward to more and more of it in the future. Thanks again.

 

[spacemanspiff1974]

The most important items are shark defense and neon oxygen algorithms for saturation diving.

Kidding of course!!!

Aside from bc control and signal communication with your dive buddy, I would suggest "dive site preparation".

Learn about the ecosystem, depth, current, etc. of where you want to go diving. Know what to look for underwater and learn to appreciate what is around your dive site. It is one thing to go down 60' and look at the "pretty fish". It is another thing entirely to know why you are seeing the particular ecosystem.

Glad you got back into diving, even if we never meet. Good luck!!

 

[OE2X]

I'll echo all the covered sentiments.

1. Try not fin with your hands. If you start taking photos, then you will want to control yourself with your fins. I don't advocate touching the reef when taking picts, so this is a good skill. Also comes in handy for more advanced proceedures.

2. Stay mentally sharp on your dives. What I mean by this is to do small things like guess what your psi is before you look at your guage. Guess your depth when in doubt. Guess your time before you look at your computer. The less reliant you are on your computer/depth/timer/pressure guage - the greater your situational awareness and more in tune you will be the environment. These mental gymnastics can allow you to enjoy your dive with greater confidence than ever before.
To get this nailed takes a lot of practice, so be gentle on yourself if you aren't on the mark with your guesses.

3. Practice having fun on every dive. This is why we spend so much money to do this sport.