Open Water Training in the Chesapeake Bay?

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Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Location
Maryland
# of dives
None - Not Certified
I'm working on getting my PADI certification. I had a NAUI cert back in the 1980's but I don't think I'll be able to find my certification card again. I was wondering if there was a place that does the open water portion of the training in the Chesapeake Bay. I'm taking the training with my 2 daughters and we frequently boat in the area. I think it would be nice for them to see it under water.

Thanks in advance.
 
I don't think "see" is a verb I'd use for the Chesapeake. Most divers I know that go in that water only do so to clean boats or untangle mooring lines.
 
I did an Oyster dive in the Chesapeake once. Once......
 
Any reason why you wouldn't do it again?
It sucked. :) I guess if you like oysters it might be worth it, but I'm not much of an oyster guy so it was a 12' deep braille dive where you drop into freezing water with a bag, feel around for what feels like it might be the right size and shape for an oyster (you'll get a decent percentage of rocks) put that into your bag and then surface when your bag is full. By then you will be frozen, but you hand over your full bag and they hand you an empty and you go back down and look for more. Not my idea of a fun dive. They did have a pot of water on a camping stove on the deck so you could stick your hands in it until the feeling came back so I guess that's one plus. If my choice were to go on another oyster dive or sit at home with my feet up and a Lagavulin in my hand I would choose the latter.
 
I hear that Kent Island Scuba is a solid operation with bay dives from their own boat.

Lance

I went out with them twice just after getting my OW cert. I had a good time hanging out with the crew and I thought it was a good operation.

As you said though...poor diving conditions. I’ve done worse visibility wise (Cooper River), but in the case of the Chesapeake...you endure VERY cold waters and poor visibility and may literally get nothing to show for it (well under 10’ vis is the norm).
 
There's a reason why shops in Maryland and VA Beach conduct open water training at Lake Phoenix instead of the bay/ocean.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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