OW Certified....Now What?

[Gr8WyattWhale]

I just recently - as in last month - got my OW certification. Now all I can think about is going diving! There's one problem....I'm certainly not experienced enough to dive alone but I don't have anyone to dive with.

How am I supposed to start building my dive experience?

Does anyone have tips for finding dive buddies?

Is the best option just chartered dive with my LDS until I meet someone and we hit it off?

Anyone have a good story of how you got started?

 

[Marie13]

Check the TX area on FB. There may be area dive groups. Did you get certified at home or on vacation? Check with your local shop(s). They may know of others in your situation.

My regular buddy came from SB! I just got certified in October.

 

[KevinNM]

I did a few classes.

 

[2airishuman]

I started solo diving shortly after becoming OW certified. It's not a decision to be taken lightly and it's something everyone has to decide for themselves, and I don't necessarily suggest that you follow the same path. I shore dive at a nearby freshwater location where the diving isn't necessarily fantastic but which I have come to enjoy nonetheless.

Around here the dive shops organize "fun dives" which are a possible way to meet people. They are organized shore dives and don't cost much of anything. I've gone on a couple but haven't really hit it off with other divers.

 

[Chavodel8en]

The Meetup website and application often has scuba clubs as well. Its how I get in most of my local dives. Hopefully there's a Texas or Gulf Shore Meetup scuba group where you can meetup with folks and dive.

 

[Gr8WyattWhale]

I started solo diving shortly after becoming OW certified. It's not a decision to be taken lightly and it's something everyone has to decide for themselves, and I don't necessarily suggest that you follow the same path. I shore dive at a nearby freshwater location where the diving isn't necessarily fantastic but which I have come to enjoy nonetheless.

Around here the dive shops organize "fun dives" which are a possible way to meet people. They are organized shore dives and don't cost much of anything. I've gone on a couple but haven't really hit it off with other divers.

I'm very comfortable in the water and take diving, the environment and my safety very seriously. I really just want to do shallow dives at this point to work on my buoyancy and get my trim and control well in hand.

I've shied away from diving solo only because it seems to do it responsibly, one needs a redundant air supply like a pony bottle and reg setup. I don't have one and not really wanting to spend that kind of money at the moment since I just spent a bunch getting my personal dive kit.

Did you have a backup when diving solo, 2air?

 

[Gr8WyattWhale]

I haven't had much luck looking for clubs in the Corpus Christi area. Meetup you say? I'll look into that thanks!

 

[Gr8WyattWhale]

Check the TX area on FB. There may be area dive groups. Did you get certified at home or on vacation? Check with your local shop(s). They may know of others in your situation.

My regular buddy came from SB! I just got certified in October.

I got certified at home. That's a good point, I'll mention to my LDS (Ascuba Venture in CC, good people) that I'm looking for dives/divers. Guess my pride stopped me from doing that already...didn't want to walk in there and let them know I don't have any diving friends. Haha stupid I know

 

[TMHeimer]

I had a regular buddy at the start, whom I found on a bulletin board at the LDS (the board hasn't existed for years--perhaps due to a liability issue?). Doing courses is an OK idea. PADI AOW is meant to be taken immediately after OW (or whenever--a topic often discussed here). And everyone always says everyone should take Rescue Diver, and I agree--as long as you are very comfortable with basic skills, buoyancy, etc. Courses get you experience with an instructor as your buddy, and you may not spend a whole lot more than if you were doing the same number of dives on charter boats.
A good way to locate buddies is to use the geographic sub forums here--I think under U.S. there's one for your area. I've found maybe half a dozen or more buddies this way when snowbirding on the Gulf of Mexico.

 

[Marie13]

You shouldn't really even think about solo diving until you've got a lot more experience. SDI, for example, requires 100 logged dives and Advanced as prerequisites for solo. PADI requires same (I just looked it up).