OW Certified....Now What?

[2airishuman]

Diving in and of itself is dangerous. You mitigate or at least try and control those hazards through your training and equipment so that it can be done safely.

I think we should choose our words and phrases carefully especially in a thread started by someone new to the sport.

Diving is "dangerous" only in the same sense that walking across the street, riding a bicycle, and engaging in many other activities of daily living, are "dangerous." I've read the statistics. What they bear out is that diving is a safe activity when it is conducted in a sensible way, disregarding accidents that occur when people deliberately and knowingly take the sport to extremes where risk is high. There are things that can be done and that are being done to make it safer.

Your lifetime chances of drowning if you never learn to swim and grow up in a water-averse family are higher than your lifetime chances of drowning if you're a diver.

Eire, You don't get to choose your buddy if you are a single on a charter boat....
Yes, I know you can pay to buddy with a DM, if one is available.

In most cases paying a DM does not guarantee that you will be the DM's only client for that dive.

 

[snowdog61]

yes, perhaps 'dangerous' was not the best choice of words - risky then if you prefer. The point is that while there is risk, it is mitigated through training - which also includes what equipment you should be including in you kit and of course practicing those skills and gaining experience. The OP was asking about solo. He is at least aware he needs more of both training and experience before he ventures down that path. I would much prefer to buddy with that attitude than with someone who came out of one of the "Scuba - anyone can do it. Thanks for your money - here's your c-card" shops. If you are stuck frequently having to insta-buddy, I would think that is reason enough to get the training to be a self-reliant diver. Even if you never plan to solo it's better to have that bit in your pocket when you suddenly find your buddy has ditched you

 

[TMHeimer]

I agree that non swimmers probably are more prone to drowning, whether on scuba or not.
I'm not adverse to using the word dangerous. Those other activities mentioned are done above water where there is plenty of air (my OW instructor loved the phrase "plenty of air up here").
OTOH, my feeling is diving is less "dangerous" most of the time compared with anything where you're high up--parachuting, hang gliding and probably mountain climbing (you know, where they bang those spikes into the mountain, etc.).

 

[scubadada]

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?

Looks like you may have some local diving, do that with your LDS, find yourself some buddies. Go for a short trip, SE FL or the Keys, go out on some boats, learn to dive with some new buddies. Nothing like getting some initial experience

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Fortunately, diving accidents are rare. If we look at the deaths that have happened to members of ScubaBoard.com we've lost the most to natural causes or surface accidents and much fewer to diving accidents. When an accident happens it captures people's morbid fascination. A diving accident is more "romantic" to the media than slowly killing ourselves with an unhealthy diet.

Those who don't feel comfortable diving alone or who think solo diving is too risky will most likely always believe so. Those who enjoy outdoor sports alone and believe they are able to solo dive safely will do so. Diving is a sport. An individual or a team competes with nature for enjoyment. Most of the time we do not get attacked by sharks, suffer pressure injuries, or drown. Safety is up to an individual and how we perceive what is "safe."

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?

Obviously, going diving as much as you can will build experience. Going to the same site several times in a row while becoming acquainted with it and familiar with your gear will help you become more comfortable. It's nice to learn a site, learn good entry/exit points, discover how to navigate it and maybe see things in a way experienced divers no longer do or never did. Just play and have fun.

You can find dive buddies at your dive shop and visit other dive shops and make friends at other shops too. Divers are very open to new buddies. If you are very social you may enjoy a dive club. Or, if you have a special underwater interest you can find a group of niche participants such as treasure hunters or spearos. Facebook is a great tool to connect with the community. No one owns you. Shops love to talk about "their divers" but that's BS. As a Texan, you probably understand freedom. Don't let shops try to get you to "go pro" or chase a whole bunch of continuing ed courses. Never lose sight of why you wanted to dive because the industry has a way of making you give all your money to the industry rather than spend it on yourself.

I started diving at 13 at the headquarters of a major training agency, so I was owned, indoctrinated, enslaved, and professionaled from the start. In some ways, it gave me a life far beyond my expectations. In other ways, I lost something. I'm treasure hunting myself now. Not for gold or silver, but I'm on a mission to find the kid in me and unchain myself from an industry that has forgotten the "sport" aspect of sport diving.

 

[TMHeimer]

I think we should choose our words and phrases carefully especially in a thread started by someone new to the sport.

Diving is "dangerous" only in the same sense that walking across the street, riding a bicycle, and engaging in many other activities of daily living, are "dangerous." I've read the statistics. What they bear out is that diving is a safe activity when it is conducted in a sensible way, disregarding accidents that occur when people deliberately and knowingly take the sport to extremes where risk is high. There are things that can be done and that are being done to make it safer.

Your lifetime chances of drowning if you never learn to swim and grow up in a water-averse family are higher than your lifetime chances of drowning if you're a diver.



In most cases paying a DM does not guarantee that you will be the DM's only client for that dive.

I'll take your word on that (that you may not be the only buddy the DM is teamed with) since I've never hired one. But your point further confirms what I said about being a "single" diver on a boat and not being able to choose your buddy (who would be unknown to you anyway).

 

[admikar]

To b

To be honest, what is the point of solo diving? It's stupid some people think of doing it. Just find someone to dive with. Combat / naval divers don't even dive solo and they're much better trained than ANYONE here.

I heard of a story involving a commercial diver who used to work for Red Adair (look him up). He was solo diving in 3 metres of water. He got tangled up really, really badly in something (not sure if it was fishing lines or lobster pots or what), and he had a cutting tool. Anyway, he was tangled so badly he couldn't even reach his cutting tool. As the tide went down, he was fighting to either stand up or reach his cutting tool. In the end, he was found in 2 metres of water lying there holding his gauge. He ran out of air. He spent 30 mins trying to free himself but was f***** from the start. They think he swam in upside down by accident, and then twisted his whole body to stand up to see where he was caught, he basically trapped himself from the start.

This **** can happen to anyone, even an ex Royal Naval diver. DONT SOLO DIVE.

Solo diving is not to being taken lightly. But, what is your point? In your example diver got entangled and died. How can we be sure that his/her buddy would be helpful? It could amount to two fatalities as far as we know.
People die walking up or down the stairs. People die driving cars. People die in beds.
Don't tell me you never walk on stairs or you never ride in a car. I'm sure you're not sleeping on a floor.
For the OP, if you really have no other option, try and book a dive trip/s. After getting some experience, take a training for solo diver. After that, it is up to you to decide whether to solo dive or wait for a suitable buddy.

 

[EireDiver606]

Diving is "dangerous" only in the same sense that walking across the street, riding a bicycle, and engaging in many other activities of daily living, are "dangerous."

An apple is an apple. Same as diving IS going into a place where the human body was not designed to go. Simple as.

 

[Gr8WyattWhale]

An apple is an apple. Same as diving IS going into a place where the human body was not designed to go. Simple as.

To be fair...the human body wasn't designed to go 65 miles an hour, or 35000 feet up in the air either...

 

[tilikum]

Eirediver, it's none of your business if someone solo dives or not. Worry about yourself.