Even shore diving, depending on the site, I would seek an experienced guide for the first dive or so. Some dives do not require a first time guide, some do (if you want to see the good stuff). I know for a fact that many arrogant experienced divers who come to Hawaii and only do non-guided shore dives have left Hawaii without having as good a dive as many non-certified resort intro divers.[/quote]
So true, Halemano!!! Nothing frustrates me more than watching certified divers dive at my most favorite site and exit the water complaining about the mediocre dive and lack of aquatic life. Especially when I know that at that moment, there are frogfish, dragon morays, spotted eagle rays, octopus, turtles and more just waiting to be seen. If only they'd done a guided tour (or obtained a thorough orientation to the site, at least)...the outcome would have been completely different! They would be happily bragging about all that they got to see. Instead, they will knock the dive site forever more and the diving will continue to be underrated.
Although I personally don't recommend it, I do respect divers who want to do their own thing. In that case, I make sure that when experienced divers come into our shop and explicitly let me know that they don't want a guided tour and just want to do their own thing, I give them a map of the dive site and approximate location of some of the cool critters so they won't be one of those divers complaining about the crappy dive.
So true, Halemano!!! Nothing frustrates me more than watching certified divers dive at my most favorite site and exit the water complaining about the mediocre dive and lack of aquatic life. Especially when I know that at that moment, there are frogfish, dragon morays, spotted eagle rays, octopus, turtles and more just waiting to be seen. If only they'd done a guided tour (or obtained a thorough orientation to the site, at least)...the outcome would have been completely different! They would be happily bragging about all that they got to see. Instead, they will knock the dive site forever more and the diving will continue to be underrated.
Although I personally don't recommend it, I do respect divers who want to do their own thing. In that case, I make sure that when experienced divers come into our shop and explicitly let me know that they don't want a guided tour and just want to do their own thing, I give them a map of the dive site and approximate location of some of the cool critters so they won't be one of those divers complaining about the crappy dive.