TOTAL newbie - Please be gentle

[redrover]

Suggest an itinerary of:

• Read all the diving, equipment, accident forums on ScubaBoard.
• If you can get to shops at home check out the gear, learn what the differences are, where/what they are suited for. Having said I’m not sure I’ll like diving; don’t buy anything yet.
• Get the classroom books now and understand it, will make a crash course go a lot further.
• Get that camera housing. Put on gloves, lie down on the ironing board, arch your back resting only on your stomach, feet up/knees bent and become one with the settings and buttons in that position.
• Then set something in front of you and get real good at taking a good shot of it – while moving your body around in swaying, bobbing and twisting motions. A puppy or a two year old would be good. While waiting for the subject to return in reach, figure out that frog kick. If you get bored waiting, move onto the backwards kick.
• When you are good at that, set a timer for 40 minutes and count how many shots you get worth the photo album. Remember they will begin to add up with each dive.
• When you are good at that set a timer for 40 minutes and count how many shots you get worth the photo album. Remember they will begin to add up with each dive.
• Rent everything for class and bug them too for more info on the available gear. If something just ‘seems okay’ rent another make, model, manufacturer the next time and take detailed notes. Seems okay can be vastly improved upon with a big difference in the enjoyment of diving.
• Class
• Persuade people to take a photo of you doing your best and study it, amazing what a photo will show, that you have no idea you are doing.
• After a couple of dives and really enjoying it, then consider purchasing at least the basics. The shops at least here in Kona at Big Island Divers and Jacks, I know you’ll get good advise re fit and application suitable for you and where you are planning to be diving. There is a lot to consider with a purchase. Cost vs comfort, cold vs warm, parts and service availability, not to mention the great BP/W jacket debate.
• Get in as much shore diving as you can with KrisB and Kidspot, if you can. They’ll teach you soooo much more, by example if nothing else. Class is a bare beginning point. With their help you are going to get a lot more technique a whole lot faster. Pay attention and only bring out the camera for the exceptional Photo Op.
• Get in a night dive and see how you take to it.
• Take the Photography specialty class, presumably will help capture things intelligently.
• Look at those photos and self edit time and attention, now. See where it is worth (with skill and experience with underwater photography) trying to capture; in a condition or type of critter. Things staying in one place are easy, darting reclusive fish are not. Where/when the flash gives you something to show. Little bitty things take excellent buoyancy control. Spend your time/attention under on what you can show and not have to describe how cool it looked then. Otherwise be figuring out how to dive instead.
• Intersperse with the great Maui must do boat dives.
• Schedule yourself carefully re energy and condition. Even tropical diving is no fun if pooped, dehydrated, overwhelmed by something. Pick and choose from all the possible vs. cram in everything.
• Come to Kona after getting the hang of diving. If interested in the island (it is a unique island) give yourself the time you can afford to see its wonders. A couple outstanding involve elevation gain in regard to diving.
• Do the Manta dive first thing. In case you want to repeat that a few more times.
• If you’ve got in a lot of dives by then, are loving this, consider doing AOW. It is pretty much just more dives with an instructor, cheaper than individual 2 tank boat dives. With Jacks at least you get the Manta dive for Night (it’s a more expensive dive than day) and at least one dive to some different place or deeper sights than where a bunch of BOW are allowed to go.
• Get in shore dives. I may be able to help on weekends.
• Let us know how it went and show the photos.

 

[justleesa]

• Get that camera housing. Put on gloves, lie down on the ironing board, arch your back resting only on your stomach, feet up/knees bent and become one with the settings and buttons in that position.
• Then set something in front of you and get real good at taking a good shot of it – while moving your body around in swaying, bobbing and twisting motions. A two year old would be good. While you are there waiting for the subject to return within reach, figure out that frog kick.

can a vid be found on you tube?

Awesome Lisa! You made my day with this

 

[redrover]

can a vid be found on you tube?

Awesome Lisa! You made my day with this

It must have been the truly dedicated and obscenely wealthy that figured out underwater photography before the advent of digital.

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

I will be staying in Kihei. Are there any places you can recommend to me to do my PADI in that area?

Also, I do not yet have a dive buddy. The friends I'm staying with do not scuba

Yes I would definitely recommend B&B Scuba! You will have an excellent time while you do all your skills during boat dives... They are great people and you'll have a wonderful time!

I can't see that far into the future but if I am around I'll take you on a shore dive or two after you get certified...

Sean

 

[kidspot]

If you're visiting I'd recommend checing with Pacific Dive in Lahaina Pacific Dive or if staying in Kihei I'd recommend 3 ops B&B Scuba (my very biased favorite ) or ShakaDoug SHAKA DIVERS or Maui Dreams Dive co. Maui Dreams Dive Co - any of those four will treat you well.

Another option to bringing a camera is to ask your dive guide for a CD with pics of you - they will turn out better than you most likely can do and you can keep your focus on learning to dive. Shaka Doug is especially known for the fun (ie -great memories) photos he gets of his clients.

Aloha, Tim

P.S. Thanks for the kind words from TS&M and Onfloat ... but I most likely will not be on Maui much next year ...

 

[Adrian_london]

Thank you all SO much for all of your advice. I can't believe that I've had so many replies with such good information.

You have all given me loads to think about.

First thing i'm going to to is buy the PADI Open Water Diver manual. I'm going to read it cover to cover a few times (as I'm not going out there until Feb 09) and then decide on whether or not to take the exams over here in the UK.

Because of the cold waters over here I will probably decide to wait until I get over to Maui before I do anything but at least if I have read the PADI Open Water Diver manual a few times before i get there then at least I'll be slightly prepared.



Adrian

 

[LateBloomer]

If you have the time - go ahead and do the training before your trip - you will be much more relaxed and enjoy your diving more. We did our coursework at home (Kansas) and then did our Open Water check-out dives with Doug Corbin (Shaka Divers). He was great! The first 5-10 minutes of each dive was the skills test portion, then the rest of the dive (30-40 minutes), Doug took us on a tour of the reef - we saw (and held) octupus, saw several types of eels, sea cucumbers, tons of gorgeous fish, turtles, reef sharks - you name it! Doug was very thorough and diligent about making sure we had mastered each skill, but made it SO fun. A bonus was that he took pictures and video throughout the dives, and we were able to purchase the CD for a very small fee. Much better than any photos we would have been able to take at that point! Be sure you have good bouyancy control before you start taking pictures. We were on a dive the other day with a new diver with a camera and she was all over the place, including standing on the reef, kicking up sand and running over other divers to try to "get the shot." Very annoying, to say the least. Hope you love diving as much as we do! Good luck!