Where shall I take my Open Water dive

[KC_Scubabunny]

My girlfriend Tami got certified last year because she and I were going on a business trip to Hawaii and I wanted a dive buddy. She struggled with the same delimma, She got some good advice from one of the divemasters who assisted with her class that I will share with you:

"You can always dive in conditions better than the ones you were trained in but shouldn't dive in conditions worse. "

There is very little worse than Table Rock Lake in October so she is now capable of diving in all kinds of vis or lack thereof. She recently went back and did her AOW in the same murky lake. She wore my 7mm wetsuit and did great.

Incidently, she and I never made it to Hawaii because our business trip was scheduled for right after 9/11. She has never regretted getting certified locally.

KC_Scubabunny

 

[Juls64]

My husband and I will be doing our OW this weekend in Pearl Lake in Illinois. (42 degree thermocline from what I hear.)

Anyway, like you I was a little cold while doing class with no wetsuit, but only while being still, listening to the instructor. While I was bus underwater, I never even thought about it.

Some of my reasons for doing OW now, in the cold lake include:

1. I just finished confined water/classroom and everything is fresh in my mind.

2. While I don't care for cold water really, I am curious to see what its like diving in the lakes around here.

3. I think I'll be warm enough in the 7mm suit w/ hood, gloves, etc.

4. I thought our instructor was the best and our dive shop personnel. That is who we will do OW with so I will be comfortable in that way.

5. At lastl, but most important, I JUST CAN"T WAIT TO GET WET!

Just my thoughts!

 

[hsouthwood]

Thanks for all the replies so far. At this point I do not know if I will be diving regularly as I haven’t dived yet. I really want to enjoy my first experience of open water diving and don’t want to be put off. I am already anxious and the thought of doing all my skills in a cold quarry is just not appealing, especially as I have the choice to do it somewhere better.
MikeS’s experience in Aruba almost convinced me to do it locally. However I am going to the British Virgin Islands (during off season) and I’ve heard it much much quieter than Aruba.
My head says 'do it locally' my feeling says 'do it in the caribbean'.
Oh dear, dilemma, dilemma, I have to make up my mind tomorrow!!!

 

[kelpmermaid]

I don't know how this works, but is it possible for you to give it a local try, and if that proves to be too uncomfortable, try it again in warmer waters? I assume that there is already an additional fee for a referral.

 

[PA/NJdiver]

hsouthwood,

I notice that you are from New Jersey. I am guessing that you would be going to Dutch Springs if you decided to do your dives here. I just took a class there about two weeks ago. This quarry is not as bad as some of the other ones. The visibility is outstanding there since they have zebra mussels covering everything. The viz was about 40 feet +. From the platforms at 20-25 feet, you could see down to the bottom, which is another approx. 30-40 below you. They also stock the quarry with several kinds of fish. The water temperature was about 55-56 in the 25 foot range. I don't know when you were planning to do your class, but it may be a few degrees warmer. If you stay above 25 feet, you shouldn't hit the thermocline. I will be up there on Sunday and can give you another "conditions" report if you like.

I did my OW certification dives there almost 10 years ago in July and the visibility since then has changed so much. It is so much clearer. When I did my OW dives, I felt like I was diving in brown soup. It's not that way even with all the divers there.

If you want, you can PM me, and I can tell you a bit more. I also have a short video of me and my buddy diving there that might let you actually see what you are in for.

Stacey

 

[Curly]

Like PA/NJ Diver indicated, sounds like you're heading to Dutch Springs, which is a really great spot to do check-outs, as it is designed & maintained as a divers' "playground." There are a bunch of submerged platforms suspended at 25 feet, a number of sunken items (ranging from boats, to a plane, school bus, helicopter, van...and now a crane...plus more), and the visibility is often quite good. Sure, it can be cold -- especially when you hit the thermoclines -- but not too bad at check-out depths with the right suit.

 

[ScubyDoo]

My personal feeling is that you should go ahead and do it locally. Okay so its cold....You'll have the proper exposure protection to keep you warm...right? If your like me, you'll be so excited about the dive that you wont even notice it being cold. Like earlier posters said, if you learn in cold murky waters then you are really getting more rounded training. That said, its important to remember that the colder the water the more stressfull the dive. If you feel uncomfortable to the point of being fearful.....dont do it. Diving is supposed to be fun, and you should NEVER dive in conditions you are not comfortable with. Keep in mind that most of your nervousness probably stems from the dive itself....not from the water temperature. If you stay focused on your skills you should do fine in any temperature. Just 4 quick fast dives on a weekend and its over....then you spend all your dive time together in the Caribe..

Good luck to you whichever way you choose. Have Fun!!

 

[Curly]

We went to Dutch Springs yesterday for the first time this season, and had a great day. Due to the drought, the water level is way down -- about 8 feet from my guesstimate -- to the point where much of the "Island" (usually submerged) is high and dry (even with an inflatable palm tree). As is usually the case, the visibility was okay on the first dive (say, 12 ft.), and less so on the second, due to the silt being kicked up.

Saw the usual characters -- big old palamino trout, hog suckers, a few bass. Checked out our new equipment, did some circuits -- school bus, boats, plane, and then did some compass work and found the helicopter. Despite the number of cars and people on land, there wasn't much of a crowd underwater -- at least where we were.

It's a great place to do your check-outs. Have fun.

 

[Juls64]

I am replying again, now as a certified diver, WooHoo!

We did our dives at Pearl Lake in Illinois this weekend. 55 degrees at surface, 41 at thermocline. The surface in a 7mm suit was perfect for me and I do get cold easily. Some of the men were a little warm and removed gloves. I would recommend trying the quarry. I think you'll be fine.

The thermocline was cold for everyone. But it was fun to go down there. We saw a school bus one dive, and a plane on another. I just kept in mind that I'd only be there a few minutes, and by keeping busy looking around, the cold was bearable.

Just my opinion!

 

[MSilvia]

Remember... you said that when you were cold you only had the wetsuit top on. In my mind, that's somewhat like going out in the winter wearing a warm jacket and no pants. I'd expect to be cold.

If you wear appropriate exposure protection, you should be fine diving locally. A friend of mine is famous for being the first one to complain about the cold, and she just got certified in New England a week ago. We went on a couple dives off Cape Ann this weekend, and with a surface temp in the high 40s, she was comfortable.

As I see it, if your first experience is in the lake, you'll have confidence in the Carribean and think, "I can't believe how good the visibility is, and it's so warm! Look at all the cool fish!" If the Carribean is your first experience, you'll have nothing to compare it to, and diving at home will seem like a real let down if you ever do it later.

I recommend doing the dives in the lake, and making sure your instructor is aware of your concerns.