clockradio
Contributor
late in life, my first dive was cane bay,st.croix,usvi.it was a very spiritual experience. thank the lord ,that i got diving in my life.:walking:
Where was your first OW dive?
- Thread starter Natasha
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diver_paula
Contributor
Wow that brings back memories. The quarry is now a 'lake' surrounded by condos. Wonder if they removed the bus to make it a 'lake'! LOL
First non-quarry dive was at Bonne Terre Lead Mine. & first salt water dive was in Maui.
Great thread!
Paula
First non-quarry dive was at Bonne Terre Lead Mine. & first salt water dive was in Maui.
Great thread!
Paula
waterwraith
Contributor
My checkout dives were at a quarry in Moulton Alabama...low viz... 3-5 ft.
My first real dives were in the Florida Keys off of Looe key.
I would really love to return to the keys someday.
I loved the quarry dives because I learned how to deal with low viz conditions.
My first real dives were in the Florida Keys off of Looe key.
I would really love to return to the keys someday.
I loved the quarry dives because I learned how to deal with low viz conditions.
My first dives were try dives in Bali - little paddle out from the shore in very calm waters with lots to see. The experience made me and now-hubby think we ought to do this dive thing properly so decided to do OW on honeymoon.
Honeymooned in Mauritius and the diving was totally different - scared the hell out of me so much so that I almost didn't complete the course. The first boat dive was just beyond the reef, which from shore looked very calm. How deceptive. Once we got out there I thought we were going to die - I have never seen waves like it and hated every second of that first dive just thinking "let me get through this". God knows how we got back onto the boat but we did. I have to say though the Instructor was brilliant, he literally held my hand to reassure me and I would recommed his outfit (Seafan Diving) to anyone visiting Mauritius.
Since the OW course we have expeirenced varied conditions and the baptism of fire we received in Mauritius has been a huge help.
Honeymooned in Mauritius and the diving was totally different - scared the hell out of me so much so that I almost didn't complete the course. The first boat dive was just beyond the reef, which from shore looked very calm. How deceptive. Once we got out there I thought we were going to die - I have never seen waves like it and hated every second of that first dive just thinking "let me get through this". God knows how we got back onto the boat but we did. I have to say though the Instructor was brilliant, he literally held my hand to reassure me and I would recommed his outfit (Seafan Diving) to anyone visiting Mauritius.
Since the OW course we have expeirenced varied conditions and the baptism of fire we received in Mauritius has been a huge help.
My first dive was at Tioman in Malaysia and I still remember it as if it was yesterday. Particularly remember a cheeky damsel fish that insisted on hanging in front of my mask and looking in at me, made me laugh. 
Still go back there with students, not spectacular but a really nice spot with plenty to see if you're ever in the region
Still go back there with students, not spectacular but a really nice spot with plenty to see if you're ever in the region
My first dive was sometime in the late 80's. My son was already born so it was after 85 but I hadn't went to work for ITW yet so it was before 89.
Anyway...my uncle had purchased a marina on Lake Norefork in Arkansas. There had been a dive shop there, which he never oporated, but my cousin ended up with all the gear. When I found out that he had learned to dive I talked him into taking me. He suggested that I take a class but I thought it was silly. I'd been swimming all my life and it had to be easier if you could breath, right? I don't remember what month it was but the water was twenty-something feet above normal due to the wet spring and the vis was the best I've seen there since.
We tied the pontoon boat up in a cove near a bluff called "Big E". My cousin had me get in the water and then handed me my gear. He instructed me to put it on, then he handed me the spear gun to hold. He thought we might run into some catfish during the dive. He suggested that I descend a little and get used to it while he got geared up. The vis was great. From the bottom I could see the boat above and every one on it. There were trees full of leaves totally submerged and it was fantastic. I got looking around and wondered off not running into my cousin again until I decided it was time to head back to the boat. Having found the catfish and missed a couple of shots my cousin was upset that I had run off the fish. Over the next several years I made a few more dives with my cousins but didn't get certified for some time.
My certification dives were in a little quarry in Indiana called France Park. I've done many many dives there since. The big attraction for most is the paddle fish (spoon bill stergeon). The biggest I've seen is about 7 ft long. The biggest crapies I've ever seen were here as well as some amazingly huge large mouth bass that used to follow us on night dives using our lights to hunt. I used to teach there a lot but over the years the conditions have deteriorated. The park management keeps dumping sand trying to make a beach. The sand is some real dusty cheap garbage that they get free someplace and when the water level goes up and down it all gets washed out into the quarry. The silt just seems to be choking everything and the fish populations seem to have declined a great deal. They allow fishing but to my knowledge don't restock the lake. We used to go there in the spring and watch the blue gill beds. there are some huge blue gills in there. We would watch and take pictures as the catfish tried to sneak up on the nests and get chased off by the blue gill and the blue gill would go after the bass fry and get chased off by the male bass. Once I was descending with father and son night diving student jusst in time to have a huge flathead cat swim up and swallow a 1 pound + blue gill. I've seen vis there near 100 ft but it's been a long time since we've seen anything anywhere near that good. I rarely dive it now and virtually never teach there even though it's only a half hour from home. The park had some trouble with their insurance company and turned management of the diving over to a dive shop in Kokomo. Now you can only dive there if they have a DM on duty. Being an instructor listed as a DM with them, I can open the place up but I either have to be onthe surface or the entire group must dive with me. It's just a pain to go through the process of getting the paperwork and collecting every ones money and getting it to the shop.
Anyway...my uncle had purchased a marina on Lake Norefork in Arkansas. There had been a dive shop there, which he never oporated, but my cousin ended up with all the gear. When I found out that he had learned to dive I talked him into taking me. He suggested that I take a class but I thought it was silly. I'd been swimming all my life and it had to be easier if you could breath, right? I don't remember what month it was but the water was twenty-something feet above normal due to the wet spring and the vis was the best I've seen there since.
We tied the pontoon boat up in a cove near a bluff called "Big E". My cousin had me get in the water and then handed me my gear. He instructed me to put it on, then he handed me the spear gun to hold. He thought we might run into some catfish during the dive. He suggested that I descend a little and get used to it while he got geared up. The vis was great. From the bottom I could see the boat above and every one on it. There were trees full of leaves totally submerged and it was fantastic. I got looking around and wondered off not running into my cousin again until I decided it was time to head back to the boat. Having found the catfish and missed a couple of shots my cousin was upset that I had run off the fish. Over the next several years I made a few more dives with my cousins but didn't get certified for some time.
My certification dives were in a little quarry in Indiana called France Park. I've done many many dives there since. The big attraction for most is the paddle fish (spoon bill stergeon). The biggest I've seen is about 7 ft long. The biggest crapies I've ever seen were here as well as some amazingly huge large mouth bass that used to follow us on night dives using our lights to hunt. I used to teach there a lot but over the years the conditions have deteriorated. The park management keeps dumping sand trying to make a beach. The sand is some real dusty cheap garbage that they get free someplace and when the water level goes up and down it all gets washed out into the quarry. The silt just seems to be choking everything and the fish populations seem to have declined a great deal. They allow fishing but to my knowledge don't restock the lake. We used to go there in the spring and watch the blue gill beds. there are some huge blue gills in there. We would watch and take pictures as the catfish tried to sneak up on the nests and get chased off by the blue gill and the blue gill would go after the bass fry and get chased off by the male bass. Once I was descending with father and son night diving student jusst in time to have a huge flathead cat swim up and swallow a 1 pound + blue gill. I've seen vis there near 100 ft but it's been a long time since we've seen anything anywhere near that good. I rarely dive it now and virtually never teach there even though it's only a half hour from home. The park had some trouble with their insurance company and turned management of the diving over to a dive shop in Kokomo. Now you can only dive there if they have a DM on duty. Being an instructor listed as a DM with them, I can open the place up but I either have to be onthe surface or the entire group must dive with me. It's just a pain to go through the process of getting the paperwork and collecting every ones money and getting it to the shop.
Wisconsin.....I remember seeing "a fish" and finding a sinker...other than than, just grass & sand/silt. And I loved it! Diving every day, you sometimes forget that feeling of excitement just to be underwater & breathing for the first time.
Chris
www.letsdiveguam.com
Chris
www.letsdiveguam.com
CAPT HOOK
Contributor
above Foote Dam in Michigan. Interesting site - a forest that was submerged when the dam was built. Zero vis!! until you were below the thermocline, then 20-30 feet. Can remember "reaching for the bottom" on the 1st dive, then breaking into 25' of clear water.1st dive lasted 23 minutes and surfaced with 300lbs. Can you say Hoover?
queentrigger
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OW was at Pulau Tenggol, Malaysia. Great dive spot.
My open water dives were in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron
near Tobermory May 24th weekend, 1972
Water was 38-40 °F, and we were all in wet suits.
Most were only waist high pants and beaver tail jackets, (no farmer johns) IT WAS COLD, but we had a great time.
Mike D
near Tobermory May 24th weekend, 1972
Water was 38-40 °F, and we were all in wet suits.
Most were only waist high pants and beaver tail jackets, (no farmer johns) IT WAS COLD, but we had a great time.
Mike D
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