Where was your first OW dive?

[jbisjim]

Lovely Lake 16 in November in a WetSuit

Lovely water temps in the 50s 40s below the platform and vis about the length of my arm.

Now i smile when i take ow students there

 

[Jacobsen]

My check out dives were done at Long Lake, MN. We had to wait for the ice to clear before we could complete our certification. My first actual "dives" were in South Dakota with by buddy Chris Olson at the "West River Shootout" the following summer. We made every mistake possible on those dives. A lot has been learned since 1988 and I thank everyone that helped educate along the way.

 

[gussys]

My check out dives and subsequent dives were at the local spring, Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, NM.

My first "real open water" dive was in St. Marteen. Even with the reef being in less than stellar condition, it was still Outstanding

Hey nice to se a NM diver out there. Im up in farmington and was thinking that I was the only one from NM.
Im going to get into a class in November for my OW and i think were going to the blue hole for our check out dives.

 

[DiveExtreme22]

first dive ever was in punta cana, but i wasnt certified

certification dives at dutch springs, bottom temp 55 degrees..outside temp not much warmer, 60 degrees

first dive after certification was in playa del carmen, on tortugas reef...i saw more on that dive than i saw on all of the other dives in punta cana and dutch (obviously) combined...nurse shark, tuna, tapron, cuda, turtles, rays...it was awesome and ill never forget it

 

[Potapko]

HA! Quarry in October 45 degree water in a rental 5mm wetsuit. We almost froze before we finished the "requirements" :11:

I take the kids there and tell them, See there kids? That is where daddy almost froze to death.

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

Some cold, dark, murky quarry in Northwestern Virginia. Water in the 50-60 range. Colder and murkier below the thermocline. I got to dive my first wreck, too since there was an old rowboat on the bottom.

Honestly, I still had a lot of fun. Just using the equipment and staying underwater for so long gave me such a thrill.

 

[Dapher]

Sunset Beach, Ketchikan Alaska in March. Water was 38 degrees, I had a drysuit that was too big in the legs and arms so I could hardly move. Forgot my righty tighty and instead of turning the exhaust valve all the way open I closed it tight. Result.. air in my feet causing a feet first ascent. I came out of it in three somersaults.. dive buddy aka hubby thought I was showing off. I wish! I think back to that first dive and can hardly believe that I continued on and got certified (did dives 2-4 w/ custom suit 8 weeks later.)

 

[fishnchips]

Monterey Bay, Calif. Many years back.

 

[Foo]

My first OW dive(s) was a discover scuba course in Grand Cayman. The first dive was the Wreck of the Oro Verde at about 35ft, the second was at a spot called Eagle Ray Pass at about 60ft.

Now, I'm not a veteran diver like a lot of people on this board-started my cert a little over a year ago and then finished the course in Jan, '04. But- I've never read or heard of a Discover Scuba course that took people on a 60 ft dive, much less for their second dive. I'm glad that everyone came out safely (evidently), but it does seem very risky to take a DS student to 60 ft.

I'm really glad that you enjoyed it enough to get your cert, Parrothead_Diver. I mean absolutely no offense to you, as you didn't call the shots. But, perhaps someone with more knowledge can set me straight- is this normal for a DS course?

Foo

 

[flemnos]

My first dive was at Breakwater in Monterey, CA... day before yesterday.