Will my experience level make it hard to find a dive buddy?

[SPKelpDiver]

I am newly certified, and I live in southern California. My friend introduced me freediving a couple years back, and since than I have always wanted to get my c-card but never had the time. My buddy and I finally went through the PADI OW certification together and completed it, but unfortunately he has encountered a medical condition that may temporarily put him out of diving.I am bummed, I have just purchased all my main gear including computer and I am eager to start diving. I am concerned that because I am newly certified it will be hard to hook up with other divers around here because of my lack of experience and the extra responsibility of diving with me. I signed up and was accepted in the dive club, so I am sure I will meet somebody that will help me get my fix, but still I am worried that it may be a little slow going at first. My buddy will be back diving,it may just be a couple months. he has already purchased his gear as well and is probably more bummed than myself not being able to dive at all!
I'd appreciate your thoughts.

P.s. Scubaboard rocks, I have read a ton of great posts here and I am happy to be registered here.

 

[Tigerman]

Id think there would be plenty of other newly certified divers in southern california and that the dive club could get you in contact with some of them.
Of the more experienced divers you will most certainly bump into a few condescendent buttcracks that wont dive with you just because you have less dives than them.

 

[In10se]

I was in the same boat a month and a half ago. I had only a few dives, had been certed last year but really just started diving last month, and and didn't know anyone in my area that was into diving. I came here and found the forum for my area for starters. That helped me get an idea of how to find people that I wanted to dive with.

You can also ask the larger LDS's by you if they have weekly fun dives posted on a schedule somewhere in their website or somewhere in their shop. While you're at it ask them if they know what online/local/regional dive groups are available. You can also look for an inexpensive charter service in your area that goes out weekly and you'll get some great dive time with some interesting people you'd otherwise never meet ... plus the charter service will drop you down on some great dive sites.

Here in Austin the favorite charter service is Lake Travis Scuba.

Good luck on networking into the local dive scene and may all your dives be outstanding ones!!

 

[dwaters]

SP, you live in the middle of the best area for a noob to learn and have fun at the same time!!
Please feel free to drop on down to your local dive forum and join in the fun....
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/socal/
There is a bunch of us willing and able to help you get wet ... just say when and be honest about
your comfort level. There is also a very active sub-forum with divers that dive regularly here also.... check us out: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/beach-crabs/
Hope to see you in the water someday soon!!!!

 

[themagni]

Three of my LDS have a weekly drop-in dive. They are planned out and have a divemaster supervising the dive.

Surely your local dive shop has a program like that. If they don't, crack open the yellow pages and call the next one.

 

[DandyDon]

Diving with a newbie can be really fun, enjoying their enthusiasm, helping them with pointers, and so forth. Diving with some newbies can be a pain if they are poorly prepared, poor with skills & safety, air hogs - but most divers won't avoid the situation because of those possibilities. Just be well prepared, appreciative of help, sufficiently trained (or if not, hire a DM as a buddy for a couple of dives), and maybe see if you can arrange 100 cf tanks if you are prone to go thru an 80 a little fast - as I still am.

As others have suggested, posting on your local Southern Calf forum will help a lot, but even if you end up on a boat without a buddy - talk with the DMs onboard about help pairing off.

Have fun...

 

[don Francisco]

When I was a new diver, I had the good fortune to be buddied with top notch experienced divers, and benefited greatly from their experience, patience and forebearance. Never had one complained about a shortened dive, or the extra burden of diving with a newbie.

Now that I'm an experienced diver, I return the favor by willingly and cheerfully diving with newbies, offering them whatever advice, support and added comfort I can. Yes, I may have shortened dives, or other inconveniences, but who cares.

I think that Scuba has a great culture, where the experienced are only too happy to bring newbies along and help them become better divers. I'd be shocked to find that you had any trouble finding a buddy. Just go to a scuba club meeting, or dive site and say "I'm a newbie and all alone, will someone buddy with me" and stand back as volunteers step up.

 

[spectrum]

Get in the loop with your local shop to meet and be with other divers. Myself and many divers take a special interest in diving with new divers so don't think you're restricted to newbie peers. The other half of the story is that getting out with fellow new divers to make dives within you abilities and training is what it's all about. Both are great ways to develop as a diver.

Here are some other things that have worked well for us.

Pete

 

[Nikolai]

I agree with Dave! (DWaters) Head over to SoCal, and Beach Crabs forum and say hi to us. I went through the same thing a year ago and have since met many great friends and dive buddies along the way

Welcome aboard!

 

[scubastaci]

I am a newbie too. I have 2 dive buddies that I get to dive with, but wish I had more!! I am the one that gets the newly cert'd people only because I am the only one that has the patience We dive our local lake and there is limited vis, so we have to take it slow and stick together. Keep up with the scheduled dives that your club puts together and also check-out the buddy board at your local dive shop. Just make sure that you tell whoever you get to dive with that you are new and they will adjust their dive to help you out.