DButton90
Registered
I've been lurking around the site for nearly a year now and figured it was a good time to surface. Not sure how much I'll contribute, but I'll continue to soak up the knowledge, experiences, and stories!
I was recently certified this summer after looking for a new outdoor hobby. I hate the heat and grew up in lovely Northern California where summers love to get well into the triple digits and figured the best escape was to find some water. So far I have around 30 dives under my belt and all of them have been in fresh water lakes or rivers. Hopefully I'll be able to experience some warm water and more than 20 feet of visibility in the near future!
Experiences seem to differ for everyone here and it amazes me how black and white some views can be. My LDS is amazing and ordered me a full set of new gear right after certification. I read a lot about trying equipment out before you use them, but I'm impatient and wanted my own stuff. I had my LDS order everything up based on my goals and haven't had a single complaint with my gear. I'm sure tastes will change as I gain more experience, so I probably wont be complacent forever. I also could have saved myself a ton of money by searching for deals and pricing individual pieces rather than what my LDS swears by as the "best" brand in SCUBA, but the support of the local shop has paid out in dividends when in need of assistance or expertise.
The other debate that has always interested me is the stigma surrounding solo diving. My first dive out of certification was done solo in a river. This was out of town where my family goes on vacation so I had to rent a bcd from the local LDS since mine was on order. The first question the owner asked was whether or not I was going with anyone and was adamant that I was sure to have a buddy. As someone who has grown up solo alpine climbing, solo rock climbing, and solo just about everything I had no problem jumping straight into solo diving. Most of my dives have been with buddies and I fully enjoy it, but diving for crawdads to feed fish after a day of stressful work isn't something that most people want to do. In the scheme of things my ignorance probably eliminates a lot of concerns, but it also helps you identify and apply limits. It's amazing what behaviors I have observed underwater when people dive with others.
To be fair, I didn't get into diving with an intent to break into a social circle or meet new friends. My desire was strictly focused on picking up a new hobby to enjoy and have fun while playing in the outdoors. Looking forward to meeting new people on Scubaboard and possibly on location sometime in the future! Thanks for taking the time to read my longer than average intro with the intent to give you a little background of who I am!
I was recently certified this summer after looking for a new outdoor hobby. I hate the heat and grew up in lovely Northern California where summers love to get well into the triple digits and figured the best escape was to find some water. So far I have around 30 dives under my belt and all of them have been in fresh water lakes or rivers. Hopefully I'll be able to experience some warm water and more than 20 feet of visibility in the near future!
Experiences seem to differ for everyone here and it amazes me how black and white some views can be. My LDS is amazing and ordered me a full set of new gear right after certification. I read a lot about trying equipment out before you use them, but I'm impatient and wanted my own stuff. I had my LDS order everything up based on my goals and haven't had a single complaint with my gear. I'm sure tastes will change as I gain more experience, so I probably wont be complacent forever. I also could have saved myself a ton of money by searching for deals and pricing individual pieces rather than what my LDS swears by as the "best" brand in SCUBA, but the support of the local shop has paid out in dividends when in need of assistance or expertise.
The other debate that has always interested me is the stigma surrounding solo diving. My first dive out of certification was done solo in a river. This was out of town where my family goes on vacation so I had to rent a bcd from the local LDS since mine was on order. The first question the owner asked was whether or not I was going with anyone and was adamant that I was sure to have a buddy. As someone who has grown up solo alpine climbing, solo rock climbing, and solo just about everything I had no problem jumping straight into solo diving. Most of my dives have been with buddies and I fully enjoy it, but diving for crawdads to feed fish after a day of stressful work isn't something that most people want to do. In the scheme of things my ignorance probably eliminates a lot of concerns, but it also helps you identify and apply limits. It's amazing what behaviors I have observed underwater when people dive with others.
To be fair, I didn't get into diving with an intent to break into a social circle or meet new friends. My desire was strictly focused on picking up a new hobby to enjoy and have fun while playing in the outdoors. Looking forward to meeting new people on Scubaboard and possibly on location sometime in the future! Thanks for taking the time to read my longer than average intro with the intent to give you a little background of who I am!