Hi everyone,
i just finished up my OW cert and was wondering if anyone had opinions on what to do after. First off, diving is absolutely amazing and loved ever minute of class and the ocean dives. My boyfriend and I are looking into some gear because we would really like to continue our diving without having to rent everything every time we go diving.
I was wondering if it would be worth it to continue to work on some AOW classes to continue gaining confidence and experience or if you would recommend more dives before pursuing further education. I still don't feel the amount of skill that I wish I had which is why I wanted to continue with education.
Lastly, do you recommend that two new people explore local dives at beginner locations to build confidence or should we try to find local more advanced divers to go with to maintain safety. I'm just lost on how to further diving as I want to stay active in it.
First off, congratulations on getting certified!
I would also recommend getting your own gear, but it would be helpful to be able to try out some different gear before making the big purchase. I would recommend at a minimum that your BC be a rear inflation type. They are not difficult on the surface and they are much better in my opinion in obtaining proper trim, especially when you are just starting.
If you are buying new at your LDS, then consider buying together and really push for some discounts.
I would also recommend that you keep on eye on eBay or even Craigslist. There are plenty of folks who became certified, bought all new gear and then never went again. Don't be that person. But sometimes you can get a really good deal from that person.
Researching what you want first and not just buying your gear on a whim is very important. There is a saying I heard here on SB, which I am certainly guilty of. Buy your second gear first!
So it looks like you are somewhere in So Cal. I would recommend that you head over to Franko's maps and buy the maps for your local area.
Franko's Fabulous Maps of Favorite Places! - frankosmaps.com Each of the different dive sites will have a brief description and also a rating as to beginner - advanced. I am getting a nice collection of them myself.
Pick some nice beginner dives and go out and execute them. Make a plan, and then go dive that plan. And yes, always work on your skills so that you can feel very comfortable with them and they are like second nature. Try to approach your dives with an objective in mind, whatever it may be.
I think it is a great idea for you and your BF to dive these together. If you are able to at times, hook up with some more experienced divers, that would be great too. You will be able to spot that diver with experience that has good skills. Not all do. When you are able to dive with someone who has good skills, buoyancy, trim etc... Emulate them. I was lucky to have buddied up with a really good diver for my 13th and 14th dives. It was so obvious, from preparation to execution. He made it seem so effortless. Great trim, beautiful frog kick. I spent those two dives emulating what he was doing and it helped lay the foundation as to how I dive to this day.
Once you really feel comfortable and confident, then you should do your AOW. You will get much more out of it if you are already very comfortable and confident. You are now ready to really learn some new skills. I took my AOW when I had 54 dives. I know I got a LOT more out of the class than the students who had less than 10 dives. The one thing that did surprise me was when I found out the dives we would be doing, Peak Performance Buoyancy was not one of them. I told the Instructor I was surprised that it was not. His response was, "We work on buoyancy on EVERY dive!" I liked that, still do.