Dive buddy quest

[Diving Dubai]

@OP

I moved to a new country and wanted to get involved with diving here. I did what has been suggested. Hunt down social media look for clubs, chat to LDS and so on and so forth. Scuba is a social activity and as others have said meeting people face to face is the best. Better still if you get to meet then before diving. A lot of good information can be gleaned from chatting to other divers in a social environment and its great to get to know the people your diving with.

 

[nolatom]

The Gulf and Jersey may be different scenes, but for what it's worth, I did my first "independent dives" on dive boats, told the captain or DM what my non-experience level was, and took who they matched me up with. It worked out pretty will, and I still dive with "insta-buddies" most of the time. Best situation is if you book a trip where your dive shop folks organize it, and come along. Mine was at the Flower Gardens off Texas, 3-day liveaboard. My instructor matched me up, I was brand-new, my two buddies (threesomes aren't really the best arrangement, but fine for me) were patient and I learned a lot.

So it's nice to have a regular buddy, but I've found throwing myself on the mercy of the captain or DM has worked out quite well. The very few "bad" pickup-buddies were at least a learning (what not to do) experience for me.

When to do AOW? Why the hostility toward snorkels? We joke about those two questions not because they are dumb (they're definitely not) but because everyone has differing opinions and the threads go on forever ("oh no, not again")...

What I did worked for me--AOW after 25 dives, Rescue after 50 dives. And put the snorkel (a flexible one) in you pocket after 75 dives. What's in a number?? But I think those time periods are somewhere around the middle in a very long-ass bell curve.

Don't apologize for being new and asking questions. And good diving to you.