For us Newbies

[MARINABROKER]

A lot of what is written in the different threads is by and for experienced divers. I for one have simple little concerns that I would rather have a clue about beforehand such as: If i just got some time and flew to Fla. or Cozumel how would I know what proper protocol was on the boat or who were the more reputable operatorsa? Also, what if being new meant that I only wanted to shallow dive and practice skills and because of buddy requirement was placed in a situation where everyone else had a different agenda. I would be caught between not diving or diving before I felt comforatable. All comments welcome. I tend to do things alone and if I have to wait for a dive travel companion from home with equivalent skills I may be waiting a long time.

 

[The Chairman]

and I would counsel you to;

1) Relax. Diving needs to be fun. Diving beyond your experience level is seldom fun.

2) ASK here. If you have a specific or non-specific question (like what was your biggest faux pas on a dive boat?) find the right forum and post it. Divers just love to talk... most of them anyway. :tease:

3) ASK there. Query the dive operator BEFORE you leave the dock to make sure that it is a dive for you. Be wary of the unscrupulous captain who does not have your best interest at heart. If in doubt, bail out and find another charter. Also, feel free to ask for a DM... sure you might have to pay a bit more, but then they will pamper you looking for that big tip.

4) ASK your instructor. Not sure how far you have progressed in this sport, but consider how far your training has brought you and determine if you need some more. AOW is a great way to hone up on some skills under the supervision of an instructor and gain some more skills on the way.

5) Finally, do a search for different topics on Scubaboard. You will be surprised at just how much people before you have asked... even some questions you didn't even know to ask. I have learned more on this board than I have from any individual bar none.

Happy hunting, and safe diving!!! :tease:

 

[MARINABROKER]

I have been reading incessantly since becoming captivated by this notion. I will keep on reading. It has become an obsession. It is the little things that are hard to pick up on. I wouldn't have a clue what an appropriate tip was for a DM. Guess I'll keep learning.

 

[Dee]

Asking here on the board will give you answers to most anything. As NetDoc said, your questions have more than likely already been asked as well as some you may not have thought of.

You might also want to check out the New 2 Scuba forum.

 

[Welshman]

There aren't many questions you might ask which haven't been asked and answered on this Board already.

Search facility is good so use it.

regards

 

[Zagnut]

If you plan to go to Cozumel, after reading through the Scubaboard posts and narrowing your dive op to a few shops, you can check to see if the shops you selected have a website(alot of them do).
You can then email them with any requests, questions, or details on your situation and they will be happy to answer your questions and can tell you if they can accomodate your requests.
This will let you work out all the details BEFORE you leave home so all you have to do when you get there is check in and fill out the paperwork....save all your vacation time for diving instead of doing investigative footwork.

Also, in Cozumel, most dive ops don't vary the agendas too much unless you make arrangements to do so. Probably dives between 60 and 90 feet. If you are uncomfortable with swim thru's you can go over the top of them.
Never been to Florida (yet) so I can't help you there.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Lawman]

Marina those are exactly the same concerns I have.
The little stuff that is so embarassing when you don't know what to do. This is the best board I've found for getting answers to questions, and I've asked plenty. I'm going to Coz for the first time in Jan and have used this for research. Picked El Cid and Papa Hogs from the reccomendations on the board.

 

[ScubaDon]

Just started diving a couple of months ago and whenever I am thinking about a new piece of equipment, looking for dive buddies or just for whatever, I have alway found very helpful and friendly people. There definitely is not a stupid question, if it has already been asked someone will usually steer you to the right board to find the answer.

I even found a new dive buddy for my last dive. We had previously met through another hobby but had no idea that the other was a diver, small world huh.