Is Anyone "Just Diving?"

[under water]

My wife & I usually tell the guide that we will see them on the boat in an hour or so and head out on our own.
If we are on a special "shark" dive or something like that, we will follow the rules of course, but on regular boat dives we probably keep the pack in sight about 1/2 of the time.

 

[fjpatrum]

Of my 16 or 18 dives the first 4 included an instructor and the next three had DMs in the water because that's the way the shop ran their boats (and one shore dive because I couldn't find a local to dive with at the time.) All my other dives have been with buddies found elsewhere. Here on scubaboard, some meetups/clubs, some through my LDS. I suspect the majority of my dives will be like that in the future as well.

 

[abies]

Locally I dive with out a guide mostly, I have done a few guided dives during the LDS's weekend out, but for the most part I just dive. Now when I'm traveling I won't go looking for a guide but I like them, I have a 5 year old with me and my wife is my buddy, so we might get 1 or 2 days of diving in in a week, so I want someone to show me the best stuff. I don't need them and would be quite confident, but I also hope they can show me something I would have missed on my own, and they always

 

[TMHeimer]

My experiences:
Here at home I either shore dive with a buddy(s), solo to 30 feet or less, and hopefully DM some OW check out dives.
Charter boats here (Nova Scotia), S.C., TX. & FL. panhandle: never had a "guided" dive. Always "find a buddy" & go, or in a couple of cases "You can go solo, you're OK".
Dive Trips: My one week long tropical trip (Panama) it was just me and the DM for 4 days, the 5th day we all had buddy's but the DM lead the pack.

I think the dive guide thing is mainly a tropical situation, at least from my experiences and from what I've read.

 

[herbdb]

My experiences so far.

Abacos boat diving - DM available
Florida Keys - Depends on the dive operation, usually an extra service with a fee involved
Cozumel -DM on boat dives, none on shore dives
Roatan - DM on boat dives, none on shore dives
Bonaire - DM on boat dives, none on shore dives
NC Wreck dives -Not available
Cooper River SC Fossil diving - Not available

All of our local diving in quarries is of course unguided.

I think you get the wrong idea because everyone likes to talk about their vacation trips where the boat dives are generally guided. At home, I try to dive at least once a week from April thru October at Dutch Springs where people just show up to dive and enjoy the company of other divers for the day.

 

[nolatom]

Uh.....

I think it's just you.. ;-)

 

[DennisW]

Mostly, I just dive. When we went to Saba Island a few years ago, we were required to be evaluated and "guided" by a DM on the first dive. The DM gave up within about 5 minutes because all of us were experienced divers and after we hit the water, we went off with our buddies and did what we wanted. Like herding cats with a water pistol.

 

[drdaddy]

Years ago, when diving the Red Sea/Israel, I hired a Dive Master - it was well worth it as they showed us the sights. Been back there many times and the Dive Masters/Instructors are our friends with whom we dive recreationally with - no charge.

Around Oregon/Washington we allow others who are new tag along with us. When we get to a new place we just figure it out or tag along with a local.

By the way - we dive every week or at least every-other week, year around.

 

[Avonthediver]

I "just Dive" all the time its one of my favorite things to do

 

[Brian Sharpe]

If you hop on a charter out of Brockville or Kingston don't expect a DM to guide the dive (unless you want to hire one), it's just you and your buddy, a briefing by the captain and the big beautiful St. Lawrence. Similarly on any given day you'll find lots of folks "just diving" at the quarry or one of the many shore dives along the river.

Having said that a number of the dive shops organize informal wet Wednesdays as a way of encouraging new divers to get their neoprene wet with a group of more experienced divers (often several DMs around but they're just diving too).