Cheizz
Contributor
I am not an expert diver. I am a novice diver myself that has gone through some training, gear purchase processes and made some general choices. Some of those were bad choices that I have now corrected. Some of it was trial and error - I can say that in hindsight since at the time I wasn’t aware that it was a trial until I made the error. I will just share some of those experiences with you. Maybe it can help you prevent making the same mistakes I made.
Training
I did my Open Water course in the Netherlands, where I live. I signed up at a PADI dive school and did all the things you are supposed to do during an Open Water class. The four open water dives we did in May, in murky waters (visibility 3-5 meters) of about 11 degrees (Celcius). In a thick and cumbersome 7 mm wetsuit, 5 mm gloves we did all the required skills. And I can tell you: if you can do them in those conditions, you can more or less do them anywhere.
There are skills and then there are skills. Mask replacement, air sharing, CESA - these are all skills that you definitely have to know and be able to perform. But - hopefully - you won’t need them, ever. And then there are skills that you do use every single dive, but seem to be listed on the PADI instructor sheets as just one more skill. Buoyancy control, breathing techniques, finning techniques. I am aware that in just 4 pool dives and 4 open water dives there is only so much time to learn and check all individual skills. But those basics that you do use every time you get in the water are the first things you should be focussing on once you’re a certified diver.
A few weeks and dives after I got certified I went to the Italian island of Elba. It is not a well-known scuba destination, but it’s a hell of a lot warmer, clearer, and nicer than our murky Dutch lakes. I found a Dutch instructor there (it’s always easier to learn in your own language), who was connected to an SSI school there. He took me through several specialty courses, including buoyancy, navigation, deep diving (30 m), nitrox, and night diving. Afterwards (and with enough logged dives), you become ‘Advanced Adventurer’. All very well, but honestly, those specialties are only the starting point of the areas of skill, experience, and expertise, and by no means the endpoint.
It is the continuous focus on buoyancy, breathing, propulsion, planning and execution of dives, getting routines dialed in that make you more ‘advanced’, and not the certification cards. Even though some of these are very useful. I was lucky to have found an instructor that was not just checking boxes but returned to some areas of my diving every single time we went down and continuously gave feedback - especially on the basics.
Gear
I got my mask and snorkel before my OW class, all the rest I rented. You try the items in a shop, get all the advice and help you can find. And then, when you get them wet, all that advice goes out the window. It all fit and worked OK, but not great. Because I wear glasses, the guy in the shop recommended a mask with two separate lenses, so I would be able to get prescription lenses for them sometime in the future. Made sense to me at the time. But I quickly found out that underwater, the bridge of my nose hurt quite badly. And relieving the pressure in my mask almost immediately meant leakage. So I tried a few rental masks, including ones with single big visors and softer skirts. Those worked much better for me. And my eyesight isn’t that bad, I can dive without prescription lenses, just as I go skiing or sailing without them. Eventually, I bought another mask and sold the one I had bought first. No big deal in itself, but a nice example of advice above water versus experience with pieces of gear underwater.
My point is: try before you buy! I had the chance to try some fins in Elba. Every day, the instructor would bring at least two different pairs of fins in my size. The next day, he would bring a new pair and the one I liked best until then (the ones to beat). That way, I got to try out about six or seven very different kinds of fins. Heavy, lightweight, sturdy, softer flexing. I was lucky with this system and the fact that they had a lot of different rental gear collected over the years and not a lot of customers taking them out that week. But it really helped me narrow down what fins were best for me, for my finning style (or lack thereof), my physique, my foot shape, etc. This is just an example. What goes for fins goes for all other gear as well. If you have the chance to try different things without paying extra, take it. Or even for a bit extra, it really is worth some money to find the right item for you, especially the bigger, more expensive items that you don't want buyer's remorse on. Or if you can borrow it from someone - even if just for one dive - do it! That's how I fell in love with backplate and wing - I borrowed one for a day (two dives) and just loved them instantly. Sold my jacket style BC and ordered a wing the same day.
Other advice
Join a local dive club. First, it’s the easiest way to meet new people that at least share one passion with you. Second, it’s easier to find a buddy. Third, it gives you the opportunity to try new stuff and expand your knowledge and experience - be it for gear (see my point above) or for the experience. It will make you go dive more. And for all possible aspects of diving, diving more is key. Even if you’re not into trying new stuff (stuff being gear or new things), diving often will get your routines dialed in. Most likely, there will be better divers at the club that can help you improve as well.
Moreover, joining a club often opens up opportunities for nice small or big dive trips with a group of people that you know. It can also get you discounts at related dive shops, dive schools, or said dive trips. All in all, joining that local dive club is by far the best way to invest in your scuba diving career, wherever that may lead you.
Training
I did my Open Water course in the Netherlands, where I live. I signed up at a PADI dive school and did all the things you are supposed to do during an Open Water class. The four open water dives we did in May, in murky waters (visibility 3-5 meters) of about 11 degrees (Celcius). In a thick and cumbersome 7 mm wetsuit, 5 mm gloves we did all the required skills. And I can tell you: if you can do them in those conditions, you can more or less do them anywhere.
There are skills and then there are skills. Mask replacement, air sharing, CESA - these are all skills that you definitely have to know and be able to perform. But - hopefully - you won’t need them, ever. And then there are skills that you do use every single dive, but seem to be listed on the PADI instructor sheets as just one more skill. Buoyancy control, breathing techniques, finning techniques. I am aware that in just 4 pool dives and 4 open water dives there is only so much time to learn and check all individual skills. But those basics that you do use every time you get in the water are the first things you should be focussing on once you’re a certified diver.
A few weeks and dives after I got certified I went to the Italian island of Elba. It is not a well-known scuba destination, but it’s a hell of a lot warmer, clearer, and nicer than our murky Dutch lakes. I found a Dutch instructor there (it’s always easier to learn in your own language), who was connected to an SSI school there. He took me through several specialty courses, including buoyancy, navigation, deep diving (30 m), nitrox, and night diving. Afterwards (and with enough logged dives), you become ‘Advanced Adventurer’. All very well, but honestly, those specialties are only the starting point of the areas of skill, experience, and expertise, and by no means the endpoint.
It is the continuous focus on buoyancy, breathing, propulsion, planning and execution of dives, getting routines dialed in that make you more ‘advanced’, and not the certification cards. Even though some of these are very useful. I was lucky to have found an instructor that was not just checking boxes but returned to some areas of my diving every single time we went down and continuously gave feedback - especially on the basics.
Gear
I got my mask and snorkel before my OW class, all the rest I rented. You try the items in a shop, get all the advice and help you can find. And then, when you get them wet, all that advice goes out the window. It all fit and worked OK, but not great. Because I wear glasses, the guy in the shop recommended a mask with two separate lenses, so I would be able to get prescription lenses for them sometime in the future. Made sense to me at the time. But I quickly found out that underwater, the bridge of my nose hurt quite badly. And relieving the pressure in my mask almost immediately meant leakage. So I tried a few rental masks, including ones with single big visors and softer skirts. Those worked much better for me. And my eyesight isn’t that bad, I can dive without prescription lenses, just as I go skiing or sailing without them. Eventually, I bought another mask and sold the one I had bought first. No big deal in itself, but a nice example of advice above water versus experience with pieces of gear underwater.
My point is: try before you buy! I had the chance to try some fins in Elba. Every day, the instructor would bring at least two different pairs of fins in my size. The next day, he would bring a new pair and the one I liked best until then (the ones to beat). That way, I got to try out about six or seven very different kinds of fins. Heavy, lightweight, sturdy, softer flexing. I was lucky with this system and the fact that they had a lot of different rental gear collected over the years and not a lot of customers taking them out that week. But it really helped me narrow down what fins were best for me, for my finning style (or lack thereof), my physique, my foot shape, etc. This is just an example. What goes for fins goes for all other gear as well. If you have the chance to try different things without paying extra, take it. Or even for a bit extra, it really is worth some money to find the right item for you, especially the bigger, more expensive items that you don't want buyer's remorse on. Or if you can borrow it from someone - even if just for one dive - do it! That's how I fell in love with backplate and wing - I borrowed one for a day (two dives) and just loved them instantly. Sold my jacket style BC and ordered a wing the same day.
Other advice
Join a local dive club. First, it’s the easiest way to meet new people that at least share one passion with you. Second, it’s easier to find a buddy. Third, it gives you the opportunity to try new stuff and expand your knowledge and experience - be it for gear (see my point above) or for the experience. It will make you go dive more. And for all possible aspects of diving, diving more is key. Even if you’re not into trying new stuff (stuff being gear or new things), diving often will get your routines dialed in. Most likely, there will be better divers at the club that can help you improve as well.
Moreover, joining a club often opens up opportunities for nice small or big dive trips with a group of people that you know. It can also get you discounts at related dive shops, dive schools, or said dive trips. All in all, joining that local dive club is by far the best way to invest in your scuba diving career, wherever that may lead you.
