Where was your first OW dive?

[davehicks]

My first OW dive was at the Casino Point Dive park on Catalina Island, but I literally missed the boat.

I got lost finding the ferry terminal in San Pedro, and got to the dock just as the ferry (and my dive class) departed. I thought I was screwed and would have to repeat the class! After wandering around depressed for a while, I discovered that there was a Helicopter service, and you could hire them to fly you the 20 miles out to the island! They made me empty my cylinders before flying, but about 30 minutes and $75 later I made it to the island before the rest of the class back on the ferry.

Dave

 

[ElectricZombie]

My first dive was at "Fantasy Lake" AKA Rolesville Quarry in Raleigh NC. It was late November I think and very cold. I'm not kidding when I say the vis was about 2 feet max. It was so bad that when you entered the school bus, you couldn't see how to get out. Even though the conditions sucked, I enjoyed it.

I still go to Rolesville every now and then. It's a good place for training and I take my students there sometimes.

 

[love2godeep]

Did all my training in open water, in the Sulu Sea off the coast of Palawan, Philippines. A little resort called Coco Loco. It was fabulous! There is so much life there! I think the instructor said 8 times more species of sea life than in the Caribbean. It just takes your breath away!

Last January I went back to dive but had a cold. So sad! But I did a lot of snorkeling. There are a lot of clownfish there, in their anemones. They are so fun to watch--they really get upset if you hang around their anemone.

I'm returning next month, and can't wait to get underwater.

In 2005 I'm making plans to go back and to do a week on a liveaboard, out to Tubbataha Reef. Anyone interested in joining us, drop me a line.

L2GD

 

[DORSETBOY]

First OW dive was in Sharm, Egypt. Took me a while to get used to diving bck home in Wales... what with the crap viz, lack of fish and cold n all!

 

[flw]

Redcar,Teesside- just off the steelworks on a wreck who's name escapes me - straight off a boat into a ghyll net - in about 10m of water - fortunately I didn't know enough to panic at the time

 

[GDI]

:doctor: Mine was done quite some time ago and the standards for each agency were not what they are today. If you can believe this it was in Dec 1976 in Ontario, Canada the Ottawa River in a town called Petawawa. We made our dive through the ice near the shore bank and worked our way out to the open water area with no ice cover before any skills were done. The final dives for certification were completed in May of 1977 in the St Lawrence River in Kingston Ontario on a ship wreck. yeh Cozumel would be a nicer place to start. BUT I do love Ice diving!

 

[adder70]

The checkout dives were in Devil's Den and Manatee, and a few weeks later I dove in Ft. Lauderdale.

The dive itself was great, but for safety reasons it was not the best experience. It was a volume business. 30' dives, but groups of 5 (No actual "buddy" unless you brought your own), each with a flag, and drop 'em in and see how they do!

 

[5615mike]

St. Martin on my honeymoon. My wife had started diving about 10 years prior (in a former life). When we were planning our honeymoon we decided to go diving as well.

Funny thing happened, don't get me wrong my wife loves to dive in tropical waters.........only, but I have lost my mind with diving. If I could go every weekend, anywhere, it would not be enough. She does not share my enthusiasm for diving just about anywhere but is always ready to head for Coz.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

We went up to Devil's Lake in Baraboo, WI for Open Water dives. It was late October and was cold and windy.

The UW Hoofer Scuba Club sponsored the class and so many signed up that we were divided into four groups for Open Water. Two groups went up to Devil's Lake each day.

I was in the second group that day. The first group completed dives one and two while we sat around the parking lot waiting. Once they got out, they peeled out of the wet 7mm suits and other gear and then the real fun began. Ever try putting on a soaking wet 7mm while standing exposed in a parking lot with an occasional snowflake blowing past?

The dives were uninspiring. We saw one fish. Considering that the UW is located right on a huge lake I left wondering why the heck we took the hour long drive to Baraboo. Lots more to see in good old Lake Mendota.

 

[gfisher4792]

At least 80% of the replies have do far been from checkout dives in Hawaii, or some warm water vacation destination! Yeah, I'm a little jealous. My OW was at Fort Wetherill, RI (a popular and well known spot for NE divahs), 50 deg at bottom, 2 feet vis at best. It was a blast! Lobsters, spider and blue crabs, and I never have to worry about how I'll react to a silt-out!