How long is it since you dived?

I used to dive every month and most months more than once. These days I am in the water 2-3 times a year and rack up about 30 dives a year.

I find it takes me at least the first dive to get myself back into it and I dont feel totally comfortable until my 3rd dive.

I was on a dive boat a couple of years ago and my room mate hadn't dived in 3 years! I was very wary about him for the first few dives then he was fine.

Is diving like riding a bike or should you lose your OW status or have to do a refresher course after say 2 years?

Last weekend....and the weekend before that...and the weekend before that, etc, etc. The only reason I miss a weekend is if I'm not feeling well (been having some upper respiratory crud for a month or so now, so I've been having to miss the occasional weekend). Of course, it helps to have an awesome (and deep!) quarry just 45 min away from my house, along with great FL spring diving just 3-4 hours away

It really helps to have a refresher course if it's been awhile since you went diving. I've found that if it's been awhile since I've practiced a skill (such as OOG drill, or mask removal/exchange with backup mask) that the first few executions are really sloppy and I tend to be a bit anxious about it. A refresher course (or just a pool dive to practice skills) really helps to shake the cobwebs out, and helps you to feel confident that you'd react appropriately if your buddy suddenly comes up at you and signals that he's out of air.

Certifications that "expire" in two years and require either a certain amount of logged dives or a refresher course sounds like a great idea, but I only know of one (maybe two) agencies that operate that way.

Couple of weeks. Ugh.

I've been out of the water now for a little over two days ... but I'm meeting TSandM for a dive in a couple of hours ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Last Sunday. See my signature line for the next dive.

It's been less than 2 weeks since my last dive. Since I signed up for a ongoing training program I expect I'll dive more frequently in the future. Still since my OW 2 years ago I have logged 45 dives, 5 specialties and Rescue certification.
So the answer it not as often as I'd like but enought to keep my skills fairly sharp.
My wife dives less often and I do give her grief about it. It has been about 3 months since her last dive. She wonders why my sac rate is higher when I dive with her. She is a newer diver with 11 dives no training beyond OW and still has buoyance issues.
As for refresher courses I'd have to say yes, after 6 months without diving it should be required.

Last Friday (March 13^th).

Leaving for Key Largo in four hours.

Last Sunday. Looking out my window at the flat ocean and sunny skies now... Arrrgh!

A week ago. With the economy so bad we didn't do our usual 3 winter months on the Fla. panhandle. So here in Nova Scotia, I try to dive from our ocean front house twice a month over winter. This keeps me doing things right, but man it's cold in 33F water in the 7 mil. Lucky to get a "20-20" dive.

A week. I was supposed to go last Sunday but I had a little accident on the weekend and I won't be water-tight again for a few more days....

You should add a poll to this thread.

R..