Do you remember

Do you remember how your 1st training went.
So how was your openwater,or what ever they called it in those days.

Mine started with the NAUI open water. cert.that is.(started Cmas but never finished)

Course was in the Red Sea,started in a hotel "pool"5ft deep.:0
2 day's pool and academics and we were of to the openwater,aka RedSea.

Done 3 dives in 2 day's and all went well(rest of the pool and academics followed)

Only our last dive. we had to do the navigation for the OW.normaly that would be a straight line in and out.Only our OWSI said we had to do it along the reef.
IN and out,heck no problem we can do it.

But then,during the dive,after 10/15 min.my buddy(wife) and I started looking for the OWSI,we where not 100% sure about the hadding.

Heck the IDIOT was not there.:shocked2: ,well we just went on,we had more then 90% of air left in our tanks.(the wife,probably 99%)

After reaching 100bar/1/2 tank we went up to 20ft and turned,swam the same distance back and ended the dive RIGHT under the boat.

After climbing aboard,our OWSI was sitting in the sun,looking at us with a BIG grin.

And just said,"new you 2 could do it".

OK I've become a OWSI a decade later,but will never do that.
But man did we have a great time,diving all on our own.

My first training was a bit of a blur:

a) too many people
b) I was high as a kite

Several years later my kite is being underwater and very happily so.

But trying to find an appropriately secluded toilet between sessions doesn't lend itself to concentration.

Irrespective of my condition at the time (poor), and the ability of my Instructor (high) I still think hat PADI OW is a waste of time except that it gets you diving. Which is probably its major forte.

JClynes:

My first training was a bit of a blur:

b) I was high as a kite

Several years later my kite is being underwater and very happily so.

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Who EVER Gave you a cert.
You must be a troll.


Being high high as a kite AND getting a cert.
Get real.

Muad'dib:

Who EVER Gave you a cert.
You must be a troll.


Being high high as a kite AND getting a cert.
Get real.

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Why are you confused? I did a referral. Geared up for the theory. Cleaned out for check out (in Brazil).

Even high I was better than most

Point being though, diving showed me my road back.

I'll pitch in, even though mine is boring compared to yours...

First two dives were in the public REC center pool. Following two dives were in a crater 65 ft deep and not more than 60 ft across. (Small area)

Needless to say, my next dive (boat dive into cold, 51 degree, pacific ocean water) was my REAL OW dives.

JClynes:

Point being though, diving showed me my road back.

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Good point! Keep it up, and stay diving.

My story is boring. A dozen pool dives and a dozen more both in here in LA, Laguna and Catalina.

My wifes story is much better, but I'll let her tell it.

JClynes:

Point being though, diving showed me my road back.

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Very good point! Happy to hear this. Replacing the shackles of a bad high with the freedom of a good one is priceless.

My OW class is recounted in the journal I link to in my sig line. It was not smooth sailing -- My first day of OW dives was marred by a leaking drysuit and clinical hypothermia, and my second by getting separated from my instructor and ending up on my back in 45 feet of water, all alone. It is a bit of a wonder that I still dive!

Pool sessions in a Toronto pool, OW then immediatley AOW in Roatan, Anthony's Key Resort. I'll never forget waiting on the bottom in 20 ft, watching a piece of rubble start moving and realizing it was a hermit crab. I was hooked. Doing the AOW right after OW was perfect for me, it gave me more confidence to do night diving, "deep" diving, wreck diving.

My navigation dive was done wearing a full-face mask, that was interesting. I figured I'd soak in all the equipment possibilities available to me.

I also got a lesson in what Portuguese Man O' Wars look like. Fortunately I was on the surface at the time.

PToone:

First two dives were in the public REC center pool. Following two dives were in a crater 65 ft deep and not more than 60 ft across. (Small area)

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Hmm ... another Homestead graduate. The warm water was nice, but could it be more uninspiring?