How many tries did it take you?

How many tries did it take you to pass your Basic Open Water course?

And while we're at it, perhaps a comment, after receiving that first C-Card, about whether you hoestly felt ready to tackle the Big Blue. Was there anything you disliked about the length of your course, amount of practice time, etc.?

I've not had the chance to tackle "The Big Blue" but I felt comfortable going back to the dive site (lake) where I got checked out.

Once. I fealt completely ready to do my first dive as a certified diver. However, my confined water was done over five or six weeks through the winter and then my open water dives were in the spring. I wonder sometimes about the people doing the weekend courses; I simply don't see how they can have absorbed all the information enough.

Steve.

I had no problem with the dives or big blue.. I was diving in the gulf of mexico for 20ish years... then I got married and my certified wife wouldnt dive with me till I was.. soooo I gave in.

I had no issues with the "big blue" (actually it was more "dark mud" where I did my initial diving...), but made sure I had some very experienced buddies.

Diving is not difficult and your first dives are actually easier than the OW training due to the lack of exercises. However you must also realize that a few pool exercises and 4 bottom sitting sessions with an instructor only teach you the basic skills needed. It does not make you an experienced diver.

Your first 10 (or 20 or 50...) dives you need to work on feeling comfortable UW, refining your buoyancy skills, communication skills. The best way to do this is by diving with an experienced buddy.
ScubaRon

a bit like learning to drive a car, you pass a test which means you've got the basic controls but only by getting in and doing it will you get experience, relax, improve your skills and become safer.

I'm still amazed that with some agencies you can move through OW to AOW without actually having logged dives other than those you do during the courses.

Well I passed my PADI open water without a hitch, but wasn't very confident about going out on my own as the visibility was about three foot, and my mask kept filling up with water (five-day course Monday to Friday). However I did go out with my buddies the following weekend and visibility was much improved and I had a new mask, and apart from our uncontrolled assent and dissent it was great fun!!!!!:wacko:

Once. I pretty much lived in water when I was a kid. Snorkeled quite a bit. I got certified in a midwest quarry, so I was apprehensive on my first ocean dive, but once I was in, it was so much easier and much more fun than that cold low-viz quarry.

Once ... but my OW course involved 16 hours of class, 16 hours of pool, and 5 dives. The class ran four weeks. I think I got my money's worth.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I'm a newly qualified diver, so my experience is limited. However, I think unless you have difficulty with some element of the OW course, then most people will pass it first time. That said, one person in our class of four dropped out as it wasn't for them, another geared up for his first OW qual dive, got in the water, but wouldn't go down, as he was not comfortable in a salt water environment, so will be doing his qual dives in freshwater this weekend.

Visibility was less than 2' on my first two dives with strong currents, the instructor had to hold on to our BC's when doing drills to stop us drifting away. I was decidely uncomfortable. My next dive was cancelled due to low vis, less than 12", it was almost black at 25' and strong currents. Strangely enough I actually enjoyed the experience. I finished my qual dives in a Lake with 6' vis and thought it was great.

I have no worries about going out in to the ocean, but still do have some minor concerns about my buoyancy control skills, something I am working on improving and would have liked more practice on. I have completed the course work and qual dives for ANDI CSU and AOW, but can't be AOW certified until I get more dives under my belt (SSI requires 24 OW dives). While on paper I may have the requisite skills for AOW, I believe that experience is the key and something I need to accumulate.

I think Virgil sums it up very well with the car driving analogy, experience allows you to build on what you were taught and further develop your skills. However, you should only dive within your confidence level.

If you are not comfortable diving in the ocean or anywhere else for that matter, then simply don't do it until you are ready. In my limited experience I've already seen people do some strange things, because they were not comfortable with the environment they were in. Potentially, not only putting themselves at risk, but also their buddy.