One Of The Most Amazing Experiences

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JohnVranesevich

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One Of The Most Amazing Experiences Of My Life!

Well, I am now officially a PADI Open Water Scuba Diver! I couldn't have done it without everyone here, so a big THANK YOU! (If you didn't read my introduction post, it provides some background)

Not only was I lucky enough to find this board, and spend the last year and a half learning from it, but I was also VERY lucky to find a really really good local dive shop, and a FANTASTIC instructor. Thanks to him, I had one of the most amazing experiences and adventures of my life.

I paid about $600 for my training, which seems like a lot, but it was for one-on-one training, and was ALL inclusive, including all course materials, gear rental, PADI fees, and my dives (which consisted of 3 dives in a spring fed lake, and 2 dives in the Atlantic). The training that I received, and the experience of getting certified in the manner that I did, would have been worth 4x that much.

My instructor really showed me how good this sport can be. He worked with me in a classroom setting to help me become very familiar with all of the knowledge side of the course, and I scored a perfect 100% on all of my quizzes thanks to that..

Once I had been through all of the course material (after several days), he took me down to the local YMCA dive pool (17' deep), and spent an entire day with me, going over all of the different skills. I picked up on most of them very quickly, because I had been practicing them on my own in my pool (mask clearing, etc. etc.).

After a few days, he told me to meet him at the dive shop. He drove me an hour and a half to a spring fed lake, and we spent the day doing 3 different dives. There were little sunken boats in the lake that we got to explore, and I got to feed bass freshwater clams from the bottom. Amazing! After each dive (where I demonstrated the skills that I had learned in the pool), he provided me with pointers and observations to help further improve my diving.

Then, a few days later, and he again told me to meet him down at the local dive shop, this time at 6:30 AM. He drove me 2.5 hours to a placed called Boynton Beach. He had a charter waiting for us, and out we went, into the Ocean!

My first dive down, I had a bit of trouble equalizing my left ear when I got down to about 50 feet. So, I was there with my instructor for several minutes, when I looked up and noticed the dive master from the boat, FREEDIVING 50 FEET down to us to make sure we were OK, since he noticed that the dive flag that my instructor was towing hadn't moved for several minutes. Needless to say, this REALLY helped to relax me, and make me feel safe and comfortable. Before I knew it, I managed to equalize my ears, and I was exploring an amazing reef, seeing amazing things.

My second dive down, I had no trouble with my ears at all, and I was diving with a nurse shark, a HUGE logger head turtle, and tens of thousands of other amazing creatures.

After the day was over, my instructor drove me back to the dive shop, where I met up with the owner, and several others there. All congratulated me, and encouraged me to come along whenever any of them went diving.

The level of professionalism, experience, and knowledge that I encountered from all of those involved was truly astounding. From the dive shop, to my instructor, to the charter crew that they had arranged for me, I couldn't speak more highly.

I bought my instructor a nice bottle of wine to thank him for all of his efforts (which I'm sure were significant compared to how much he was probably paid out of that $600). Not only did I gain a teacher, but a friend.

I know that I sound like a commercial for my local dive shop, ahaha, but I just want to express what a great experience I had, and I hope that everyone else that's new to diving has the opportunity to start out on such a great foot (although I know that's unfortunately not always the case)!
 
Isn't that the best feeling! Just reading your post gives me goose bumps. Somewhat new to diving (NAUI AOW & Rescue) 12 months new, I completely empathize with you. I was and still am SOOOOO excited about diving. I have this gut feeling that I always will be, just as I am with motherhood. Of course why not, two EXCELLENT things! Those I have dove with make fun of me, as they think my reg is going to pop out of my mouth from smiling so much.

Welcome to the start of a wonderful life of diving.

Dive safe, dive often.
 
We had the same great experience with our local dive centre, the instructor was fantastic, the assistant instructors were fantastic and supportive, the divemasters the same. We've joined the dive club also and we feel like we're now part of the family. It's such a big deal and a great sense of achievement......Congrats on your qualification, we qualified OW three weeks ago and can't wait to get out there and do things, go places and meet people!!!!
 
Now the fun starts. The only advise I have is, stay current, don't do or be pressured into doing a dive you don't want to, know your limitation, be good to your equipment and it will be good to you, train and practice, and above all, dive safe.

Stay well and dive safe.
 
Hey John, I am in Orlando and would love to know the shop/instructor you used. They seemed to have done a great job.
 
Scuba will change your life.

You will now plan all your weekends around your favorite dive site.

You will now plan your vacations around Cozumel, the Florida Keys, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Palau, Fiji, Australia, and anyplace else that you have not yet scuba dived at.

You will now drop all your old non-scuba friends and make new ones that are all certified divers.

If you are married you will probably bring your spouse into scuba.

If your spouse does not enjoy scuba your marriage will probably end.

If you are not yet married you will probably marry another certified scuba diver.

You will probably spend your honeymoon or next honeymoon at a scuba resort.

Your kids will grow up to become swimmers and snorkelers and freedivers and scuba divers as well.

Basically you will become a scuba diving addict. And you will live a very happy life, spending a goodly portion of it underwater, seeing anemonies and sea stars and pelagics that land locked neighbors of yours will never see. And you will thrill them with your stories of the undersea world.

Welcome to the sport. It is all encompassing.
 
JohnVranesevich once bubbled...
and I got to feed bass freshwater clams from the bottom. Amazing!

I'm glad you had a good class and gongrats. I had to mention that in most places, though, the harvest of freshwater clams is illegal. In our state even being caought with a shell found on the shore would be enough to get a stiff fine or worse.

In general the killing of one animal to feed another probably isn't a good practice.

I'm not a crazed tree hugger but if you want to kill stuff, buy the required licenses, know the game laws and do it responsibly.
 
Congrats John, it's a lifetime adventure, keep learning.

Mike- You've destroyed my image of you

MikeFerrara once bubbled...
I'm not a crazed tree hugger

:D
 
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