Done with OW!!! What next??

[khel]

Finally I'm done with OW!!
What a great feeling

And quite naturally, I'm ready to go anywhere (Wisconsin or Illinois at the moment) and dive, dive and dive

Btw, after certification dives, we were given an option to have the 5th pleasure dive - and sure thing - I did it, so now I have 1 (or 5 if certification dives count) logged dives

Anyway, at the moment I don't have any buddies to dive local so, I though it would be a good idea to just continue with education, have more supervised dives and have fun.

At the shop I was suggested to take AOW, but I'm thinking that maybe Peak Performance buoyancy and Navigation should be first??? Any input on that would be really appreciated!

p.s. and if anybody feels like diving Lake Geneva, WI to see a couple of wrecks etc. and don't mind a newbie - PM me!! I live really close to it

khel

 

[jbd]

congratulations on your accomplishment!!!

IMHO, skip taking more classes right now. I think you would be best served by doing at least 10 to 15 dives especially with a more experienced diver that will help you develope your physical as well as planning skills for diving. Diving is a skill set the requires practice to master.

If your LDS can set up classes for you and others to take then they should certainly be able to hook you up with other certified divers.

 

[khel]

jbd once bubbled...
congratulations on your accomplishment!!!

IMHO, skip taking more classes right now. I think you would be best served by doing at least 10 to 15 dives especially with a more experienced diver that will help you develope your physical as well as planning skills for diving. Diving is a skill set the requires practice to master.

If your LDS can set up classes for you and others to take then they should certainly be able to hook you up with other certified divers.

Thanks a lot jbd! But unfortunately, it's more difficult for me to find a buddy as during summer time I usually have only 1 day off a week and that's a midweek :croctears Hopefully, I'll find somebody

 

[Braunbehrens]

I second that opinion. If you really can't find buddies, then take some guided dives with DM's from the store. I suggest joining a dive club, many dive stores have them. Also, stores often do a dive once a week where everybody that has something to do with the store is welcome. One more suggestion, talk to your instructor and tell him/her that you have trouble finding buddies. I'm sure there were other people in the class, they need buddies too, and in previous classes as well.

Once you are ready for the next level, let's say in about a year or so, consider a GUE fundamentals class. I guarantee you won't regret it.

PS Dive stores and instructors want to keep you diving, so they should be able to help and they are local.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I'll agree with the other with an additional note. Skills like navigation for example are worth learning. The problem is that if you take a nav course or an advanced course before cour comfortable with what you're doing now you might not gain anything except the card.

Go out and do some dive you're comfortable with (not trust me dives behind a DM to 100 ft) and enjoy it.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

You've gotta do the diving. I agree that navigation is very good to take. You can maybe think about nitrox as some enjoy that. But your shop should have a dive club. If they don't another shop should. What a friend of mine did was just ask the shop if they had any fun dives scheduled locally. He met some guys with the same schedule as he has and they've logged lots of dives.

Ya gotta dive as much as possible especially now.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Hey toward the end of July I have to be at Haigh Quarry in Kankakee Il for a couple weekends. You're welcome to join us.

 

[khel]

Thanks for invitation Mike! Is it going to be July 25 - 27 GUE "Fundamentals of DIR" event or another date and fun dives? Anyway, I'll definitely will try to make it. Please, let me know if I need to contact someone and make reservations or just to stop by with all the gear

 

[scuba-punk]

Dive, Dive, Dive, Dive, Dive, Dive, Dive...

Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask...

Dive, Dive, Dive, Dive, Dive, Dive, Dive...

Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask, Ask...

over and over again. Never quit learning, read alot, ask those who are more experienced plenty of questions, and only keep half of what you hear - honestly, get chummy with your LDS and keep diving. Dive cold, warm, shallow, deep (but not deeper than 60 feet ), vis, no vis and get some dives under your belt. Having a couple dozen dives makes classes like AOW and Rescue actually meaningful.

-Frank

 

[scuba-punk]

Well, IMHO that is.