First dive trip after certification

[Matt2627]

Hi Guys,

I was was certified last year and have booked a dive trip tomorrow in the keys. I'm nervous as this is my first dive with no guide or DM and also do not have a planned buddy. How will it work? Does my buddy have to be able to navigate and who decides and ascending and everything else? Anything would be much appreciated.

Matt

 

[fisheater]

Call the dive op and ask them. They may recommend a DM, just for you. If so, it'll be money well-spent.


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[Dirty-Dog]

Hi Guys,

I was was certified last year and have booked a dive trip tomorrow in the keys. I'm nervous as this is my first dive with no guide or DM and also do not have a planned buddy. How will it work? Does my buddy have to be able to navigate and who decides and ascending and everything else? Anything would be much appreciated.

Matt

As a certified diver, you are responsible for your own dive, regardless of the presence (or absence) of a DM. Planning the dive (the dive plan includes goal, navigation, turn pressure, signals...) is something that should have been covered in your OW certification class. With experience you will get more comfortable with all of this.
In this case, it sounds like you'd be ahead of the game to contact the dive shop and arrange to have a DM with you until you are more comfortable.

 

[industrious95]

No guide? From my experience, every dive trip in a resort area has at least one or two divemasters on the boat.

I've never had a problem finding someone to buddy up with on a Keys dive boat. Be honest about your experience, keep an eye on your air pressure, make sure you both have the same plan, especially about your gas management.

 

[ccx2]

Hi Matt, you will find most reef dives in the keys very relaxing and fun with very clear water/ great viz and this in itself will put you at ease if you got certified in cold low viz conditions.Ive only dove the keys with a now out of business shop that was called ScubaShack and they were great and only took six per boat/trip and always had a DM that was part of the package. The way I understood it back then was most ops if you wanted a DM or guide you paid extra.
I will recommend that if they don't have a DM you can follow on your first dives that you hire one, that way you have an experienced buddy that is familure with the area you will be diving and you won't get paired / buddied up with someone that has limited knowledge as yourself.
The reef dives I did in KeyLargo were all less than 45' and simple, jump in and swim down one side and turn and swim back up the other to the boat but it was still nice to have a DM to guide us along and show us the best route ,took the stress off my first dives.

 

[T.C.]

No guide? From my experience, every dive trip in a resort area has at least one or two divemasters on the boat.

A mate is only required on boats with more than six passengers, and is not allowed to enter the water except in an emergency.

OP; who are you diving with? I'm sure if you discuss it with the shop and the crew, they'll be able to buddy you up with someone. I have done many Keys dives without a buddy, and made some good friends that way.

Don't be worried about not having a guide or DM in the water. Navigation is easy; if you feel confused as to where the boat is, just make a slow ascent and locate it, then go back down and continue your dive. Almost every site except the deep wrecks is 35 feet or less. Go slow, and concentrate on looking for the small critters. You'll have a blast.

 

[freewillie]

No guide? From my experience, every dive trip in a resort area has at least one or two divemasters on the boat.

I've never had a problem finding someone to buddy up with on a Keys dive boat. Be honest about your experience, keep an eye on your air pressure, make sure you both have the same plan, especially about your gas management.

Every dive boat will have at least one or two DM's on the boat but whether or not they actually guide you depends on the boat and to location.

I've been on dives in Maui, Kona, Cancun, and Turks and Caicos. In all of those places when you sign up with them then you are obligated to dive along with a dive master or guide. Those guides then guide you along the reef and then back to the boat. You really don't have a choice. It's the same for the first time beginner to the most experienced diver. They do try to group divers of similar experience together so you have groups with similar abilities.

For dive boats in California you are essentially on your own. The dive boat more or less takes you to the dive spot, gives you a briefing about the spot you are about to dive, then lets you get in the water but no guide is going to take you along the reef. You will have to navigate out and back to the boat yourself. The boat may pair you up with an instabuddy if you aren't diving with a buddy, but no one is going to actually guide you. There will be a few DM's milling around the boat but in general they won't get in the water with you and are there only in case of emergency.

I would recommend you call the dive op and discuss your situation with them. Let them know you are a new diver with very little experience. If they are in the habit of having divers dive in groups with a DM as guide you will know. If they don't then ask how much to hire a private DM for the excursion. I wouldn't leave it up to chance and hope that you get a really experience really patient diver as your instabuddy that enjoys taking new divers under his/her wing. Most divers would generally fit this profile but there are more than a few who take the stance they paid good money for the dive boat and don't see it as their responsibility to take a newbie as a buddy.

Either way have fun and dive safe.

 

[T.C.]

Every dive boat will have at least one or two DM's on the boat but whether or not they actually guide you depends on the boat and to location.

This is not accurate, especially for the Keys. Please see my above post.

 

[drrich2]

Matt:

A lot depends on location. Following up what others mentioned, there are some destinations were a dive guide is the norm. (a number of Caribbean destinations when boat diving), some where it varies by op. (the Florida Keys), and some where it's unusual (FreeWillie already mentioned California). In Key Largo, Rainbow Reef Dive Center puts guides in the water at no added charge, but some dive op.s do not. Even some who don't do it automatically will hire you a guide for a fee.

Odds are your dive op. has a web page with a FAQ that deals with the question, since it is a common one. But if you want to hire a guide, arrange it in advance.

Richard.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

The Keys is a great destination for new divers, particularly Key Largo. Limit your diving to those dives in the park, Pennekamp park. The maximum depth will be 45 feet, and the visibility is good. The operators there I have dove with usually offer the option of diving with a DM, or diving on your own in buddy pairs or small groups. This is true for Amy Slate's, and for others as well. As far as preparing to dive with a paired up buddy, see my blog here on SB about diving with instabuddy. I won't re-write it here. As to navigation, every diver should be at least an ok navigator, and after 20 or more dives, be good at navigation. You don't need to rely only on you compass. Use natural objects, as in from mooring line to large barrel sponge 30 feet off. From barrel sponge to coral head 40 feet north, around coral head until I see the barrel sponge. Back to barrel sponge. Back to mooring line. Now, time permitting, go another direction with similar methodology. There is a funny thing about operators in the Keys. They understand some times a diver(s) can get off their mark and need to surface to locate the boat. Charitably, this is referred to as a "compass check." There is no shame in ascending slowly and doing a safety stop then surfacing to locate the boat, get a compass heading to it, and then descending to resume your dive. If you are sketchy on navigastion, equip yourself with a safety sausage so if you surface a distance from the boat you can inflate it and be seen. One last tip. Be sure you identify the boat you came on. Many sites may have two or more dive boats in the area. so do get your compass heading to the right boat. You will be fine. Have some great dives.
DivemasterDennis