What to do after Open Water PADI

[Picasso89]

Hello!

I completed the Open Water PADI course this week and thoroughly loved every moment of it. I'm now thinking about my next step. Naturally I've been Googling away, but am a little overwhelmed by all the information.

I have looked at the PADI course flowchart and think "YES I WANT TO DO ALL OF THOSE!". I've also been researching the best diving spots in the world and think "YES I WANT TO GO TO ALL OF THOSE PLACES!". Of course I am enthusiastic about diving more and learning more, but am unsure about what my next step should be.

Is it recommended to jump straight into something like the PADI adventure diver course, or should I be trying to use the skills I have already learnt on the Open Water course before going on more courses?

My other question is about diving buddies. At the moment I don't know anyone else who dives. If I was to plan a trip diving, should I really find a buddy before I go (maybe online), or is it ok to go on your own and buddy up when I am there?

I should mention that I learnt in The Maldives and am currently living in the UK.

Thanks,
Adam.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The best thing is to just dive. In the UK you could join a club and get more experience. I advise divers, including my own students, to not take advanced training until they are comfortable with all the basic skills. If you want to dive with an Instructor or other pro fine. But there is no need to take a course just to gain experience. There are many instructors like me who encourage new divers to just come dive with them. I will not take divers for further training to introduce new skills when they still have issues with the basics.
You should IMO be able to perform all basic skills in midwater, horizontal, and neutral. I will take a diver in the pool or on an ow dive at no charge to assess them and give tips on what they need to do before allowing them to take additional training. There is a push to get you into another class right out of ow with the justification that it is more dives with an instructor. I think that's rubbish. Find a club, mentor, or independent instructor that loves to just dive and ask them to give you an assessment. Go diving within your limits now. Refine your skills and then think about further training. There is no rush. And if you received proper training to begin with all you will do is reinforce those good habits. If you don't know if you got proper training find someone who is not after your cash to see you on the water. Main thing is to know what questions to ask before you sign or pay for anything.

 

[Hickdive]

Simple - go diving.

Courses are great but you'll get much, much more out of them if you've built up a solid foundation of diving experience. You obviously don't need hundreds of dives before doing AOW and upwards but you'd be surprised how much more you learn if you've become comfortable underwater and can concentrate more on the learning. That is best achieved by doing at least a few dives more than the basic qualifying dives required on OW.

If you want buddies you have numerous options.

Go along to your LDS, if it's a PADI school it may well have its own club attached which will have lots of people in the same position as you and will probably organise diving trips to suit.

Alternatively, look up any local BSAC or SAA clubs in your area and arrange a visit. You should, as a qualified diver, be more than welcome at any of them and this is the time of year when traditionally they are looking to put together trips for their own newly-qualified members.

If you're really keen, try forums like Yorkshire Divers (ignore the name, they have members from all over the UK and abroad).

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

I agree the best way to get experience is to just dive. Dive every chance you get. I would save the future classes for a little later 20+ dives.

You can find buddies online or again ask at your local dive shop.

You can plan a trip and dont need to bring a buddy. You can just pair up with someone once you get there if it is a boat dive. Those are called Insta-buddies. Before you just go planning trips I would say it is best to master your basic skills. Get out and dive. Dive different environments but PLEASE always dive within your training.

 

[diver 85]

Dive------

 

[Karibelle]

My recommendation to new OW divers who DO want to take a class is Peak Performance Buoyancy. Just diving is great; diving with some attention from an instructor who is helping you focus on how to become a better diver is, IMO, better.

Good luck and enjoy your journey!

 

[oly5050user]

Hello!

My other question is about diving buddies. At the moment I don't know anyone else who dives. If I was to plan a trip diving, should I really find a buddy before I go (maybe online), or is it ok to go on your own and buddy up when I am there?

I should mention that I learnt in The Maldives and am currently living in the UK.

Thanks,
Adam.

You write that you do not know anyone else who dives...Taking a continue education course-advance ow or adventure dives or speciality class, may help you with that problem.During the different courses you will be in a group of people with similar interests and at close to the same skill level.NETWORK with them,get names,phone # and or email.You will find that they also have the same concerns and you would now have people to call on when you wish to dive. Being you certified in the Maldives and now want to dive in the UK be aware it is a totally different environment in regards to water conditions and gear used.

 

[Walter]

I tend to agree with those who've posted telling you to just dive, but...it also depends on your ability as a diver. All classes are not created equal. You may have completed an excellent class and have lots of developed skills. In that case, there's no hurry, just dive for now. On the other hand, it's possible your class was less that stellar. If that's the case, and you aren't feeling comfortable and confident as a diver, you should take additional classes right away and hopefully with a different instructor.

Ask yourself a few questions.

Do you have a pretty good handle on buoyancy?

Are you comfortable diving without your mask? I know you'll need your mask to see, but just hovering or swimming around for 5 minutes or so are you comfortable?

If your tank were to drop out of your BC, would you feel confident removing your B, putting your tank back in and putting your BC back on?

If you're OK in both those situations, you can just take time and go diving to gain experience before taking the next class. If you aren't, you might want to find an instructor who will help you get comfortable in those situations.

 

[BoltSnap]

I believe that you should actually take an upper level course with a local experienced instructor first for three reasons:

1. It appears that you were trained in Maldives where diving is most likely "less challenging" than it is where you are in the UK. In this case just going out diving on your own without professional experienced help is not wise IMO. Hooking up with local experienced divers is one option but I would advise against it since the local divers can be very experienced but they are normally not trained to be instructors and/or have the background for mentoring novice divers. Not every experienced diver can be or is a good instructor. I have seen it in the past where these experienced divers get the newbie diver in difficult circumstances that it dangerous to the newbie without knowing it or having the special "instructor instinct" to know when no is a no. They don't generally have the instinct or knowledge to be able to do "knowledge transfer" in a safe and accountable manner.

2. I am of the school of thought that believes OW course graduates/newly certified students should enroll in the next upper level course as soon as they are done with the entry level course to enable them to gain more experience under professional supervision. The AOW course should be meant to condense a season's worth of dive experience in one course (8 - 10 dives) to make sure that the student gains experience in a structured and professionally supervised environment without the potentially unsafe conditions when one try's to do it on their own.

3. Since the newbie diver is "new" to diving, he probably doesn't know any people to dive with and taking an upper level course is a very good way to get to know other certified divers who share the same interest and are serious about diving and becoming better divers. This would also give you the opportunity to "select" your dive buddy after observing your fellow students in the course and to ensure that your future buddy has gone through a similar course to what you did instead of diving with the "insta-buddies" you will inevitably have to endure if you just show up on a dive site looking for a buddy.

The value of the upper level training program is greatly dependent on the instructor and his professionalism and background/experience. Taking an upper level program with an instructor whose idea of teaching is "hey come and dive with me and/or tag along" is not worthwhile IMO. You need to interview the instructor and make sure that he has real structure and content to his course where you will actually be doing real skills and real diving. The content of the course should be geared towards producing independent divers who are knowledgeable enough to know the limits of their abilities and have the knowledge and courage to say no when conditions are outside their limits. In your particular case, the upper level program will need to include orientation on local diving in terms of thermal protection, equipment, environmental considerations, etc. for you to get acclimated to local diving before taking on additional skills. Diving in the UK is vastly different from diving in the Maldives as far as I know from my friends in the UK.

Safe Diving!!!

 

[TMHeimer]

I agree that Peak Performance Buoyancy is a good idea. As far as Advanced Open Water, there are two views. Some say dive some first. I went pretty much right to the AOW and found it beneficial that way. Don't think there is a whole lot of difference either way. My mistake was taking Rescue too soon--just after the required 20 dives. I did OK, but felt it was a little much to do with such little experience. I agree with most everyone here that eventually everyone should do Rescue Diver at some point.