Practice Makes Perfect...But How Do You Get Practice?

[Queen Angelfish]

I just got my OW cert. in the BVI a couple of weeks ago, and I want to keep diving so I can work on my skills and get better. My question is: how do you keep diving? Take specialty courses or AOW? Sign up for dives & rent equipment? I don't own any equipment yet, nor do I know any local divers. I'm going to a local dive club meeting next month and hopefully I will meet some potential buddies there. Other than that, do dive shops offer training dives? I feel like I'm a little guppy just learning how to swim so I still need an instructor. Finally, I live in Mass. so I will need a dry suit until at least July (I'm a total wimp when it comes to cold). So I guess I should take a dry suit class before anything else...? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Gary D.]

Good PROPER practice will make you a better diver. Don't ever expect to be perfect. Those that do think they are the perfect diver just might have a shorter life expectancy.

Contact your LDS's and see what they have to offer you and welcome aboard.

Gary D.

[daniel f aleman]

Join the local diving club at a nearby dive shop.

Here's a list of New England shops: http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/s...ive_Shops.html

[ProfessorAronnax]

I just got my OW cert. in the BVI a couple of weeks ago, and I want to keep diving so I can work on my skills and get better. My question is: how do you keep diving? Take specialty courses or AOW? Sign up for dives & rent equipment? I don't own any equipment yet, nor do I know any local divers. I'm going to a local dive club meeting next month and hopefully I will meet some potential buddies there. Other than that, do dive shops offer training dives? I feel like I'm a little guppy just learning how to swim so I still need an instructor. Finally, I live in Mass. so I will need a dry suit until at least July (I'm a total wimp when it comes to cold). So I guess I should take a dry suit class before anything else...? Any advice would be appreciated.

Not sure about the Boston area, but their is a Comfort Inn in Hyannis that lets diver in their pool (for about $6) and there's a few LDSs in town that rent equipment.

Yeah, I'm not real fond of freezing water either but I'm close to taking the plunge w/ 7mm wet.

Good Luck!

[cummings66]

You keep diving by making a decision to dive. Get a buddy with the lds and then go as often as you can. You don't need to sign up for the advanced course right now, the drysuit course might be nice and would come in handy. Once you own your own gear you'll find you dive more often anyways.

One thing I would say, assuming a good instructor taught you, you are a certified diver now and do not need your hand held as long as you stick to the conditions in which you were certified. If you feel the need for an instructor then maybe a drysuit course will help out, but don't get dependant on an instructor because you won't dive very often.

You'll quickly get comfortable diving once you start diving. Don't waste another minute, get out there right now and beat the bushes looking for a buddy and schedule that dive. Do something simple and fun. Worst case dive a pool if you need to, but dive.

[mels_2]

i'm in dedham and i'm heading to hathoways pond just to get wet with in the next few weeks (in a 7mm) I have a dive shop I can recommend, last year when we purchased our gear form them we were able to test it out in a pool. You can PM me and I can give you info.

[H2Andy]

My question is: how do you keep diving?

i was in the same position you are when i got my OW cert. i didn't know any
divers, and i didn't own any equipment

i basically started going out with local trips put together by my dive shop
(renting equipment for a bit)

then, i bought my kit and basically signed up for boat dives, and asked
to be paired with someone once i was in the boat. not ideal, but it gets
you diving.

then, i started meeting people and ended up with two or three "regular" dive
buddies. that's when the fun started.

finally, i've met a bunch of locals through ScubaBoard, and it's difficult to go
a weekend without getting an offer from someone to dive with them.

so, the simple answer is to dive, dive, dive, which you do by getting out
there and diving as much as you can, even if at first you don't know that
many people.

as for a dry suit class, don't worry about it too much. one hour in the
pool with an instructor will cover all you need to know.

[mgersch@cox.net]

Just go up to your local dive shop and hang out and meet some new friends. Take a class or two from them, and before you know it you'll be hooked and spending all your money on dive gear...... oh wait maybe you shouldn't do that. Online boards like this are another good way to meet dive buddies, so welcome!

One thing is for sure, if you are really serious about this sport as a hobby, then it won't be long at all until you start buying your own equipment.

[skierbri10]

Move to a better dive locale.

[Humu-out-of-Water]

Move to a better dive locale.

At least in Ma. you have water!

I got certified in Feb. Took a diving vacation with my husband in March. Now you may think, "well what's she got to compare to... she has a husband who will dive with her!" Well husband seems to only like w-a-r-m water. :11:
soooo I bug all my friends into diving. Sure they may be sick of me talking about it but I have a list of 4-5 friends that are getting or will be getting certified.

I also took a dry suit class and i'm doing my ow for that in san diego. (meeting more people). As I'm looking for gear I frequent the local dive shops and find out about events. (End of April is a lake clean up event)

AND I plan to get involved in the Handicapped Scuba Assoc (HSA) as a dive buddy.

Finally I spend ALOT of time reading about diving and the ocean...All future vacations WILL revolve around the OCEAN!

Sooo after being certified in feb I will have more than 16 dives by the end of April... not bad for living in the desert!

You can't be shy about it. Just do it. (hey that would make a good marketing slogan!)