How do you know when you're too "green" to dive without an instructor or DM?

[Soggy_Diver]

I think that after completing BOW, I was never too green to dive without a DM or instructor.

But this was a matter of picking the right dives--kind of what NWGratefulDiver said, it depends on the environment. As a new diver, I was usually well-calibrated, picking dives that were shallow, low current, etcetera.

The dive that I was "too green for" looked easy: 15 feet deep, slight current. But what I didn't think through was the combination of shallow depth, poor visibility, some boat traffic, and not-fine-tuned buoyancy control. During the dive, I started to float up a bit and in the poor visibility, immediately lost any visual reference for depth. I tried to dump air from my BC, but I was slightly head down. By the time I dumped the air, I was already on the surface. Luckily, there were no boats passing at that moment.

So although I was not to green to dive independently of an instructor, I was too green to judge the challenge of that dive correctly. So too green in this case meant, "didn't know what I didn't know."

[40Fathoms]

That's totally up to the situation. One, it has to do with the individual diver. Everyone who completes an Open Water Diver course or similar is certified to dive on their own, without a guide, Divemaster or Instructor. Two, it has to do with the site of the dive.

A certified diver will have the skills and knowledge needed to dive on their own, however, some prefer not to at first, and build some experience while diving with a guide. Others never dive any other way, primarily because they don't have a regular buddy to dive with, or because they only dive on vacations.

Also, it is often recommended that divers with limited experience don't dive without a guide for the first dive or two in a new locations, to get a tour of the area first. And some dive operators in some areas simply won't let you dive without a guide until you get some experience, such Elpinstone in The Red Sea, where most operators require a minimum of 50 dives.

So a diver may be fine diving without a guide on their local dive site, but will prefer a guide on a new, or more advanced, dive site.

So bottom line, IMO: there's no simple answer.

[Mr Carcharodon]

Given a new envirionment we can all be new divers. Doing beach entries thorugh surf and dealing with kelp are common in my area, but tidal currents and downwellings are not. Is a dive master necessary to get throught the surf if you are not familar with it? Well maybe, maybe not, but it would likely make the experience more pleasant. And just seeing the best of a new site often takes an experienced person who has navigated it before and knows where the interesting features and creatures are.

The flip side of this is there are places where dive masters are required when they are not needed or wanted. Sometimes doing your own thing is just better. It all depends.

[flots am]

Hiya. I'm a writer for California Diver magazine and I'm writing an article for new divers on how to know when you have enough experience to go diving without an instructor or a divemaster (but with a buddy, of course!).

Your actual question has no answer, since the divers have no frame of reference to know if they're ready.

If you want a real article you might want to discuss how an "Open Water" certification can mean anything from "Can safely dive with just a buddy and no supervision" to "If nobody panics it will be a miracle"

If you take the requirements as they're written and were originally intended, any OW diver should be able to grab a buddy and safely dive with no professional supervision.

If you take the requirements as they're actually implemented, an OW diver could have just enough training to be able to correctly answer the written exam and demonstrate some skills for an instructor without drowning, or could be ready to jump off the end of the boat, have a great dive and come back with his/her buddy, a big smile and not out of air.

Which way it goes depends almost entirely on who did the training and how long it's been.

flots

[Jim Lapenta]

Bet she had no idea what kind of can o worms she was opening up.

[RJP]

Bet she had no idea what kind of can o worms she was opening up.

She should have asked when you're able to dive while wearing split-fins but without a Spare-Air! (+/- Air2)

[princessaprilia]

I did 4 dives after OW with my instructor, then 2 guided shore dives in Maui before the hubby and I planned and executed our own shore dives.

I had the great benefit of having my 4 OW dives in 3 different places (no-vis lake, clear spring, cold ocean), so lots of situational learning.

My nephew's first dive after OW was with me.

I have a friend who has NEVER dove without a professional, and she's done about 60 dives now.

Good luck trying to find a consensus.

[TraceMalin]

Hiya. I'm a writer for California Diver magazine and I'm writing an article for new divers on how to know when you have enough experience to go diving without an instructor or a divemaster (but with a buddy, of course!).

So, I'm looking for some folks to interview for my article. Some new divers who have recently ventured out on their own (or not) would be great . . . if you'd like to share an experience with the world .. . and also (and especially!) I'm looking for a couple of instructors and DMs to give some advice to new divers on this same topic.

If you'd be willing to chat with me on the phone for 20 minutes or so, that would be awesome. I'm on deadline, so I have to get started ASAP.

Please respond here, or write to me at briannapstevens at yahoo dot com if you're interested. Keep blowing bubbles!

Cheers,
Brianna

The standard by which I was taught to measure whether or not the student earned an open water certification was "instructor independence." Is the student capable of diving without the supervision of an instructor or dive master and is the student able to successfully and safely plan and lead another diver or team of divers on a dive?

I'd be more than willing to chat with you.

[flots am]

Bet she had no idea what kind of can o worms she was opening up.

If new divers ever learned that they were supposed to have been trained to dive unsupervised, things would get exciting quickly and the banks would be issuing a lot of charge-backs.

It will be really interesting to see the final article.

flots.

[cbm32]

I am still a very new diver and would not be comfortable diving with only someone of my own skill level unless the conditions were very good and the dive site was one that didnt present any real need for navigational skills. I believe that my training was pretty good in all areas except that of navigation and that is why I will probably put off diving with anyone other than a very experienced diver unless there is a professional in the water with us until such time as I do my AOW training. I will not consider my AOW training to be complete until I am completely comfortable with my navigational skills.