Dive trip Question

[Larry H PA]

When I dove twenty some years ago. We went to sheepshead bay ny. Our first dive was 100ft on a lighthouse shipwreck,second dive was a lobster dive 40 ft area or so. The seas were rough on first dive,and this was my first ocean dive. We jumped off back of boat swam the waves to anchor line,and desended. There was three of us,when we landed on wreck,guy behind me taps me wants to look at my gauges,he had very small light.In the time I turned and showed this guy my gauges,our instructer swam off with big light and dissappered. Now the fun part was over having lost our guide, with every breath that deep I thought tf something went wrong would this guy buddy breathe with me? So I gave the guy behind me the lets go up signal was very glad to see sunshine again at 60 or 50 ft again. I did not enjoy that dive ,but did enjoy second shallower dive. My question is, do any boats have dives that maybee go only 60ft or 50 ft and shallower,or do you sit out deeper dives? That was my only ocean dive,I want to do dive trips, but not interested in deeper diving at this point.Thanks

[scallop]

In my very limited experience the Keys sound perfect for you. There are operators that cater to newer divers and many beautiful things to be seen in 20-30 foot depths. My son is a Jr. diver and as such is limited to a 40' depth. He is my dive buddy and I have set the same limits on myself, thusfar into our very short dive career I am more than happy to stay shallow until much more knowledge is gathered and techniques have solidified. Personally I cannot wait until I see the next 20' of water above my head!

[mike0479]

Come dive Long Island Sound. There is a good dive store called Orbit marine who has 2 dive boats. They do shallow dives from 20-40 ft and deeper ones out to 80-100ft. Not sure if thats an option but the staff are really good and will accomidate all levels of divers.

[T23]

Thanks to the internet and resources like Scubaboard you can find out just about anything you want on operators all over the world in terms of which dive sites they visit, the dive site depth, etc., etc. and plan accordingly.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of depth either due to shorter dive times, darkness, poorer color, and related aspects. But there are some deep dives that are just not to be missed, like the North wall off GC. However, some of my most memorable dives have been in relatively shallow water... 20 - 30 feet. To get a reasonably good amount of bottom time I usually prefer to dive above 60 feet and I have found most operators are usually happy to oblige you if they know ahead of time what kind of profile you prefer to dive.

[DivemasterDennis]

The Keys offer great shallow diving, most less than 45 feet. Most other destination have specific excursions limited to shallower sites. That is true in Maui, Bonaire, and the Caymans. If a dive is a deep wall dive, most boats will let you stay above the group with a buddy. Also note that good visibility and warm water makes deeper dives a lot less stressful than your experience presented. Consider shore diving as well, as you gain experience and competence, where you control you own dive profile. Check out dive shops and boats where you are headed, locally of internationally. In this day and age, almost everyone has a web site that gives a ton of information, including the sites they dive.
DivemasterDennis

[ScubaSam]

Not clear if you're looking for a local boat or if you're traveling but understand you want shallower dives.

You mentioned Sheepshead Bay, NY, which makes me think of the Jeannie II. It's docked at Sheepshead Bay, NY, and they do Leisure Sunday trips. On Leisure Sunday dives the boat leaves the dock at 10AM and heads to wrecks less than 60ft.

Other posters have already posted their recommended the Keys. If you're traveling, I'd also recommend Key Largo, FL, the ops run boats to the shallower reefs/wreck.

[herbdb]

Welcome back to diving. You don't say where you are located in PA, but there are active dive clubs/communities in both Eastern and Western Pa. We do our local diving in the local dive parks, and often travel as groups on trips through the clubs or local dive shops.

I recommend that you find one of these groups and make some new friends. A review of course materials and a refresher dive would also be a great idea. Jim Lapenta, who you can contact on this board, has written an excellent book that would be a perfect refresher. If you are in Western Pa, he is also an instructor.

I live in Eastern, PA and am a little more familiar with it. There are many shops and groups, I dive with Indian Valley Scuba, their dive club meets monthly. You can google them for details or PM me.

If you make contact with a local dive shop, make a trip with them, they will set up a pool refresher at home and you will have support from people you know on the trip.

Welcome back.

[freewillie]

Just a thought, but if that was your first ocean dive as a OW diver outside of class, a 100 ft dive was for more experienced divers.

In looking for future dive charters inquire ahead of time the level of the boats. My 13 year old daughter holds only Jr OW cert, she is recommended not to dive deeper 45 ft. I choosing dive trips for her I always look for beginner level boats.

see also article from California Diving News.Easy Diving - How to Choose A Dive Trip

hope your next trip is better

[Doc Harry]

...So I gave the guy behind me the lets go up signal was very glad to see sunshine again at 60 or 50 ft again. I did not enjoy that dive...My question is, do any boats have dives that maybee go only 60ft or 50 ft and shallower,or do you sit out deeper dives? That was my only ocean dive,I want to do dive trips, but not interested in deeper diving at this point.Thanks

You did the right thing "thumbing" the dive. I've done it, too. You find yourself deep, uncomfortable -- thumbs up! Your actions show that you are thinking for yourself and acting upon your instincts. Good work.

Now for your question...

Each dive operator has it's own schedules. If you let the dive master know your preferences, sometimes they can chose a shallower dive for that trip, or place you on a different boat that's going to a shallower location.

Some dive operators regularly go deep (90-120 feet) for the first dive, and shallow (30-40 feet) for the second dive. If the bottom is at 100 feet then you really don't have many choices; either sit out the dive or go deep. If there is a wall, then perhaps you can hang out at the top of the wall with your buddy while the others go deep.

So call the operator ahead of time and see what they can offer you. In Cozumel we always went to 100+ feet on the first dive of the day. In Roatan, we routinely dove at 30-40 feet every dive. Pick a dive operator and location that suits your needs.

[altaskier]

You did the right thing "thumbing" the dive. I've done it, too. You find yourself deep, uncomfortable -- thumbs up! Your actions show that you are thinking for yourself and acting upon your instincts. Good work.

I absolutely agree; you handled the situation 20 years ago well! The person who led you into that as a first open water dive should re-evaluate...

Guided dives in warm, clear water are a lot of fun and a great way to build up experience. Depending on the location, there can be lots to see at moderate depths. The Florida keys or the Caribbean can be great places to go. A liveaboard is another option where you'll get lots of dives in.

There's also a lot to be said for gaining experience in local quarries.