OW is this for me?

[lambsfarm 13]

your insructor was way too tough on you. fighting surf is not part of OW. do it a calm location. you will enjoy it more. you are not supposed to be rufty tufty diver when learning. i say go to different school to complete OW. it doesnt have to be warm just relaxed to build confidence. not too deep either, just in case. good luck, stick with it.

 

[Brewski]

I'm kind of shocked by the number of people who seem to have instructors take them for their first OW experience in Monterey when it is rough. But I'm one of those crazy people who believes the first experience should be in as ideal of a situation as possible.

Nick in our area Monterey is the best area available to dive. There can be some surf at the breakwater on those days we usually decide to reschedule. The options are Pacific Ocean or nearby lakes. In my area that means Folsom lake. That equates to low vis. and boring. but the student has the option to choose that if they want.
At least in monterey we can offer an interesting dive site and diverse sea life.

 

[diver 85]

I would try for some warm water, 78 degrees or warmer........2 mm is all you would be wearing & a heck of alot of less weight......

 

[halocline]

This is another example of why I would recommend all OW students to do their initial training in clear, warm water like the caribbean. In any other activity that involves complex skills, and some possible danger, the obvious method for learning is to start with the most forgiving environment and gradually work towards more difficult environments. Why not scuba?

If you live in a cold water location and you want to dive near home, fine. Do your first training elsewhere and then continue taking classes in your home area, AFTER you have built the confidence and experience to handle it.

 

[Nick_W]

Nick in our area Monterey is the best area available to dive. There can be some surf at the breakwater on those days we usually decide to reschedule. The options are Pacific Ocean or nearby lakes. In my area that means Folsom lake. That equates to low vis. and boring. but the student has the option to choose that if they want.
At least in monterey we can offer an interesting dive site and diverse sea life.

Oh yeah, Monterey is great. I lived there for a while up on Van Buren above some old dude's garage, I know the area well.

What I'm saying is I'm alarmed by the number of people posting saying they've been taken out there on their first dives when it was rough. That water is cold. I've been in it in wetsuits and, a few times without a wetsuit (or anything at all for that matter). Water that temperature makes it tough enough. Add in some rough surf and I could see where a new diver might decide they just don't see the fun in this at all.

I'm a fan of the concept that a first OW dive serves multiple purposes. One of which is to create an experience that makes that person want to dive again. Not to scare the crap out of them and make them think that every dive is going to be absolute hell.

As for the last sentence there. No need to get snotty.

 

[Brewski]

Sorry if I seemed snotty.

I do understand your point. I'd love to take everyone to vacation destinations for their first dives. But this is where we live.
There are plenty of instructors who look out at the conditions and tell their students, today is not the day. lets come back next weekend, or if you prefer we can do this at the lake and avoid the additional expense. Its the ones that look out and say, its not to bad, I've done this a thousand times that lead to the type of experience the OP had.

On the other hand if a diver knows only calm water for their first 4 dives then rents some gear and blindly walks into 4 ft surf (or worse) without the benefit of a pre dive briefing at the very least, that person is very likely to make the kinds of mistakes that will turn them off of local diving for good. At least the ones who learn here under appropriate guidance know how to get in and out in the surf safely and are more likely to dive more often than just once every year when they can afford a vacation.

Just my $.02

 

[Ann Marie]

I agree with Pro Diver, there's no reason someone can't learn to dive in California. Some people may just need a little more time and understanding.

When I teach an Open Water class we do dives off both the beach and a boat. I prefer that there are some waves at the beach. If it is rough I'll call the dive but I don't want lake like conditions. Hard to teach surf entries without the surf. We have some great shore diving in California. If I can teach my students to get through the surf, then they'll dive off the coast and then can dive most anywhere. If someone learns to dive in the Caribbean, then diving out here without the help of someone that is experienced in California shore diving can be very difficult.

 

[shotthebreeze]

You had too much everything. Too much rubber, too much weight, too much surf, and apparently a dumb-***** for an instructor.

I totally agree. The instructor should have offered to spend more time with you in the pool, found gear that fit for Christ's sake and not have taken you to such a ridiculous spot. You're a scuba diver, not a surfer. I'd try Maui just to chill out and have a nice warm dive. You'll be fine kiddo.

 

[String]

Im all for learning in the conditions you will be diving in.
In some areas its rough and cold all the time so no option but to train in that.

38lbs is an enormous amount of weight even for a large person. At the end of the day though diving in some areas is more strenuous than others. You cant always get nice gentle calm conditions where you want to dive.

 

[Nick_W]

Im all for learning in the conditions you will be diving in.
In some areas its rough and cold all the time so no option but to train in that.

38lbs is an enormous amount of weight even for a large person. At the end of the day though diving in some areas is more strenuous than others. You cant always get nice gentle calm conditions where you want to dive.

The point is, Monterey isn't rough all the time. There are days that are just nasty and days when there's pretty much nothing at all.

I'm 100% with you guys who say that you ought to practice entries in the rough stuff some time, especially if you live in that area and are going to be diving it on a regular basis. I'm just saying that the first time might be a bit much. And the fact that here we have a new diver who had to come post on an internet message board to get some reassurance kind of backs up that point.

Now all this talk of Monterey is kind of making me miss the place. I might have to load up the gear and drive out there.