After your ow course, were you able to dive without Dm/instr?

[TMHeimer]

I'm kind of amazed that anyone feels comfortable enough after dive #4 to go off and dive without someone experienced. I was still struggling to equalize consistently at that point, let alone control buoyancy to the point where I could contribute to navigation. I certainly want a guide when I'm in a new site, even after having several dives where I was leading.

As I mentioned, you can be in a place/situation where diving with an experienced diver or a pro may not be an option. Even with ANY buddy may not be possible or convenient. But I do agree that ideally a new diver should pair with someone who is at least a certified Rescue Diver. Two newbies know none of the serious rescue skills, not to mention they are not even required to be CPR certified (a rescue pre-requisite). Ie.--What happens when one diver panics on the surface or goes unconscious on the surface or at depth....? You call for someone qualified to take over. Oh, wait, it's just the two of you and you're supposed to be safe enough to dive together....
As I mentioned, I started with a fellow newbie. Now that I know what I know, I wouldn't want to do it that way again. But because of my location, I would--just wouldn't really like it.

Someone may comment that you should have achieved good buoyancy and equalisation technique before finishing OW course, but that's another "beaten to death" discussion.

 

[Manatee Diver]

When I took my open water, I didn’t really appreciate the qualifications of my full cave instructor. He taught good trim techniques which is key. My first post OW dives were with friends. Like any new skill I’m still learning and getting better.

after 30 years as pilot I’m still finding new things to learn and ways to improve. But I think the typical new pilot is better prepared with the skills needed to fly alone.

It is a completely different level of training, even the most rushed flight school with the absolute minimum of hours takes a couple of weeks of full time training. Compare that with getting open water certified in a couple of days.

After I completed open water I felt that I could plan and execute basic dives on my own. But it leaves a lot of things like trim and weighting to trial & error.

 

[TMHeimer]

It is a completely different level of training, even the most rushed flight school with the absolute minimum of hours takes a couple of weeks of full time training. Compare that with getting open water certified in a couple of days.

After I completed open water I felt that I could plan and execute basic dives on my own. But it leaves a lot of things like trim and weighting to trial & error.

Yes agree. Buoyancy control normally improves over the course of the 4 checkout dives. Then, at least in my case, a very few more dives to get it right. It's hard to remember back to like dive no. 20, but I don't think my buoyancy ability now is very much different. If it were a 1960s or so course of like 30 pool hours I would assume you would not need to polish up much on your own.

 

[Edward3c]

This ‘thing’ about warm or cold water divers being better or not makes my laugh.

Going from warm to cold we have to adjust for the extra thermal insulation and drop in visibility.

No different than adjusting for less insulation and more light. I’ve been with cold water dives whom have exceeded both depth and bottom time because they didn’t appreciate the conditions and their lower consumption rates.

I believe it’s more dangerous going cold to warm.

Back to the OPs question.
All BSAC divers are encouraged to dive without an instructor or higher qualified diver once certified. That’s how the club system works.

When on holiday, if the centre wants to pair me with a DM or instructor, fine I’m still diving. If diving a site for the second time they will need to stay with me, I won’t chase them. But than I discuss the dive plan before we get in the water, rarely a problem, normally they get to have a real dive rather that running around the circuit.

 

[MichaelMc]

After OW I felt comfortable to dive w/o supervision in the environment I had been in, lake/spring walking in from shore with a modest wetsuit. Though trim was absent, in a kick that way or hover feet down sort of way. But I never did until after several more classes, because of circumstances. When I did, it was as southern California beach or rocky shore entries, some benign some rough, with a few different buddies.

I think having to add extra variables makes those first no-supervision dives harder to take on. 'This diving thing' is one part. Adding 'this boat thing' or 'this surf entry' thing adds to the logistics and things to keep in mind. And to feel that you and your buddy have them covered.

 

[The Chairman]

No different than adjusting for less insulation and more light.

snip...

I believe it’s more dangerous going cold to warm.

During one of our invasions, we had a ScubaBoarder, that was not a part of our group die there in the Keys. She was a Cold Water Barbarian, where she dove a dry suit and an aluminum tank. Down here, the dive op provided her with a steel tank and she wore a bikini. They asked about her amount of lead, but she told them she really needed that weight. She died in thirty foot of water with her 26 pounds of weight still on, a full tank and her reg out of her mouth.

 

[Marie13]

snip...

During one of our invasions, we had a ScubaBoarder, that was not a part of our group die there in the Keys. She was a Cold Water Barbarian, where she dove a dry suit and an aluminum tank. Down here, the dive op provided her with a steel tank and she wore a bikini. They asked about her amount of lead, but she told them she really needed that weight. She died in thirty foot of water with her 26 pounds of weight still on, a full tank and her reg out of her mouth.

I have no problem speaking ill of the dead. That was just plain stupid.

 

[BlueTrin]

During one of our invasions, we had a ScubaBoarder, that was not a part of our group die there in the Keys. She was a Cold Water Barbarian, where she dove a dry suit and an aluminum tank. Down here, the dive op provided her with a steel tank and she wore a bikini. They asked about her amount of lead, but she told them she really needed that weight. She died in thirty foot of water with her 26 pounds of weight still on, a full tank and her reg out of her mouth.

That’s really sad to hear, I am surprised she didn’t ditch her weights.

She must have tried to swim with the weights and panic ? I guess we will never know for sure.

 

[stepfen]

I saw this poll very early and I was ready to post the following:

“Excuse my ignorance, but are OW divers supposed to be able to buddy up with other OW divers and dive without guidance?”

At that point the poll had received only 4 or so votes, all of them answering yes. That kept me from posting my ignorant view. Now with 100+ votes the results are similar but reading through the posts I get the feeling I’m not alone so I find the courage to post my story.
I got OW certified in Jakarta/Indonesia with a PADI school that followed all the agency’s standard requirements and usual procedures (unfortunately including “kneeling on the bottom” - back then I didn’t know what I didn’t know). I don’t remember how exactly it was conveyed to me, but it was made clear that as OW I was not supposed to dive without guide. I was definitely not ready to dive unguided – not that I wanted my hand to be held, but mostly as a reassurance that should something go wrong there would be somebody around where I could get some help. No wonder my first dives following this was with guides. Keep in mind though that, as I fount much later, in Indonesia it is required by law that all divers (no matter of level) must be accompanied by a local guide.
The view that OW divers are not supposed to dive unguided was reinforced later during my AOW training (different country, different agency) at the end of which I was told “now with AOW you can take another OW diver and go dive together”.
Soon afterwards I started unguided dives with certified buddies.
Thanks to the replies in this post now I have a much better image on the mater. With my limited experience though I still believe that the majority of the typical newly certified OW divers are not ready to dive unguided safely.

 

[Edward3c]

That’s really sad to hear, I am surprised she didn’t ditch her weights.

She must have tried to swim with the weights and panic ? I guess we will never know for sure.

The BSAC incident reports of the late 1990s and early 2000s showed increasing numbers of fatalities where the casualty may have survived if the weightbelt had been jettisoned.

That’s why we have students at all diving levels practice jettisoning their weights.