Certification Soon (Maybe....)

[Barnaby'sDad]

Im not sure I agree that diving in a cold quarry makes you a better diver in the warm open water. Sure, you may deal with lower visibility better and colder water but the tropics the water is always warm and visibility is most often good. What the quarry doesnt give you is ripping currents, surges, waves on the surface, reefs to bang into etc. So if youre going to do tropical diving then get certified there. If you are going to be lake and quarry diving then get certified there. Anyway certification is just 4 dives. You will only really learn diving over the next 50 dives anyway!

Agreed. The argument could be made that it makes you a more well rounded diver (in terms of conditions experienced), but I don’t think it makes you a “better” diver.

What diving in a quarry definitely does though is help you appreciate it even more when you do get to see a good variety of marine life.

 

[maj2]

It makes me cry inside a tiny bit to hear someone in the Pacific Northwest say their future diving plans are all in tropical locations.
I have only done a couple of dives in the Pacific Northwest, but both are highlights of my diving career in terms of the sea life we saw. In the decade since, and after multiple trips to Bonaire, Cozumel and other desinations, my PNW dives are still my some of favourite ocean dives ever.
Get certified wherever you want, but do consider your more local options at some point. OK maybe not so much the lake, but Puget Sound should not be missed when you are ready.
Good luck, whatever you choose!

 

[MJS1946]

A brief update. First thanks for all the advice and encouragement. A couple of weeks ago I attempted to do my OW dives in a local lake. I could not keep the 40 lb weight belt on. It came off twice before entering the water, twice more while getting on the fins, and then after my buddy and I spent about 20 minutes trying to get it to stay on it came off in about 15 feet of water enroute to the dive site. Water temp was 48*. Double layer 7mm wetsuit. Unable (obviously) to dive down and get it so just swam in to shore and called it a day. Less than enthused after that.

I’ve gone back to NAUI for a replacement certification card, but am having little luck with them finding my records. At this point, I’m having second thoughts on the whole diving deal. I can always snorkel.......

Thanks again for all the responses.

Mike

 

[txgoose]

I could not keep the 40 lb weight belt on.

Does all 40lbs need to be ditchable? Can you put any of it on your rig with pockets or similar? Maybe half of it? Hoping the best for you.

 

[TMHeimer]

It makes me cry inside a tiny bit to hear someone in the Pacific Northwest say their future diving plans are all in tropical locations.
I have only done a couple of dives in the Pacific Northwest, but both are highlights of my diving career in terms of the sea life we saw. In the decade since, and after multiple trips to Bonaire, Cozumel and other desinations, my PNW dives are still my some of favourite ocean dives ever.
Get certified wherever you want, but do consider your more local options at some point. OK maybe not so much the lake, but Puget Sound should not be missed when you are ready.
Good luck, whatever you choose!

I guess what you and Barnaby's are saying is getting certified (and diving) in cold ocean water is best. I dive wet in N.S. in winter, so I guess I'll be the best anywhere.....

 

[maj2]

I guess what you and Barnaby's are saying is getting certified (and diving) in cold ocean water is best. I dive wet in N.S. in winter, so I guess I'll be the best anywhere.....

I'm actually a Great Lakes guy myself. Oceans (warm or cold) are a vacation treat. And the "cold" ocean I dove off of Alaska was still warmer than Lake Huron ever gets below the thermocline.