newbie

My buddy want to explore sidemount, here’s my really newbie questions… Can I use hp100s steels? Do you need training like TDI course or sidemount it’s self learning. Is there a way I can reuse my halcyon backplate and just change the bladder for sidemount? I guess hose are the same as for...

Good morning from Huntsville, AL! New to diving and new to the board. Glad to see there's a good community and resource for information here on ScubaBoard. Just got back from our OW Cert, starting to get the itch for more :p. Looking forward to learning as much as I can and hopefully diving with...

Hiya all! Thought it was finally time to sign up for my own account as I seem to always find my way here anyway. Every thought or question that comes to my mind and ends up in Google always brings me here where I often find my answers, which then leads me down the rabbit hole of reading pages...

I started diving in Florida many years ago but moved back to my home state of Michigan, life got in the way, and now 20 years later I’ve recently started again and am looking for ways to keep it going.

Hello everyone! I have no practical experience of diving. I am an aircraft mechanics student, well, at least I was. Due to the hard times we are going through, I had plenty of time to rethink my future and the career I want. After a lot of thinking, reflecting on the pros and cons and sharing...

So, inspired by rhe brilliant thread:Hopping my way to full cave... I figured I'll attempt creating a similar thread, for a newbie diver, over in Europe. I'm a somewhat new diver, 31 years old, 2 years since OW certified, 112 dives in. I'm based in Norway, which means OW is done in a drysuit...

Hey everyone!! My name is Melody & I just wanted to introduce myself real quick. I’m a new diver, just getting my open water & Nitrox last month. I have just 2 open water dives in but I have an awesome dive shop/group that does tons of trips out so that will be changing this year. I’m so excited...

I'm looking for advice on this diving equipment. This is what I own: 13mm Semi-dry. Boots, gloves, hood. Northern Diver ''Power fins''!! (regular Fins). Regular mask. I first dived in 2018. I have been training to dive since last October. I have recieved my CMAS* Certification and unfortunately...

Hi! I need a GREAT reco for a Padi 5 Star Center in Oahu for a beginner Open Water Class. Not just the checkout dives but the pool work too. e-learning completed ahead of time. (Staying up near Ko Olina but know they will have to drive to Waikiki for this) Can you please help? Thank you!

Greetings! I am registered to do my certification course this upcoming month and I’m interested in buying my own gear at some point. I have been looking around and what I want to know what would you buy first? Also, I have a budget of $1500 usd. Where would you spend the bulk of your...

I'm doing my checkout dives in Panama City Beach next weekend. My brother lives there so I can stay for free. I think we are wearing 5mm (rental). I have my own regs (Z3 and Z2 octo), Scubapro mask, Scubapro fins/snorkel, and booties. I'll rent the rest down there. I want to do well and...

Hello peoples, I've been interested in scuba for years and I've finally decided that I'll dive into it. Currently I'm planning on learning at a well reviewed place near me and I'm already set up to go and see what gear works for me later this week. The only concern I have is myself, I'm 13 but...

Dear forum members, Good evening to everyone, I am new into diving world, just decided to take the OWD certification. I completed the theorical part successfully and next week I am going into the practical stage. Needless to say I am pretty excited and I look forward to network with some of you...

Hi All - I joined the forum back in 2013 when I originally certified in the muddy pea soup of the Connecticut coastline, and after about 5 dives decided to move south for work. Did 1-2 shore dives in Destin, FL, and then life got in the way. Moved to CA in 2016 and found that somewhere along...

TL;DR - Excited new guy who researches a lot and spends too much $$ (only according to my wife) Hello SB. Like the title says, it's taken me 43 years from start to finish to get my OW cert. First tried in 1985 when I was 11 at Texas Scuba. Back in the old PADI days where they made you...

Hello everyone! My name is Brandon, I'm currently living overseas in Beijing, China for several years but I am from Orlando, and Florida is where I first trained in OW, AOW, and EAN starting out around 8 years ago. I plan to tackle Rescue Diver certification when we go back home for a few weeks...

Hey all, I’m new to diving and have begun purchasing my gear. Been looking at reg’s and would really appreciate any feedback you might offer regarding the following regs: -Scubapro Mk25/S600 -Poseidon Xstream Black or the Xstream Deep Mk3 I definitely fall in the “buy-once, cry-once”...

Hi I'm from Taiwan and sorry for my poor English lol. I'm in a ow course now. It's paid from my aunt because she wants me to be her buddy for trips in the near future. My coach is very strict and he wants his students to practice more. Thanks for that I could go to his swimming pool for free...

Hello all! I have a pretty weird question. For the PADI Specialty Instructor certification, is it supposed to appear on our PADI membership page? Also, do we need to renew this each year as well? i.e. Nitrox instructor, do you need to renew this to be able to teach? Thanks!! I'm a newbie...

Hi, I just got my NAUI certification a month or two ago and though I have the mask, snorkel, booties, fins, and know which wetsuit I'll be getting formy local environment, I'm stuck on figuring out my BC, regulator, and dive computer. I'm only NAUI open water (60-feet) certified, but will do...