Baltimore, Maryland new diver

[fairhairedmenace]

Hi
I've been cold water quarry diving since November 2008, and just received my Advanced Open Water certification in May. I've finished 13 dives, all of them in quarries within 3 hours drive of Baltimore. I dive in a rented wetsuit, rented gear, and with a dive master. I don't have a dive buddy, nor do I know anyone who is a diver.

May I ask a few questions, please?

I am focusing on practicing and maintaining my basic open water skills. The most important thing for me is to practice practice practice, especially buoyancy and emergency skills.

As a marathon runner, I've had excellent support and interactivity with other runners of different skills. Because I am part of an ongoing training team, I know what's expected of me, I have coaches interacting with me and my teammates, and there is a logic to all of this.

I'm having difficulty learning (please excuse me) the waters. Because going out to a site requires a buddy you can really trust, and someone who will watch over the newbie diver, I am hesitant to simply show up at a site and hope.

How do I practice in the fall and winter?

Thank you so much,
FairHaired Menace

 

[Lee Taylor]

I will share some of my personal philosophies. First off, a diver needs to be self reliant. Its good to have a dive pal or buddy, but don't ever depend on them to save you. They are there as a last resort. Learn how to save yourself in a time of need. Once you become self reliant, you can dive solo if necessary. I always prefer to dive with others. Can I dive solo and feel confident that I am comming back to the surface alive and well? The answer to that question is YES.

Finding a dive pal is always difficult prior to a dive. Although, when you show up at a site or dive boat, there is always a diver or divers that will allow you to hook-up with them.

Congrats on the AOW. Come on down to the Carolina's one season and do some offshore diving. Check out the link below

 

[fairhairedmenace]

Lee,
Thanks so much for your post. Two questions, please. How do I become self-reliant? Is pool practice a good strategy for this?

Tell me more about the Carolinas scuba group-- in order to look around, I must join the group, yes?

Nancy

I will share some of my personal philosophies. First off, a diver needs to be self reliant. Its good to have a dive pal or buddy, but don't ever depend on them to save you. They are there as a last resort. Learn how to save yourself in a time of need. Once you become self reliant, you can dive solo if necessary. I always prefer to dive with others. Can I dive solo and feel confident that I am comming back to the surface alive and well? The answer to that question is YES.

Finding a dive pal is always difficult prior to a dive. Although, when you show up at a site or dive boat, there is always a diver or divers that will allow you to hook-up with them.

Congrats on the AOW. Come on down to the Carolina's one season and do some offshore diving. Check out the link below