Do I need a Dive Master as a new OW certified?

[TSandM]

I'll start by saying that every diver, regardless of experience, is a beginner in a completely new environment. How well the diver can cope with new and different and possibly unexpected conditions depends in part on the diver's experience (the toolbox they bring to the dive) and the resources they have available to them.

A couple of years ago, my husband and I did a trip to West Palm Beach in Florida. We both had hundreds of dives and a LOT of training before we went, but we had never done "hot drops" (negative entries) into deep drift dives before. We paid very close attention to the briefings, and we had friends with lots of local experience with whom we were diving, who could give advice and accompany us. We were far from elegant, but we managed and had a ton of fun. Had I been a brand new diver in that situation, I would have been pretty apprehensive, and I don't know that things would have gone as well.

If you will have patient and experienced local buddies on your trip, I don't think you need to dive with a professional. But if you are going alone and don't know anyone, and you are brand new, it might be best to hire a companion for a dive or two, until you get your sea legs, so to speak. If your certification was done in inland fresh water, then the ocean itself will be new to you, and you will most likely have a better experience if you have a "certified competent" buddy whose attention is entirely on helping you have a good time and stay safe.

 

[Vicksburg Diver]

ANSWER: Whatever makes you feel comfortable!!!!! if you feel uneasy your first couple of dives, then by all means have a DM with you. Once you get your feet under you your confidence increases and you're off!!! I tell my students this all the time and I've even acted as a DM for many new divers and hear their responses. This is about having fun and being safe. Enjoy!

 

[namerg]

Thank Youuuu

 

[kelemvor]

Some folks here are tough. I remember being nervous as hell on my first post-cert dive. Comfort comes with experience, and to get that you've got to dive. Hire the DM if you don't want to dive without the comfort of one. Or find a more experienced buddy to dive with, or both.

Alternatively you can dive with another boat. Most boats in south FL provide a DM for "Free". The expectation is that you'll be a generous tipper, as the unpaid dm's don't' get a salary from what I understand. I usually go with a $20 tip for a 2 tank ride. Actually the custom is to tip even on boats that charge extra for dive masters.


It was most likely a false sense of security but I always felt better diving in larger groups early on. In fact, many here postulate that it is less safe.. "cattle boats" aka "newtons" usually will result in your diving with a large group.


Re: carrying the flag on a drift dive. It can be a PITA until you get used to it, but guess what? The guy carrying the flag is the one guy who's guaranteed to see the boat when he surfaces because the boat follows the flag. If the other divers followed the flag carrier then they'll be fine as well. Many ops I've dived with in that region require each buddy team to carry a flag.. I think that's a good practice.

 

[namerg]

Thank Youuuu [emoji120] I am all set and have built certain degree of confidence through this chat. Very helpful. I have booked the diving and all my questions were answered. I am good and I will post my first experience as a OW Diver Cert in the ocean. Thank You, Thank You all. Peace.

 

[RJP]

Thank Youuuu [emoji120] I am all set and have built certain degree of confidence through this chat. Very helpful. I have booked the diving and all my questions were answered. I am good and I will post my first experience as a OW Diver Cert in the ocean. Thank You, Thank You all. Peace.

Enjoy!

PS - don't over think it. Focus on having fun!

 

[1bubbleoff]

Name-

You've received some pretty matter of fact advice in nregards to your original question. I can understand your concerns and applaud you for asking a legitimate question and seeking counsel based on your comfort level. That tells me at the LEAST...your "planning" the dive so to speak.

That being said. I began diving in the Great Lakes. I was fortunate enough to have a friend who was a long time, well experianced dive Pro and veteran of many ocean based dives with me my first time in real salt water. It allowed me to focus on ME to a degree knowing I had a competant dive buddy my first ocean dives. Would I do it again?... your dammmed right I would. In a heartbeat.

I am a HUGE fan of Horizon divers in K.L. I also like Rainbow Reef as well. Your there to have fun and enjoy the dives. Hire a private DM for a few dives, or dive with Rainbow reef who will PROVIDE you one at no extra charge. All you have to do is simply ask. Be forthright with the Capt when you board, explain it's your first ocean dives, and ask if they will keep an eye on ya. Thats what they WANT to do. It's what you pay them for.

And they'll respect the helll outta ya for knowing your current limitations! They LOVE that.

I havn't read the entire thread, but I'm confident Pete or Elena havn't said a word...but...they LIVE there. Hire them as private dive guides. You'll see more, experiance the best of the area and have professional and competent dive buddy/'s.

Pssst....ask Elena to take ya to the Benwood!! Best dive in the keys!


Just my .02.

Have fun and dive safe!!! Best of luck.

Bubs

 

[namerg]

[emoji108] @1bubbleoff

 

[FinnMom]

Getting a better background before your trip is of course always a good idea. Esp. with some of the folks that want to help you, it would be a very worthwhile experience and more than a little fun for anyone.

But nonetheless, if you have they money for a DM and it would make it easier for you to NOT feel aprehensive, why not do it?! Doing what makes you less happy just to live up to someone else's idea of "tough enough" is silly. I suspect that many of us forget how very many of our first 20-100 dives were with a more experienced friend or family member or at least the same familar buddy/buddies. I suspect I've never done anything new or challenging (at least on purpose without the company of someone significantly more experienced than myself.

An experienced local can almost always teach anybody something worthwhile, and has vastly more to offer someone without a lot of experience. The DM is probably going to be a lot better at spotting critters, and may very well be able to tell you what these were, what they were doing & why. As long as he's good (not a Mr HurryUpHurryUp etc.), I love diving with a guide.

 

[Rich Keller]

It will be my first time scuba diving into the ocean. I found and operator according to Google reviews I called them but they do not offer a dive master unless you want it and pay. Obviously, I will have a buddy or they will assign it to me.

Question: Do I need to dive with the dive master as a newbie or my buddy will be enough ?

There are ops in the Keys that do not charge for a DM or guide. The only one I dove with so far is Sea Monkeys Watersports at MM80, a very good operator in my opinion. With an experienced buddy you should not need a DM but if you are going to be assigned an instabuddy you have no idea who you will get. If this is just going to be shallow water reef dives you probably do not need a DM but it depends on your comfort level. You are here to enjoy yourself and if having a DM with you that first time will help then do that.