Fail! Weekend Certify-

[GI0Ria]

And when you don't have a mentor, scubaboard.com is the next best thing. Very good advice, Incubus34.

Thank you all! Just like that it should of been, a good mentor! eee lesson learned. Yeah I have been away a little... I lead a busy life eee Most of us do, I haven't had time to get back out to do the Scuba business yet cry for me.. ha or feel sorry for me. My school semester officially finished yesterday, but I will take a summer class :/ and guess what??? My son graduates h.s. in 2 weeks so it's been a crazy last few months.
I appreciate everyones support. I need to find someone more local to do the last dives! But really I'd like to talk to SSI It has been something I haven't wanted to dive (ha) into yet, with everything else going on. IM still interested tho! I dig it! OK OK Ya all will see me out there in the water soon

 

[knowone]

I can come diving with you when I finish building my balcony, and buy the mouthful of marbles for both of us. Well done.

 

[GI0Ria]

Are you done with your balcony yet? :blinking: heh You know that is a long way to come for a dive wouldn't you say?
Appreciate it though!

I can come diving with you when I finish building my balcony, and buy the mouthful of marbles for both of us. Well done.

 

[h90]

This last weekend in Feb. I went to do my Open Water Certify in Monterey. First off I wasn't notified by my Dive Shop that I was going to have to carry all my equipment and six tanks from Sacramento to Monterey in my Mustang. I went to exchange a mask 2 days before we left for Monterey, turned around to leave and learned I was forgetting all my gear. We were not informed that we wouldn't have time between dives to go get something to eat, so to bring food/ice chests etc... as well chairs/tarps, to lay out our gear. Once we got to the location in Monterey, it was raining- enough said. First dive I was left by myself on the top of the water still swimming to the float where my son waited for me, however all the instructors and the dive master was already down doing check offs. I was feeling a little clostophobic in the hood, first time I had one on, and a little anxiety because i was still swimming, my son looking down saying he couldn't see anyone. As I approached the float an instructor surfaced and told me to hurry and dove back down said he was going to check off some kids. By that time i was almost at hyperventilate stage, I got to the float and rested til i felt comfortable enough to go down, when an instructor surfaced I went down, however- it wasn't my buddy. The next dive my son and I were left on top of the water again and we were lost for about 5 mins. When they finally surfaced and we came out of the water my son was so sick from being nervous we couldn't do our last dive of the day. The following day- I had a different person/instructor helping me into swells around 10ft, it was during high tide, long story short I got flipped on my back, and got blamed for basically us getting hit by the wave. My finger was cut open bleeding all over- I didn't dive any further, my son finished two more dives. But didn't dive the last dive. The whole experience was HORRIBLE. What is more horrifying is I got to go back out there with this dive shop to finish my dives to certify. PLEASE if you are a new diver, ASK about every single detail of what is going to be expected of you with the equipment, and what is expected of you at the Ocean, and what you should bring to help with your comfort, if it is a all day thing. This was so awful, I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone. ** Please note*** I loved being under water it was awesome, --- just pick your people wisely!!

Any chance you can change the shop to a different one?

 

[DevonDiver]

h90.... check the dates

 

[knowone]

Are you done with your balcony yet? :blinking: heh You know that is a long way to come for a dive wouldn't you say?
Appreciate it though!

They say, you know, "them" that time works wonders, however, there is
no form of incantation that magically applies finishing coats to balconys.

Baywatch is on the background TV at the moment, so I've figured one day
I'm gonna have to sneak over there and have a drink and a burger with
the "Hoff."

Can you paint?

Still haven't bought the marbles, or had a shave and a haircut.

Cheers.

 

[NoDiver]

Have you finished your OW certification? If so, did you ever get your referrals or did you start from scratch?

 

[nelsonrl]

Hopefully the original poster will complete the certifications if she is really interested. It really is all about the students desire and the ability of the instructor to match his or her style to the individual students. The real trick in my opinion is matching that style to maybe 8 or 10 individuals in a class

My wife and I were lucky enough to have a very good instructor. The pool exercises went fine, but the instructor had a private conversation with us at the end of the confined water dives and suggested we do our open water dives in a private session. One of us was not a really strong swimmer (don't read this wrong, can get where we need to be in the water, but slowly). The instructor was concerned that we would lag behind the class in the open water session and not be comfortable. I am 6'4 and weigh over 225 lbs. My wife if 5'0 and about 100. So the fact that she can push me around in the diver assist exercises is a miracle, but she did it. Again, a little slower than someone with a more equally sized buddy.

We did the open water sessions a couple of weeks after the official class and have not looked back. This is a GREAT sport.

 

[GI0Ria]

thanks I second that, I think the dates are significant in forums

 

[GI0Ria]

I can paint as good as any 3rd grader