give us a break, would ya?

[Paco]

Every so often i read negative things on here about PADI certified divers, experienced divers not wanting to dive with newbies because they either cut your dive short or newbies don't have a clue.

today at a dive shop the salesperson and i were having a great conversation about area dives. we talked about where and when and that i was more than welcome to join them. when i told him i was a newly certified diver he sort of shrugged and asked "well where have you dove", when i stated that i had only done 2 dives after my certification, his tone changed, he stated "oh you're brand new, well you and your buddy will have to visit our dive sights", he walked away and disappeared into the office..

I have my Padi open water card, it means that i have "basic" knowledge of how things work. like most other things in life, i will get better with time, experience and helpful input from those with more experience.

so for those of you who have forgotten, you were once a rookie.



rant over.

I´m a Wisconsin neighbor. If you get over this way, I´ll take you diving.

Mike

 

[Snowbear]

Snowbear honey you're in Alaska, I think the newbies may be looking for slightly warmer water I understand the diving up there is really nice though.

Buncha wimps
The diving here can be fantastic.

 

[Azza]

Me too ... there's something satisfying about seeing someone get excited about the things more experienced divers take for granted. There's also something VERY satisfying about watching a diver improve from one dive to the next ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

What he said. Very well put.

If you are ever down in NZ, lemme know and I will take you to see my my mate the 10 foot Conger. Actually we are not quite sure how big he is because he is always so twisted up inside the reef but his head is HUGE! He puts the willies up my GF though...

 

[Diversauras]

I'm with the rest of the group mostly, I like diving with nOObs and I do a lot of it. I think some of your new diver enthusiasm transfers to me and I like that part too.

Maybe the answer to the original post would be to have the shop start arranging to have some of their experienced divers available to buddy up with the nuggets on some of the local dives. This would sure be an easy business case to make...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Maybe the answer to the original post would be to have the shop start arranging to have some of their experienced divers available to buddy up with the nuggets on some of the local dives. This would sure be an easy business case to make...

Back when I was a staff member at a local shop that's what we used to do. We had a whole program designed to get our newly certified divers in the water and excited about diving. It started with "coupons" the student received upon certification for 3 free gear rentals and air fills. We had monthly dives scheduled and organized specifically for newly certified divers, to get them diving. Shop staff made themselves available to dive with new divers ... both during those shop dives and on Sundays (when the store was closed). As an incentive to staff, the store owner based certain discounts to employees on their participation in the program.

Talk about a business case ... it was amazing how many of those new students ended up spending thou$and$ on equipment and follow-on classes.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Wristshot]

Remember that there are few things in life that cause you to really understand and really remember things than "teaching" to someone else.

We had an absolutely awful (and dangerous and idiotic) diver in our AOW class a few years back. (Some of you have heard of the infamous Ed the Diver) Watching him, teaching him and protecting him really helped ingrain a number of things for me.

The hoover you help mentor today, could end up being a great buddy down the road if you help them.



Wristshot

 

[Sideband]

Back when I was a staff member at a local shop that's what we used to do. We had a whole program designed to get our newly certified divers in the water and excited about diving. It started with "coupons" the student received upon certification for 3 free gear rentals and air fills. We had monthly dives scheduled and organized specifically for newly certified divers, to get them diving. Shop staff made themselves available to dive with new divers ... both during those shop dives and on Sundays (when the store was closed). As an incentive to staff, the store owner based certain discounts to employees on their participation in the program.

Talk about a business case ... it was amazing how many of those new students ended up spending thou$and$ on equipment and follow-on classes.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

My LDS also has monthly dives. We set them up as picnics on a Fri. afternoon from about 3pm to 11pm at the quarry. The quarry is cheaper to get into then and the shops club provides food. There has usually been some type of contest with prizes donated by the shop. The first one we did the shop owner went out and hid 10 chem-lights in various places and then we did a night dive to find them. Each light was worth a pick at a stack of prizes, one of which was a new reg.. This year looks to be a good one as well. One of the outings will be a lobster hunt. The shop is going to buy some lobsters and bag them up with salt water then hide the bags in the quarry. At the end of the hunt we cook em up and chow down. It has been a great way for all of the new divers to get back into the water and to meet new people to dive with. They also get to dive with the staff and just have a good time. That was how I did my first night dive.

Joe

 

[Web Monkey]

One of the outings will be a lobster hunt. The shop is going to buy some lobsters and bag them up with salt water then hide the bags in the quarry.

Doesn't seem very sporting.

Maybe you could put the lobsters in little hamster balls so they could roll away

Terry

 

[rollinssm]

Every so often i read negative things on here about PADI certified divers, experienced divers not wanting to dive with newbies because they either cut your dive short or newbies don't have a clue.

Rookie_J, Come on down to Georgia where the water is a little warmer than up there in Minnesota. Yes Snowbear, I am a wimp. I use a dry suit in Florida Springs. I started out diving in California with a 7mm and now I dive in the Florida Springs with a 905.

Also I have no problem with PADI certified divers. My wife and sons are PADI certified. They didn't want to have to put up with me as their instructor.

I own a LDS. Out of my shop I have instructos who teach PADI and YMCA. There are two of us who teach IANTD.

Some people get a little over board with such things. The idea behind diving is to have fun, and of course make sure the going ups match the going downs.

I'll dive with you. Maybe not down to 220 feet, we may want to stick around 60 and above but, heck hea there is a lot of good diving at that depth. Come on down!

 

[Sideband]

Doesn't seem very sporting.

Maybe you could put the lobsters in little hamster balls so they could roll away

Terry

Lol. Trust me. In the quarry with 10-15 foot vis max it will be plenty sporting. On the night dive searching for chem-lights we missed 2 of the suckers all together. The bottom never really seems to settle in spots and always has about a 6" silt layer.