fireboy6413
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Hello everyone, i am new here, I want to start by introducing myself. I am 23 years old and looking to get in to this wonderful sport. If you have any ideas for me that would be great. Thank You
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jazzyj8
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Just do it. I put it off for years and finally decided to get it done. I did my certification dives last weekend and I have plans to dive every weekend for over the next month! I just can't get enough. You will love it, so just jump right in.
Make sure you do a proper certification course and have fun
Make sure you do a proper certification course and have fun
I love scuba diving.
When my husband and I found out we were moving to Hawaii, he suggested getting scuba certified.
I told him no way, I was so scared. I never even thought about it again.
Then once I started working for a boat sightseeing company, I started learning more about scuba thru a dive shop company we did some work with. The dive instructor invited me to come try scuba. I got my best friend to go with me and I have to be honest, I FREAKED out on my first dive. My instructor had to hold my hand the whole time! After that first dive I had pretty much decided that scuba was not for me and I was never going again.
Thankfully my pride was bigger then my fear, so I tried scuba a second time. I was hooked. I am now a DM and working for the same scuba company that got me past my fear.
I now love scuba and am always telling my instructor from that day, that without him I would never have been able to do it again.
Sooooo GET IN THE WATER!!!! You will love it!
When my husband and I found out we were moving to Hawaii, he suggested getting scuba certified.
I told him no way, I was so scared. I never even thought about it again.
Then once I started working for a boat sightseeing company, I started learning more about scuba thru a dive shop company we did some work with. The dive instructor invited me to come try scuba. I got my best friend to go with me and I have to be honest, I FREAKED out on my first dive. My instructor had to hold my hand the whole time! After that first dive I had pretty much decided that scuba was not for me and I was never going again.
Thankfully my pride was bigger then my fear, so I tried scuba a second time. I was hooked. I am now a DM and working for the same scuba company that got me past my fear.
I now love scuba and am always telling my instructor from that day, that without him I would never have been able to do it again.
Sooooo GET IN THE WATER!!!! You will love it!
I see you are in NY and I saw the other post about agencies. I teach NAUI but I will tell you, find the instructor you are comfortable with. Also, don't just look at dive shops - there are plenty of independent instructors teaching out there that you might want to try tracking down. Get certified in your neck of the woods, there is nothing like the cold North Atlantic to make you into a diver. Also, use S/B as a resourse - learn to use the search function, and try not to post on very old threads. Welcome aboard, have fun, and I hope to see you in the water shortly.
Welcome to the boards...
Can't really add anything that Louma didn't say...Get out the phone book and call a few shops near you, then look them up online and see if there is anything you specifically like....
Before you choose, I would encourage you to talk to the instructors at the different shops and see how they act...As Louma stated, you want to find a good one and you can tell alot just by talking to them. If they act like "Mr I'm an instructor" then move on. The good ones will be very receptive to answer your questions and help you get started.
Look at their attitude...You can probably get a good idea when you first tell them....I'm interested in getting certified...
Best wishes....
Can't really add anything that Louma didn't say...Get out the phone book and call a few shops near you, then look them up online and see if there is anything you specifically like....
Before you choose, I would encourage you to talk to the instructors at the different shops and see how they act...As Louma stated, you want to find a good one and you can tell alot just by talking to them. If they act like "Mr I'm an instructor" then move on. The good ones will be very receptive to answer your questions and help you get started.
Look at their attitude...You can probably get a good idea when you first tell them....I'm interested in getting certified...
Best wishes....
Aloha, Fireboy and welcome to SB! I second the info posted above and went and found an old post from Walter (ScubaBoard Guru) that I thought was very helpful and is something I now pass on to my potential students. It is all a direct quote from one of his older posts but I think it is all very applicable to someone like yourself who is just getting into diving. Walter, I hope you don't mind!
Here it is:
Take your time to research and find the best instructor in your area. Next, take time to complete the course. A good course will last several weeks. Don't rush this, it's something you can spend the rest of your life enjoying.
How do I find an above average course and how will I know I've found it?
Interview potential instructors. Most people never ask any questions beyond price. As the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for." Excellent instructors will usually have a higher priced class for a number of reasons. The instructor is dedicated toward providing you all the time you need to master necessary knowledge and skills. Extra pool time can be expensive. Keep in mind; the instructor is trying to make a living. His time is valuable.
Consider alternatives. While many instructors teach through dive shops, some of the best are independent instructors or affiliated with colleges, universities or YMCA's.
Questions to ask the instructors:
How long have you been teaching? Most instructors improve over time. They learn new techniques and get ideas from other instructors and through experience to improve their classes.
Do you certify all your students? Only instructors who are in a hurry and care nothing about your safety will answer yes. You want an instructor who will require you to be safe and knowledgeable before issuing a c-card. An excellent instructor might tell you that he is willing to keep working with a student until the student either qualifies or gives up.
What skin diving skills will I learn? While there is some disagreement on this point, many professionals believe a solid foundation in skin diving will not only make you a better SCUBA diver, it will make learning SCUBA easier.
Will I learn confidence-building skills? There are some skills which have no direct application to a typical dive, but which do build your confidence as well as your abilities. This, combined with an understanding of the panic cycle, will make you much less likely to panic.
Do you teach the panic cycle? Panic is the most dangerous aspect of diving. Many instructors do not understand panic and believe there is no way to combat it. In actuality, panic is understood. It is though learning the panic cycle and by increasing skill levels that panic is avoided.
Do your students swim with their hands? This will let you know if the instructor pays attention to details. Good divers do not use their hands for swimming.
Do you work on trim? Divers should usually be horizontal in the water. Good instructors will see that students are striving towards good trim. Poor instructors often neglect it.
Do you overweight your students? Many instructors overweight students. It is not a good practice.
What method do you use to correctly weight your students? Any answer that does not involve actually getting in the water means you want to avoid that instructor.
How many people will be in my class? Small classes are better. You'll have more individual attention. Unless the instructor is using certified assistants, more than four students are difficult to watch.
How many certified assistants will you be using? Unless the class is relatively large (more than 4 students) this should not be an issue. An instructor should have a certified Divemaster or Assistant Instructor for every two students over four. There are times when divers working on their Divemaster or Assistant Instructor certifications assist with a class. This is normal and not an issue, but they do not count toward the assistants an instructor should have when working with larger classes.
Will I be learning skills kneeling on the pool bottom or mid-water? This question is not critical, but will let you know if you've found an instructor who has a great deal on the ball. The over whelming majority of instructors (even good instructors) teach skills kneeling on the bottom. Don't eliminate instructors who do. Some instructors have realized your mask will flood while you are swimming, not when you are sitting on the bottom. You need to learn skills in the manner in which you'll be using them.
Do you dive for fun or just when you are teaching? Instructors who've stopped diving for fun are burned out.
Questions to ask yourself:
Is the instructor patient? While talking with your potential instructor, you should be getting a feel for his personality. Patience is an important quality for an instructor. You want to avoid instructors with a drill sergeant demeanor.
Would I be happier learning from a man or a woman? Only you can answer that question, but in general it is not usually a serious consideration. There are excellent instructors and there are poor instructors. Men and women fall into both groups.
Here it is:
Take your time to research and find the best instructor in your area. Next, take time to complete the course. A good course will last several weeks. Don't rush this, it's something you can spend the rest of your life enjoying.
How do I find an above average course and how will I know I've found it?
Interview potential instructors. Most people never ask any questions beyond price. As the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for." Excellent instructors will usually have a higher priced class for a number of reasons. The instructor is dedicated toward providing you all the time you need to master necessary knowledge and skills. Extra pool time can be expensive. Keep in mind; the instructor is trying to make a living. His time is valuable.
Consider alternatives. While many instructors teach through dive shops, some of the best are independent instructors or affiliated with colleges, universities or YMCA's.
Questions to ask the instructors:
How long have you been teaching? Most instructors improve over time. They learn new techniques and get ideas from other instructors and through experience to improve their classes.
Do you certify all your students? Only instructors who are in a hurry and care nothing about your safety will answer yes. You want an instructor who will require you to be safe and knowledgeable before issuing a c-card. An excellent instructor might tell you that he is willing to keep working with a student until the student either qualifies or gives up.
What skin diving skills will I learn? While there is some disagreement on this point, many professionals believe a solid foundation in skin diving will not only make you a better SCUBA diver, it will make learning SCUBA easier.
Will I learn confidence-building skills? There are some skills which have no direct application to a typical dive, but which do build your confidence as well as your abilities. This, combined with an understanding of the panic cycle, will make you much less likely to panic.
Do you teach the panic cycle? Panic is the most dangerous aspect of diving. Many instructors do not understand panic and believe there is no way to combat it. In actuality, panic is understood. It is though learning the panic cycle and by increasing skill levels that panic is avoided.
Do your students swim with their hands? This will let you know if the instructor pays attention to details. Good divers do not use their hands for swimming.
Do you work on trim? Divers should usually be horizontal in the water. Good instructors will see that students are striving towards good trim. Poor instructors often neglect it.
Do you overweight your students? Many instructors overweight students. It is not a good practice.
What method do you use to correctly weight your students? Any answer that does not involve actually getting in the water means you want to avoid that instructor.
How many people will be in my class? Small classes are better. You'll have more individual attention. Unless the instructor is using certified assistants, more than four students are difficult to watch.
How many certified assistants will you be using? Unless the class is relatively large (more than 4 students) this should not be an issue. An instructor should have a certified Divemaster or Assistant Instructor for every two students over four. There are times when divers working on their Divemaster or Assistant Instructor certifications assist with a class. This is normal and not an issue, but they do not count toward the assistants an instructor should have when working with larger classes.
Will I be learning skills kneeling on the pool bottom or mid-water? This question is not critical, but will let you know if you've found an instructor who has a great deal on the ball. The over whelming majority of instructors (even good instructors) teach skills kneeling on the bottom. Don't eliminate instructors who do. Some instructors have realized your mask will flood while you are swimming, not when you are sitting on the bottom. You need to learn skills in the manner in which you'll be using them.
Do you dive for fun or just when you are teaching? Instructors who've stopped diving for fun are burned out.
Questions to ask yourself:
Is the instructor patient? While talking with your potential instructor, you should be getting a feel for his personality. Patience is an important quality for an instructor. You want to avoid instructors with a drill sergeant demeanor.
Would I be happier learning from a man or a woman? Only you can answer that question, but in general it is not usually a serious consideration. There are excellent instructors and there are poor instructors. Men and women fall into both groups.
Aascubagirl has some great info! Just be glad you're starting as a young man. You have a lifetime of wonderful experiences ahead of you. Pay attention to the safety training, relax, and enjoy every minute. There's no such thing as a bad dive.
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