I Passed OW, Thanks SB.

[MBH]

I passed with flying colors and even made some really good progress with my buoyancy control. SB has been a great help as I've read hundreds of posts over the last month, many of them were very educational and enlightening. Reading SB prompted me to learn a great deal more than what was required for my OW cert.

Now I'm trying to decide about AOW. I'm presently diving a Knighthawk, but....a BP/W HOG rig makes MUCH more sense to me now. (so does DIR and GUE) Here are my questions; Should I go on and complete AOW in my BC and then change over to a BP/W or should I go BP/W before I pass OW?

I'm aware that I am a VERY inexpierienced diver but I honestly do believe that DIR or GUE is the way to go. I'd rather fail a GUE F class than get passed by a recreational agency that "almost" never fails anybody.

Thanks in advance
Brent

 

[fisherdvm]

I would load your AOW, deep dive specialty, and rescue diver as soon as you can. I believe that the more supervised diving you have, the better of a diver you become.

I am against waiting for 50 or 60 dives before you sign for more classes. Do it now... The folks who argues that AOW should be done later are often the same one that said that current OW courses are too watered down...

 

[Missdirected]

I would load your AOW, deep dive specialty, and rescue diver as soon as you can. I believe that the more supervised diving you have, the better of a diver you become.

I am against waiting for 50 or 60 dives before you sign for more classes. Do it now... The folks who argues that AOW should be done later are often the same one that said that current OW courses are too watered down...

I agree. Do it now, so you can start forming good habits.

As for the BP/W you seem to have done your research. I'd get the BP/w now and get on with it. May as well get used to what you are going to wearing. Why get comfy training with something only to swap it in the near future.

 

[Ben_ca]

Congrats....

As for the next step?

Dive.... Just dive... Dive with as many people you can and pick mentors that dive the way you envision your self diving.... If you are truely interested in DIR just look around for mentors.... I know there are some around your are (DIR-Atlanta for one).... Most DIR guys are more than willing to take on a ward if you are willing to listen.

Good luck and keep diving.

 

[UWupnorth]

I would get the BP/W now and practice with it.

 

[scarefaceDM]

DO not bother changing rigs yet..get your advanced and rescue, after that dive the crap out of your gear, in the process...look into DIR-Fundamentals if that is where ya want to go. If so...as mentioned above..hook up with a few DIR divers to get a heads up...and from there..you will cross over to the dark side...


Safe dives
Stephen

 

[oldtimer]

Experience is the best teacher...dive as much as you can , in as many different situations as you can , with as many different divers as you can and most importantly...at your own pace . Stay comfortable and keep it fun .

 

[Diving Doc]

Many congrats and welcome to the world of diving.....as everybody else has said....can in there and get wet and get wet again.

Above all be safe and enjoy it, whichever way you decide to go

 

[Peter Guy]

I'm admittedly quite biased, but I think you are making some good decisions.

I'd get the BP/W now and dive it, and dive as much as you can. I second the recommendation to look for some DIR mentors in your area. In my experience, DIR folks are MORE than willing to help the honestly interested, with or without the required gear. Even before you standardize your equipment, there is a lot you can begin to learn about buoyancy, trim, and situational awareness.

I took Fundies about 60 dives, and it was as early as the class would have been useful to me. My two classmates who were well below that in experience found the class more frustrating than productive, I think. Although you may not do a "deep" dive in Fundies, you'll learn more about the things you need to do one safely than you will in AOW. You'll learn about gas planning for deeper dives, and you'll learn a rational ascent strategy as well. I didn't get either of those things from AOW, or from my "deep" specialty class, either.

I would recommend Rescue, though. Although "toxing diver" has been added to some of the DIR classes, PADI Rescue teaches a lot of other things. Aside from OW (which, after all, got me under the water!) Rescue was the best non-DIR class I have taken.

(Edited to add: For reasons beyond me, this computer insists on attributing all my posts to my husband. Anybody who knows us, knows this is the Borg Queen speaking -- TSandM)

 

[dsteding]

(Edited to add: For reasons beyond me, this computer insists on attributing all my posts to my husband. Anybody who knows us, knows this is the Borg Queen speaking -- TSandM)

Sheesh, for a second there, I had to look outside to see if cats were dancing with dogs, or if the end of the world had come . . .