Just Got My Certification

[drbill]

Welcome to the wonderful worlds down under and here on ScubaBoard

 

[Ankush Mittal]

Congratulations, I got my Open Water at Clear Springs as well about 10 years back. And Advanced somewhere else near by after that. But have only been utilizing my certifications now from the last year or two properly. Only piece of advice I have is what an owner of a 5 Star IDC gave me is - DIve Dive Dive! Just keep diving and perfecting your skills and getting comfortable in the water.

 

[AustinV]

Congrats, just recently finished my OW as well, excited that a whole new world has been opened up for me to explore!

 

[Themerrydiver]

Finally taking time to update. . I did my first shore dive! It was in SoCal at Catalina. Very different than boat dives for sure. The visibility wasn't great and the water is still pretty cool there at this time of year. BUT, I saw lots of kelp (for the first time) and fish I hadn't seen before. Great experience. I wore my full wetsuit, gloves and hood so I wasn't really cold. The only problem there was the amount of people in the water! Lots of crazy snorkelers and some other divers. It was apparent the the snorkelers were new to the sport since I had 2 of them sort of land on top of me just after I started too submerge into the water! My boyfriend and I make a quick escape and after that it was all good. Have to confess that I almost lost forever one of my jet fins! Accckkkkkk!! . My fault that I didn't realize the strength of the waves coming into shore. I waited a little too long and went a couple steps too far down on the entry stairs. I know better than to put my fins on in the water and as I was doing this, I lost a fin in the rocky water next to the stairs. I borrowed another fin and went diving. Then, by some miracle, someone found the fin and I heard him talking about it with other divers that were standing just behind me on shore!!! I got y fin back!! Woo Hoo!! I got lucky that time but know that I have to pay attention better in the future. I may not be so lucky again and I do love my jet fins!!

 

[Themerrydiver]

Congrats, just recently finished my OW as well, excited that a whole new world has been opened up for me to explore!

Congrats to you too! Isn't it an amazing thing to be down under! It's not like anything I've done before. I hope you have lots of great dives and see the wonders of the sea.

 

[AustinV]

Congrats to you too! Isn't it an amazing thing to be down under! It's not like anything I've done before. I hope you have lots of great dives and see the wonders of the sea.

Yes, its been a blast so far. Since posting in this thread I have done several shore dives during a trip to NC and it was a lot of fun. Enjoy yourself, stay safe, and keeping learning/diving.

 

[Themerrydiver]

Congratulations too! I was certified 3 years ago at 49. I enjoy it more and more with each trip I take.

It's almost never too old to learn to dive. My instructor told me that his oldest diver was not me, but rather an 80 year old man who had it on his bucket list! He simply HAD to try it. I'm 66 and in decent physical condition, so it really wasn't bad at all.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Finally taking time to update. . I did my first shore dive! It was in SoCal at Catalina. Very different than boat dives for sure. The visibility wasn't great and the water is still pretty cool there at this time of year. BUT, I saw lots of kelp (for the first time) and fish I hadn't seen before. Great experience. I wore my full wetsuit, gloves and hood so I wasn't really cold. The only problem there was the amount of people in the water! Lots of crazy snorkelers and some other divers. It was apparent the the snorkelers were new to the sport since I had 2 of them sort of land on top of me just after I started too submerge into the water! My boyfriend and I make a quick escape and after that it was all good. Have to confess that I almost lost forever one of my jet fins! Accckkkkkk!! . My fault that I didn't realize the strength of the waves coming into shore. I waited a little too long and went a couple steps too far down on the entry stairs. I know better than to put my fins on in the water and as I was doing this, I lost a fin in the rocky water next to the stairs. I borrowed another fin and went diving. Then, by some miracle, someone found the fin and I heard him talking about it with other divers that were standing just behind me on shore!!! I got y fin back!! Woo Hoo!! I got lucky that time but know that I have to pay attention better in the future. I may not be so lucky again and I do love my jet fins!!

I seem to recall that you did your first shore dive on Cozumel

Perhaps sometime soon we can go back to Casino Point with a large Goodie Bag and collect all the gear that people lost there. We'll just put up a big "Lost and Found" sign and post whatever isn't claimed here on SB. There is probably some big grouper down there taking videos of divers with a lost GoPro.

 

[pepperbelly]

Do you have spring straps on your fins?
I have them on my Jet fins and it makes putting them on and taking them off in the water much easier.

 

[Streydog]

Yes, its been a blast so far. Since posting in this thread I have done several shore dives during a trip to NC and it was a lot of fun. Enjoy yourself, stay safe, and keeping learning/diving.

I dove with a lady in Cozumel last month, she was 89. Smoked during the SI too.