New diver in Florida gives a shout out!

[Amber]

Thank you for the tips and warm welcome everyone. It's nice to see people so open and nice to people new to a particular sport. When I joined other sports for the first time...everyone was like "yeah whatever".

JimC- I would never jump into anything without having the proper skills and know-how. I may be extremly adventurious and inquizitive, but I'm smart. I don't think my instructors would let me do anything dumb even if I tried. I hope I do have 50+ years of diving left in me.

Dennis- Wow, I never heard of that before but I will definatly take it into consideration. I don't want to end up with bad bones. I think I may limit my diving for a few years just to be safe. Like JimC said, I have a lot of time left to explore the underwater world.

Wendy- You know Jill and Paul? Awesome! I didn't get to meet them when I was taking my class because they were out doing diving God knows where. I look forward to having Jill as my instructor when I do start my cave classes in a few years.

Beth- Hammerheads are only really around durring tarpon season.

NetDoc- Thanks for the tip. It would be nice to dive with someone my own age for once. I do love diving with older people though because they generally have more experiance and I can learn a lot from what they do. But I'm always up for something new.

 

[The Chairman]

RE: NetDoc- Thanks for the tip. It would be nice to dive with someone my own age for once. I do love diving with older people though because they generally have more experiance and I can learn a lot from what they do. But I'm always up for something new.

The BSA requires that diving only be done with a Divemaster (or higher) for a BSA sanctioned dive. You will get the best of both worlds. My kids learn something every meeting and every dive. I see to it!

 

[Amber]

That sounds pretty cool. I'll try and see if there is one around here. Thanks Doc

 

[Rockhound]

Way to go on the certification!

I also learned to dive in my teens, over flubbbflub years ago, with my first OW at Pennecamp, and most of my dives those first years off Panama City (I lived in Columbus, GA).

Just last month, I was in PCB and the vis/diving was great. On one really nice morning, I hovered face up off the jetties in 65' of water and I could see the surface "clear as a bell". On that same dive I saw a big nurse shark and a ray with a wingspan greater than my arms. It was a hoot.

Generally, the viz in PCB will be 40 to 60', not murky, but not super clear. That is what I enountered on the rest of my dives. I'm not sure who you are diving with, but on my last trip, I used Panama City Dive Center. Gomez and his crew were great and the trips were very good. Hydrospace is another really good shop that I have used over the years and you can't go wrong with them, either.

You won't likely see schooling hammerheads or silkies in the northern gulf this summer or fall, but you might run across them in the winter, early next year. Where I live now, in Texas, they start schooling around the Flower Gardens in Jan/Feb. and continue up through April. I bet they follow a similar pattern thoughout the northern gulf (btw, they follow thermoclines, so the schools usually hang around bathymetric highs like reefs and domes).

As for "moving up" the diving skills ladder, heed the cautions regards going too deep or too technical too young, not only for the possibility of bone damage (the data is still coming in, but it is an acknowledged risk), but because I wouldn't want you to miss all the FUN of just diving just for the heck of it. Most of the best dives are in the shallower waters (some of my favorites have been VERY shallow), plus, if you are like I was at that age, you need a lot of training and practice before moving on to more technical arenas.

If you start pushing your limits too fast, you might find it is more akin to work than recreation, as you try to add to skills that aren't yet second nature.

As a teenager, I made dives in caves and really deep dives on air, thinking I was prepared, but only finding out later how much of an idiot I was.........mostly because I felt immortal. You have plenty of time to move through the ranks. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll be running your own dive operation. These days my dives are "advanced" recreational dives. I rarely plan deco and rarely go below 100'. But, I still have a lot of fun.

Have fun. It sounds like you'll be a great diver.

 

[Amber]

I used to snorkle a lot so I know there is some great things to see in shallow water. I think right now, because the sport is so new and exciting to me, I just want to explore and see eveything right away! Deep down inside I want to see how far I can push it. Thankfully, my brain , and good people, step in and remind me that doing it isn't such a good idea. I'll take it easy for a few years. Give myself a chance to not just be good at the basic scuba skills, butto be perfect at them. Then I'll move on to more technical stuff. :whack:

Where would I be if I didn't have more experianced people to whack me in the head a few times??

 

[DennisW]

You sound more mature than some adult divers I have seen out there. One of the best dives I have ever had was at the Blue Heron bridge in West Palm Beach. You don't have to pay for a boat ride and the max depth is about 15 ft if you dig into the sand. You start the dive about 30 minutes before high tide and end about 30 minutes after. Lots of interesting sea life to see, also lots of bristle worms, so be careful where you put your hands and stay off the bottom. I can't say it's my favorite dive, but it is right up there. Oh yes, don't venture into the waterway in the middle of the bridge. If you need a guide, e-mail Walter, he is usually up for a Blue Heron Bridge dive even if he has to drive all the way across the state. There are many good people to dive with in Florida. You'll find them on this board and at http://diverlink.com/forum

 

[Amber]

Thanks Dennis! I'll definatly look into diving out there. I'll be on that coast in a month or so anyways. And thanks for the link. It's not always easy to find someone to dive with. Especially when you're my age. oking:

 

[Ranz]

Hello and welcome Amber!
I am ready to move to FL so I can be closer to the water ;p
Ranz

 

[Amber]

Ranz..what part are you movin too? I hope you find Fla to your liking.
oking:

 

[DiverG]

Hi Amber, sounds like you are hooked on diving. Welcome to the underwater world.

DiverG