One more class to go and the ow dive

[Rebelmarine62]

I have one more class to go and pool session this weekend and then I have to wait a month before I do my open water dives. I have brought most of all my gear and am still paying on the rest of it to the dive shop. I wAnt to start diving ASAP but can't cause the instructor is busy till June it just started gettin warm here also. My question I guess is what should I do wait till June or what also I don't now many people around here so he was gonna introduce me to some Local divers who dive a lot locally

 

[TSandM]

I'd talk to the instructor, and see if you can tag along with some other pool sessions between now and then. If he's running other classes, perhaps there's a DM who could hang with you in the pool and give you tips. Spending more pool time will help you dial in your buoyancy, and getting your new gear in the pool will help you get it adjusted and sorted out properly.

 

[Rebelmarine62]

Ya that's why I tried gettin all my gear during classes so I can get use to my gear and not used wore out gear. One of the reasons I'm not doin the open dives is he is busy all of may with other stuff but maybe he might have some classes I could tag along in. It's just frustrating dropping thousands on classes and gear and not been able to use it

 

[spectrum]

Take your mask, fins, snorkel, exposure protection and some weights to your local dive site and do a bunch of skin-diving. Spending time doing this will develop a great oral breathing technique, get you accustomed to fin propulsion and control and leave you entirely comfortable breathing with a wet face.

When it's time for your check-out dives you'll be adding the BC, cylinder and regulator and it will feel like you have been doing it forever in no time.

Also, fresh water does warm faster than the ocean but it still lags the air termperature, especially as you get away from the surface. Waiting until June is not all that bad.

More here.

Pete

 

[FinnMom]

Possible thread highjack but my question is related to the problem and might even inspire someone to do something!

Aren't there generally any clubs in the states? In Finland diving is very highly structured around local clubs. Clubs organize regular diving get-togethers (can be extremely informal, just a contact name for each week and the general knowledge that on Wed evening in the summer there will be a dive). Clubs also usually own & maintain a compressor/(s), maybe a zodiac or even nicer boat and possibly other fun toys: a chainsaw for ice, a couple tents, etc are all fun to have and at least cost-effective-level-profitable to be able to rent.

Of course our clubs also train a large percentage of divers, but I can guess that liability & insurance makes that an unsuitable function in the states. I suppose exactly the blame/damages legal culture makes a lot of what our clubs do unlikely to work in the USA, but don't you even have clubs to arrange regular diving get-togethers? With minimal planning there is a whole lot of diving to be done that doesn't require much travel, or admission costs or a boat.

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

I have one more class to go and pool session this weekend and then I have to wait a month before I do my open water dives. I have brought most of all my gear and am still paying on the rest of it to the dive shop. I wAnt to start diving ASAP but can't cause the instructor is busy till June it just started gettin warm here also. My question I guess is what should I do wait till June or what also I don't now many people around here so he was gonna introduce me to some Local divers who dive a lot locally

While you may want to do your open water with your instructor, you don't have to, you can always get a referral if you can find someone that's doing the course. or go down to Fla. But as others stated, go to the pool and practice, June isn't that far away.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The OP is in the extreme northern part of PA. Near the NY border. I'd be very surprised if there are any OW sites with temps suitable for skin diving/snorkeling in anything less than a dry suit. I won't take students into open water in my area until June unless they are also going to be diving dry. While standards state 15 minutes at 15 feet or thereabouts as a dive that's pure BS and the student gets nothing out of it. I try to make checkout dives at least 45 minutes each in duration and closer to an hour. You will not do that in PA this early in the year. Up where the OP is I'd guess their OW is likely in the high 30's to low 40's beneath the first thermocline that may be as shallow as ten feet. Best bet is pool work. Public schools with pools often have open swims. You can't take scuba gear in but they usually are very cool about mask, snorkel, and fins. It's how I ended up getting hired to teach the programs I am now doing for the local YMCA extension.

 

[CamG]

The water in the north this season is just starting to warm to 20-30 feet.
The thermocline needs to extend a bit more and the turn over needs to take place before water temps reach safe wet suit levels for training.
This is just my opinion but I have been in the water several times a week for the last three weeks and it is very cold 40º - 42º below 20'.
I am located far south of where the OP and Jim are speaking the water is taking its time worming up this year.

The pool skills are good to keep fresh on and would recommend keeping those going till OW.
I love the pool to give you an idea what 80º water can do after a couple hrs you are freezing as well!
Last weekend we did a 63 min run time with 25 min bottom time at 120' in our local site even in a dry suit I was freezing while hanging doing the deco.
When we got to 20' you could tell it was starting to warm so it is coming but needs some wind and warm air temps to get the turn over going and thermo cline balanced.
It is coming just a bit more time.

CamG

 

[LowDrag]

Rebelmarine62...that's a bummer that you have to wait until June. Good luck with your certification.

Possible thread highjack but my question is related to the problem and might even inspire someone to do something!

Aren't there generally any clubs in the states? In Finland diving is very highly structured around local clubs. Clubs organize regular diving get-togethers (can be extremely informal, just a contact name for each week and the general knowledge that on Wed evening in the summer there will be a dive). Clubs also usually own & maintain a compressor/(s), maybe a zodiac or even nicer boat and possibly other fun toys: a chainsaw for ice, a couple tents, etc are all fun to have and at least cost-effective-level-profitable to be able to rent.

Of course our clubs also train a large percentage of divers, but I can guess that liability & insurance makes that an unsuitable function in the states. I suppose exactly the blame/damages legal culture makes a lot of what our clubs do unlikely to work in the USA, but don't you even have clubs to arrange regular diving get-togethers? With minimal planning there is a whole lot of diving to be done that doesn't require much travel, or admission costs or a boat.

I can't speak for the east coast but out here in the Pacific Northwest we have a few of different clubs that organize scuba events but they do not teach diving. Our clubs are just that...clubs. People who get together and talk about diving and organizing dive functions. The Oregon Scuba Club that I am a member of also does things like fund raisers for buying dive buoys and other scuba related projects.