Planning first dive trip since checkout dives. Thoughts or recommendations?

[phoenix31tt]

from a beginner perspective, 3 dives a day is what we aim for... 2 am + 1pm or night... judging by fatigue afterward i could've easily made 4 but my gf couldnt...

so to be on the safe side it may be best to plan for 3 a day (so for you that will be 5 total... 3 first day, 2 second day)

 

[Peter Guy]

A couple of comments from the peanut gallery. (No advice as to where to dive since I've only done cave dives in N. Florida and a couple of days of diving off West Palm Beach that were NOT dives suitable for a newly minted Open Water Diver.)

a. First Comment -- You nitrogen loading will probably be totally irrelevant so it shouldn't matter whether you are breathing 21%, 32% or whatever. If you do, in fact, keep your dives to a max depth of 40(ish) feet, the NDLs are so long even on air that you won't be bothered. ON THE OTHER HAND, what WILL bother you is not your N2 loading but your air (gas) supply. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING for you is to closely monitor your pressure so that you will always be able to safely surface with enough gas to handle emergencies.

This was a comment that was driven home to me by my favorite instructor when, during an intro-to-technical diving class, he was asked by the boat captain, "Do you have enough NDL time for your next dive?" The instructor's response was to us (students) -- "He just asked the wrong question. The question he should have asked was, Do I have enough gas to do the next dive." In almost every case (hell, in every case), the most important question is, "Do I have enough gas to do the dive?"

b. Second comment -- HAVE FUN and take it easy. The water has been there for a very long time and will be there tomorrow.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

. Is 6 tanks pushing it? Not on the dives you are planning

2. Air or Nitrox? Either. Air will be fine

3. Where should we go? Verro Beach, Lauderdale, or Keys? Definitely the KEYS- great choice for your first "real dives."

4. Any dive ops/spots you can recommend? Ocean Divers, Horizon Divers- lots of good options.
DIvemasterDennis

 

[Reck Diver]

My girlfriend and I got our OW certs a couple weeks ago and are planning our first dive mid January to Florida's east coast (Vero beach or Lauderdale) or going down to Key Largo and checking out the Molasses reef. We are thinking driving Saturday morning and doing an AM 2 tank dive, lunch, then go out for the afternoon trip (2 tank). Staying the night, and doing one more trip out (2 tanks) Sunday morning before driving back home.

The dives will mostly be 25'-40' reef dives to start out easy and get comfortable.

So a couple questions right off the bat.

1. Is 6 tanks pushing it?

2. Air or Nitrox?

3. Where should we go? Verro Beach, Lauderdale, or Keys?

4. Any dive ops/spots you can recommend?

Any suggestions at all are welcomed and appreciated!

Thanks everyone

1. No, not at all
2. Nitrox (32) ask me why another time
3. Keys (more opportunities to dive in 25-40' range - than go out deeper when you're comfortable)
4. In Key Largo the ops are all more similar than different. / The Ops in the Keys know them all.

Relax, Never Stop Breathing, Dive Slow and Take Your Time Ascending. Remember Its better to be 3 lbs heavy than 1 oz light. Putting air in you BCD is easier than putting rocks in your pockets. Watch the scenery and your partner, and occasionally your gauge. Watch some youtube videos on catching lobster, purchase a License, snare and catch bag. Take them to Lazy Days Restaurant at MM 80 and have them cook them for your dinner. Thank me when you get back.

 

[Damselfish]

6 tanks in 1.5 days isn't pushing it if you had a little more experience, especially for shallow dives like that you're unlikely to be pushing any NDLs. It's common enough for people on dive trips to do 4-5 dives a day. But as new divers, you will probably find this schedule tires you out, especially since you're presumably getting up fairly early to drive and make it to the boat the first morning, then you have to drive home the second afternoon. Being out in the sun on the water, hauling stuff around, new situations, will all contribute to this. Nitrox may help some with the fatigue and won't hurt, if you don't mind paying for it, but probably won't get you any more bottom time.

If possible, I'd try not to commit to the afternoon dives in advance and see how you feel, especially if bookings are such that you can probably get on at the last minute. Or see if there is a boat that does just one tank in the afternoon, though in the keys with the distance it is out to the sites I don't know if ops do that. A single shore dive if you're someplace that has that (not Key Largo) is a thought but good chance you'll find shore diving more tiring that boat diving, at least right now.

 

[mntlblok]

My girlfriend and I got our OW certs a couple weeks ago and are planning our first dive mid January to Florida's east coast (Vero beach or Lauderdale) or going down to Key Largo and checking out the Molasses reef. We are thinking driving Saturday morning and doing an AM 2 tank dive, lunch, then go out for the afternoon trip (2 tank). Staying the night, and doing one more trip out (2 tanks) Sunday morning before driving back home.

The dives will mostly be 25'-40' reef dives to start out easy and get comfortable.

So a couple questions right off the bat.

1. Is 6 tanks pushing it?

2. Air or Nitrox?

3. Where should we go? Verro Beach, Lauderdale, or Keys?

4. Any dive ops/spots you can recommend?

Any suggestions at all are welcomed and appreciated!

Thanks everyone

Sounds like yer doing some good planning and asking good questions. Also sounds like yer getting good advice here. I'm in the camp that the six dives in two days at the depths yer talking about is not a problem. You strike me as the type who's going to get the most out of his time on his trip. Someone brought up staying warm between dives. I agree, but don't have any advice to offer. Agnostic on the Nitrox. Might be worth it just for the experience of dealing with it and reinforcing yer training.

Whilst I dive the Blue Heron Bridge almost exclusively, I don't think I'd want to try that until I had already seen all the cool stuff that the reefs have to offer. Same with attempting shore dives in the Lauderdale/Pompano Beach area. I find that shore diving has some "specialty" aspects of its own.

I *really* like the idea of keeping the dives under 40 feet. Other options for that kind of depth are Miami and Biscayne Bay. My one trip out in Biscayne Bay was something like 14 feet max, but it was the most pristine reef I've seen in Florida. The dive op in Miami with which I'm familiar is [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][SIZE=-1]RJ Diving Ventures[/SIZE][/FONT]. The dives I did with them were shallow enough that my air outlasted my one hour or so time limit. Miami or Biscayne Bay could be done on yer way back home the second day from Key Largo, but I'd think it would be simpler to continue in Key Largo. The boat trip out in Key Largo is longer than one might expect and sea sickness on the ride is not rare. Just ignore it as part of the fun, puke with style (down-wind), and know that it will go away once back in the water, if not sooner (for most).

Sounds like y'all are gonna have a great time. I'd go for getting in as many shallow dives as you can on the trip. If the girlfriend can't handle it, well, there's other girls out there. (Just kidding)

 

[herbdb]

Go for your original dive plan. I am 66 years old and do four a day in the keys. It should not be that taxing. Take enough drinks for both trips and your lunch as you may not have much time to go buy something after the morning trip.

There are great dives in the less than 40 foot range in Key Largo and many fine operators but for a newbee I would recommend Rainbow Reef. I like their operation and they will provide a guide free of charge. They know where the neat stuff hides and can point out a lot of interesting things.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

First, I recommend Key Largo/Tavernier. Vero/West Palm/Ft. Lauderdale are deeper dives, in stronger currents and better once you have more experience. The keys reefs are beautiful and all of your dives can be 40' or less. By far the best choice for new divers. For the first day, I recommend an op that will put a dive master in the water, at least for your first day. If conditions are benign (clear and not much current) then no reason you cannot dive on your own the second day.

In the keys, 6 tanks in 1.5 days is not a problem if you are basically fit. You will sleep well!

I use nitrox on all my dives deeper than 20'. I am 55 and it does seem to lessen fatigue. Also, worth it to reinforce your training.

Lots of great ops in the Keys. I would go with a smaller one as you will get more personalized service and assistance with gear, etc. Rainbow Reef has a top reputation. Another is Quiesence, which only runs boats limited to 6 divers. At Quiesence, however, you will need to call them to arrange a dive guide in the water with you. However, if you have already contacted a shop and are happy, stick with them by all means.

Most Keys ops do not put a divemaster in, or if they do, it is for the whole group. Check with the shop. For your first morning dives, you might consider arranging a personal dive guide who is dedicated only to the two of you. That can give a good comfort level and also is nice because you have someone familiar with the sites and who can help with navigating and bouyancy if necessary. After that, it is up to you whether you want to dive on your own. Check with whatever shop you use, as they all can arrange this.

 

[bilsant]

Why limit yourself? If you stay in Lauderdale, you can beach dive or take one of the dive ops there for some offshore wrecks and reefs, drive an hour north or less for the big pelagics off Jupiter or the tiny macro stuff at Blue Heron Bridge, or drive south for an hour or so and hit the upper Keys for all the they have to offer. One day at each location would be my idea of fun.

Another thought is if you're going to stay in one place, you can do the course work ahead of time and do the dives for AOW over your vacation.

 

[uncfnp]

OK, no lobsters on your first dives. I've seen some really intelligent and safety conscience divers (me) become a child under water, chasing a particular large bug across the ocean floor! Wait until you've got a few (100) dives under your weight belt.