What to expect on a checkout dive?

[Bubbletrubble]

But thinking about it further, I should always wear daily wears since there is always the chance I'll need to clear my mask if for no other reason than it fogged up or I want to practice.

@Juardis: You don't need to do a full mask flood or a mask remove/replace in order to clear up a fogged mask.
Just let a little water into the mask, look down so that the tiny amount of water washes over the lenses, then clear the water out of there. Easy. No water should ever touch your contacts.

FWIW, I was going to suggest that you use daily-wear contacts for diving.

I don't blame you for being a little anxious about a checkout dive on vacation. After all, you've just been recently certified.
Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about any skill checks that the resort operator may incorporate into the checkouts. Funnily enough, a newly certified diver is better equipped to successfully complete such checkouts than an out-of-practice diver who was certified years ago. Those are the folks that the resort operator are really concerned about.

 

[MrsBBC]

For me the check out dive after traveling a few thousand miles by air to some new location is welcomed too in that I can double check my gear is working after traveling, plus if allowed it gives me an opportunity to check my camera gear is also functioning correctly.

The Instructor or DM should be assessing primarily buoyancy however on my recent trip to Sipadan we had one diver that was totally new and had no clue about buoyancy and IMHO should not have been allowed to dive at Sipadan until after having some further instruction.

I can echo both parts to your post. The check out dive can be a wonderful thing for making sure my gear has survived the flight and that I am correctly weighted. It also provides me an oportunity so eye up the other divers I will likely be diving with.

Sipadan, was a real eye opener. I got the impression that overconfident and under experienced divers go to Sipipadan becasue they read somewhere that it is the best, and they want it for their logbook. The things I saw from divers at Sipadan/Mabul was.... something I have not seen so concentrated anywhere else.

Also, the check out dive for Sipadan was sooo rushed, despite my repeated efforts to suggest that I dive later because later instead so everyone else could get in the water. Unlike the majority of divers in my group using hire kit, I had the individual components of my backplate and wing, and all my hoses separate from the first stage, to pull out of my rucksack, un bubble rap, and put together. Wow, i relished difference between the funny/irritated looks from the instructors/dms, and the curious looks from the guest divers, who werent in the least bit bothered that I was slowign them down, but instead had loads of questions about my 'weird' rig.

 

[dark rider]

This thread certainly is an interesting read! I just completed my OW cert and checkout dives, and wear disposable contacts as well. Personally, in freshwater, like the quarry I did my checkout dives in, I had no probelms opening my eyes without a mask. My instructor was a little surprised when I did the free swim (NAUI) in the pool without the mask or goggles. They also made us swim beside them in full gear without our mask, then handed it back and we did a full mask clear. I'm so used to swimming with contacts that I've learned how to squint just enough underwater to keep them from popping out. Saltwater stings a bit, but is pretty much the same thing. I use the Acuvue Oasis, and I need to rinse/soak them afterwards with my multipurpose saline solution, but I haven't found that it reduces their usable life any.

I think explorer08 poses some pretty interesting arguments. Me personally, as a new diver, would have no arguments demonstrating any skills required to dive a specific site. However, I can understand the point that if we have full faith in the various certifying agencies and instructors that they should not be passing students who cannot perform the skills, then the idea of a skills test seems pretty silly. I think it makes sense and seems more reasonable for them to lead you on a benign/shallow dive to get your weighting/buoyancy and any gear issues sorted on the first day, but that alone should give them a sense of how comfortable you are in the water.