What would you do differently ...
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pros and cons like everything but I got very lucky with my initial training
I would have liked to have been certified earlier in college. If I had done that though, I probably wouldn't have met one of my best friends who ended up marrying my wife and I. Would have been nice to start a year earlier, but it wouldn't have been worth risking that friendship
I did have the advantage of learning at a university with an ultimate focus on preparation for technical training, so I haven't actually taken an frivolous classes and with that, I also saved a lot of money on gear with most of the gear I purchased still being with me today. I have two gear decisions I regret. One was selling my first set of Poseidon regs, though they have since been replaced 6x over. The other was not getting my DSS long backplate almost a decade ago. Pros and cons with that. I probably wouldn't have gone sidemount as early as I did and may not have done my cave training in sidemount, but I would have been a lot more comfortable in backmount.
I would have liked to have been certified earlier in college. If I had done that though, I probably wouldn't have met one of my best friends who ended up marrying my wife and I. Would have been nice to start a year earlier, but it wouldn't have been worth risking that friendship
I did have the advantage of learning at a university with an ultimate focus on preparation for technical training, so I haven't actually taken an frivolous classes and with that, I also saved a lot of money on gear with most of the gear I purchased still being with me today. I have two gear decisions I regret. One was selling my first set of Poseidon regs, though they have since been replaced 6x over. The other was not getting my DSS long backplate almost a decade ago. Pros and cons with that. I probably wouldn't have gone sidemount as early as I did and may not have done my cave training in sidemount, but I would have been a lot more comfortable in backmount.
WinfieldNC
Contributor
I was certified when I was 12 years old because my dad was an avid diver and encouraged me to. I really wish I would have appreciated the opportunities I was given then. When you're a kid a lot of times you don't realize how good you have it. I'm 40 now and wish I would have dived more consistently through out my life.
Chip Elliott
Connecticut Yankee
Great thread!
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I would not have taken 17 years off between 1980 and 1997, of course, I was very busy, doing other important things.....
Dish
Are you for Scuba?
^^^^ this appears to be a common theme. Hopefully new divers take this to heart.
Like others, I wish I had started earlier. I saw a friend go through the training in 1985, and it looked like a lot of work and a lot of gear. It took him six weeks. But I bet he got good training. When I finally got around to it in 1997 I found the training pretty easy. But I felt it was rushed and inadequate to prepare me to dive on my own.
I was certified in 1972 in San Diego, NASDS.
Weeks of classroom and pool and 5 open water dives for the basic check out.
Great instruction, and good follow up, rescue, compass course, night diver etc.
At the time I lived 3 houses in from the ocean off Wind N Sea beach in La Jolla.
I was diving every weekend.
I would not change much, except I am a bit envious of those who were certified in their
teen years, My sons were.
I do agree with Lorenzoid, that the "quick courses' have not done a good job of preparing
new divers to be completely confident on their own.
Weeks of classroom and pool and 5 open water dives for the basic check out.
Great instruction, and good follow up, rescue, compass course, night diver etc.
At the time I lived 3 houses in from the ocean off Wind N Sea beach in La Jolla.
I was diving every weekend.
I would not change much, except I am a bit envious of those who were certified in their
teen years, My sons were.
I do agree with Lorenzoid, that the "quick courses' have not done a good job of preparing
new divers to be completely confident on their own.
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