Where was your first OW dive?

[Scuba_Jenny]

Was susposed to be a wreck off Ft. Lauderdale, but captain couldn't find the wreck in 5-7 seas (waves crashing over the roof of the boat), so we did a sand patch...er, I mean a reef at 70ft. I saw 2 butterfly fish within a minute of hitting the bottom and have been hooked ever since.

 

[Tractor Tom]

...but when I learned to dive, 25 years ago, we did ALL our work in the ocean. There wasn't any pool work.

We met at the park near the zoo in Honolulu, and did our "book" work sitting on the grass. Then got geared up and for the second part of each class, waded into the ocean and did skills training in 4-6' of water off Waikiki Beach.

We did our checkout dives, in Haunama Bay marine park, out the other side of the Diamond Head, and it was there, that we each completed a 30' free ascent to the surface.

For the final dive, I was buddied up with one of the girls in the class, and as we went into the water, she grabbed my hand. The farther from the beach we went, and the deeper we got, the tighter her grip got! I finally moved her hand up to my wrist, and soon her grip was so tight that my hand was turning blue from lack of blood. When we got out past the reef, and the instuctor turned to us, to do the ascent, I quickly peeled her hand off my arm and slapped it in his hand, and they went to the surface. I hung there on the bottom and rubbed my hand to get the circulation going again, and waited my turn to surface. Took my regulator second stage out at his motion, looked up and swam slowly to the surface. It was the longest 45 second of my life!

So I guess my first OW experience was the first day of class, and they were all OW after that....

 

[NJDiveGirl]

Nassau, Bahamas - I've been back but I dont have a particular draw to it...

I actually more fondly remember the first time I took a breath of air underwater at the YMCA in Hoboken NJ! LOL!!!

 

[WileEDiver]

NJDiveGirl once bubbled...
I actually more fondly remember the first time I took a breath of air underwater at the YMCA in Hoboken NJ! LOL!!!

Someone with a fondness for Hoboken, NJ? As a native Jersey-ite I gotta say that's pretty scarry. Are you maybe channeling Frank Sinatra?

 

[R_Deluca]

My first OW dive was in Kirkfield Quarry! It's a little quarry just north of Toronto. Not much to see! I still go there frequently to run OW classes.

 

[d33ps1x]

Hey what about the Loch Ness Restaurant??/

 

[brizzolatti]

Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. I was seasick on the way back from the dive. It was very choppy but the dive was great. What a sense of achievement that I had been able to put it all into practice in the ocean. I'd go back there like a shot.

 

[detroit diver]

The island of Nevis.

Before we swam to the sandy area to do our skills, we saw a 4-5 ft nurse shark! Great first dive!

 

[falcos]

NJDiveGirl once bubbled...
Nassau, Bahamas - I've been back but I dont have a particular draw to it...

I actually more fondly remember the first time I took a breath of air underwater at the YMCA in Hoboken NJ! LOL!!!

hey njdivegirl, I was just at the y last night assisting with an ow class - they were all taking their first breaths underwater too.

My first OW dive was done in Bonaire right off the dock - after doing some skills, my instructor took me for a little swim and spotted a green frogfish. I remember it vividly and was COMPLETELY hooked.

 

[rjens]

Great place Maui, definitely want to go back and try new spots.

RJ