I will be completing my open water certification Oct. 25-26 at Yellow Submarine and then I will be looking for some dive buddies for the duration of our stay (we leave Nov. 2).

Will it be easy to find people to dive at the dive shop or will I be stuck doing boat dives through Yellow Submarine?

That's a tough one. Normally it is very easy to find a buddy or two, but the problem is being such a newbie. Those first dives after certification are critical and where most of the real learning takes place. In fairness to strangers you would be better served having a DM around.

Boat dives are one option, a guided dive is another. Maybe do a couple of days of those and then go with someone else. By then you will have lots of new friends to dive with and be a much better diver.

I agree with Cecil, check into several boat/guided dives...that way the DM can keep an eye on things and make sure all is well. No matter what, make sure you ask questions if you're uncomfortable/unsure of things.

Besides, there is some really nice diving over at Klein Bonaire and the only way to get there is on a boat with a DM. I can't think of a better way to start off your SCUBA diving life.

Have Fun!!!

Thanks for the advice. I'm not a complete newbie. I did 3 discovery dives in St. Croix earlier this year and did two boat dives down to 90 feet in Mexico last year (told a white lie I was certified so I could go with a friend that was certified).

I thought about not saying anything, but this really bugs me.

A "white lie"....?

I think you underestimate how serious most dive operations would consider your little white lie.

In addition, it shows the lack of seriousness you place on your own safety and those who are diving with you.

Yes. You are a newbie, both experience wise and attitude wise. I would never dive with you, mainly based on your obvious contempt for rules and safety.

And you probably blew any opportunity you had of finding a dive buddy on this board.


(Message edited by Dave Goodwin on October 23, 2008)

(Message edited by Dave Goodwin on October 23, 2008)

Wow, sounds like I do not understand the full complexity of diving. The person I was with in Mexico convinced me that diving was easy, no big deal, and I should go with him. At that point I knew NOTHING about diving, the certification process, or the risks involved. I was on a cruise ship stop in Costa Maya and a guy came up to us on the beach and asked us if we wanted to do some boat diving. Being a naive, "bullet proof", 25 year old man, I thought it sounded like a good time. I had no problems during those dives, or the subsequent discovery dives that I did this past spring. I did see other people in our group that did struggle and actually quit mid-dive and went back up to the boat.

I look forward to becoming better educated over the next week. Given the reactions here it is obvious I have a lot to learn!

I am sorry if I offended anyone. Hopefully if we ever run in to each other I will have a chance to redeem myself.

BV..Nothing wrong with being a neophyte. We all started out at one time & place.
However I thought I was "bullet proof" at 25 too. Fortunately I was lucky and never made any serious errors (although rest assured I've made my share of them). Some people are not so lucky.

My friendly advice is to skip the shore diving especially with strangers you don't know & spend the 5 days or so after your OW cert. doing boat diving with a DM in the water. Leave the shore diving for a future trip when you have a bit more experience under your belt. Really, there's no need to rush anything and I suspect you'd be much better off doing the boat diving.

I think what David was reacting to, was not being honest about your level of skill. Always be honest about this, not only with strangers but most importantly with your self. The old saying is very very true, it is much better to be on the dock wishing you were out there, than being out there wishing you were on the dock. The ocean is very unforgiving.

Now having said that, you may be one of the lucky ones and take to it like a fish. This is where you need a diving professional. Ask for feedback on your skills and where you can improve. Learning starts when you get your C card.

Dave I am as if not MORE concerned about a dive operation that did not check BV's C card...I have dove in Mexico several times and always had to show my card.
That is very scary!

It has been my experience that a new or occasional diver will completely, even blindly trust another diver's opinion if they feel they have more experience and or training. If an experienced diver or dive operation gives bad training or advice, it can be bad news for the "newbie"
It is a shame...

BV..I agree with the advice to stay with Yellow Sub's DM for the duration of your stay. You will get invaluable training and probably have a much more enjoyable dive experience.
Have fun!!
(Message edited by kristi_tn on October 24, 2008)

(Message edited by kristi_tn on October 24, 2008)

people have different levels of comfort underwater. we had a friend who took the resort course (discover scuba) a few years ago and lasted just over 15 minutes before he decided he wasn't comfortable and had had enough and got back on the boat. two weeks later one of our sons took the same class, was under for 59 minutes, and got back on the boat with over 800# of air left. he would have stayed under longer but the rest of the divers were getting back on the boat and the instructor had to get back to assist them.

I'm with Vince and Dave on this one.
Some time in your dive career you will make a mistake probably more than once. The chance of it being a big problem are worse when you're inexperienced. Stick with the dive master on this trip. Ten or fifteen dives sure does not make you an expert but it's better than dashing off with some you know nothing about.
Mick