Adventure Diver
- Click for PriceBestBuyEyeGlasses.com

Rec Specs Scuba Diving- SV2100
Rec Specs Scuba Diving- SV2100 Eyeglasses for Unisex are available at BestBuyEyeglasses.com in the following colors: Transparent. The style is...
- Click for PriceOverstock.com

Scuba Diving' Gel-Textured Art Print
Coral reefs are some of the most beautiful areas of scenery on Earth. Beneath the sapphire-blue waters you can catch...
- Click for PriceBuySKU

8GB High Definition Underwater Scuba-diving Mask Camera Camcorder (Blue)
Take with this 8GB high definition underwater scuba-diving mask camera camcorder as you go for diving next time. You will...

Scuba diving? any advice?
So i am starting an open water course at my local diving shop
(manchester england)
i start on wednesday for 6 weeks,
i am hoping to do this as a chance for a bit of adventure and travel and hopefully take it further than just this one course,
i dont have any mates that can dive so i guess i will be doing this alone, im also full time employed,
anyways i was just wondering if anyone had any advice for a first time diver looking to get into the world of it all.
Once you’re certified, finding dive buddies won’t be difficult at all. You most certainly won’t be alone. You’ll probably meet quite a few on course with you not to mention folk that come in to purchase gear at the shop. Most dive shops tend to be like the small town barber shop you see in American movies. Everybody serious about diving hangs out drinking java (sometimes more), talking diving and arranging dives. It’s a social club type of setting. You may even have an inhouse dive club at that dive shop as many shops will sponsor one. That just increases the number of trips and dives to get involved in not to mention off diving activities like pub nights, bowling or even paintball. Families are also encouraged, diving or not. Even on trips. It gives non diving wives,hubbies, gf’s,bf’s and kids a group family experience while the divers are out doing their thing for a few hours.
You’ll also benefit from the advice from more experienced divers in the club regarding things like gear selection and dive sites. That helps considerably with your learning curve and most experienced divers will be happy to help since that just adds one more dive buddy to call if they get the sudden urge to get under. You can never have enough dive pals what with everyone’s differing schedules. There are also online communities you can join such as http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/matrix/ that’s a popular site, offering gear tips, a dive buddy service and dive destination advice or recommendations. Even hotel or resort ratings as well as dive shop listings, charter outfits and the like. There are even online dive trip buddy/room mate finding sites for the solo traveller wanting a buddy to dive a certain destination at a given date. Here’s an example: http://www.singledivers.com/index.php?pid=9
Your next step up the ladder is advanced. Your being in the UK, I have no idea if you’re doing a PADI or BSAC, since both are offered there, but the eventual skill sets you’ll learn are the same even though the courses are named a little differently. You’re fortunate to be learning in that part of the world, just as I, as a Canadian am fortunate to have learned here. The reason is that we both dive in challenging conditions. That’s far better than learning warm, calm water and generally produces a diver capable of diving any environment since we don’t know any better.
You will already have had some of the worst conditions thrown at you and will be better prepared for it. You’ll also garner more respect for your abilities when diving in a warm destination since it will be like a walk in the park.
Get some dives under your belt before tackling your advanced. Become comfortable with the skill sets you’ve learned. Once you feel you’re ready and your Instructor agrees, then it’s time to move up. The cost will be about what you’ve spent on your OW course. You’ll learn underwater navigation and take your dives deeper to the point that you’ll recognize the oncoming symptoms of nitrogen narcosis.
Once you’ve got your advanced, again, use those skills for a time before moving up the chain. Your task loading has increased and you’ll need to be doing everything as second nature. Autopilot if you will. One handy cert to earn for yourself in particular, given your location, is your wreck cert. You have tons of them there. Many historical, many with sad stories. All of them interesting or at least they are to me, I’ve dived up in Scapa and had a blast. I don’t get to dive warships here, only 1850′s schooners, paddle wheelers and the odd cargo vessel or artificially sunk wreck.
Bottom line, you just opened up a new world. There’s lots out there to explore, enjoy and learn. Divers are a pretty friendly bunch. Finding dive buddies is the least of your worries. Explaining to your wife why you just bought another piece of dive gear or a new local wreck has just been found and you can’t paint the bedroom today, are the hard parts. ![]()
| | Diver, Aqaba, Jordan, Middle East Photo Mugs Diver, Aqaba, Jordan, Middle East…. |
| | Coral formations and underwater diver Photo Mugs Coral formations and underwater diver, Cozumel Island, Caribbean Sea, Mexico…. |
| | Coral reef and diver, off Sharm el Sheikh, Sinai, Red Sea, Egypt, North Africa, Photo Mugs Coral reef and diver, off Sharm el Sheikh, Sinai, Red Sea, Egypt, North Africa, Africa…. |
- Click for PriceBestBuyEyeGlasses.com

Rec Specs Scuba Diving- SV2100
Rec Specs Scuba Diving- SV2100 Eyeglasses for Unisex are available at BestBuyEyeglasses.com in the following colors: Transparent. The style is...
- Click for PriceOverstock.com

Scuba Diving' Gel-Textured Art Print
Coral reefs are some of the most beautiful areas of scenery on Earth. Beneath the sapphire-blue waters you can catch...
- Click for PriceBuySKU

8GB High Definition Underwater Scuba-diving Mask Camera Camcorder (Blue)
Take with this 8GB high definition underwater scuba-diving mask camera camcorder as you go for diving next time. You will...
- Click for PriceMagazineline.com

Scuba Diving
1 Year, 6 issues - Edited for experienced and novice divers, SCUBA Diving Magazine features in-depth dive and travel destination...
- Click for PriceMrWatch

Whimsical Watches Unisex Scuba Diving Watch in Silver Watch U0810016
Scuba divinU-themed unique gift watch from Whimsical Watches, featuring hand-painted miniature of a scuba diver.
- Click for PriceMrWatch

Whimsical Watches Unisex Scuba Diving Gold Watch Watch G0810016
Whimsical Watches are made by a team of Artists using hand-crafted Miniatures turning this fashionable watch into a wearable work...
- Click for PriceMrWatch

Whimsical Watches Unisex Scuba Diving Silver Watch Watch S0810014
Whimsical Watches are made by a team of Artists using hand-crafted Miniatures turning this fashionable watch into a wearable work...
- Click for PriceWalmart

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling for Dummies
Describes the equipment and techniques of scuba diving and snorkeling and examines popular locations connected with these activities
- Click for PriceWalmart

Scuba Diving
Packed with full-color photographs and illustrations, "Scuba Diving" offers step-by-step instruction on preparing for and managing a dive safely with...
- Click for PriceWalmart

The Physics of Scuba Diving
The Physics of Scuba Diving
| | Diver $60 Diver |
| | Revamped By Diver, Lucienne $14.13 The fanged fabulousity of bestsellingVamped is back, with Gina laying out the rules for surviving Super Spy Club Training and all the action, adventure and vampire romance that young adult readers crave. Original. Author: Diver, Lucienne Publication Date: 2010/09/08 Number of Pages: 225 Binding Type: Paperback Grade Level: 79 Language: English Depth: 0.50 Width: 5.25 Height: 8.00 |
| | Scuba Diver $10 Scuba Diver |
| | Reef Diver $10 Reef Diver |
| | Diver (Remastered) $17.99 Diver (Remastered) |
| | Seabee Diver $22.5 Seabee Diver |
| | Holy Diver $8.81 Holy Diver |
| | Pearl Diver $24.95 Pearl Diver |
Other articles you might like;
Filed under Scuba Diving Trips by on Nov 11th, 2009. ![]()



Leave a Comment