Soldato
Does anyone here scuba dive? Im thinking of doing a couse but it would be just me on my own. Once Ive done the course, what would i do next?
Learning to Scuba dive
- Thread starter danlightbulb
- Start date
Soldato
Dive!
how would i get to do dives after doing the course though? im not gonna be able to jet to exotic locations all the time. and i dont know anyone else who dives.
Join a club... like you could join a club in order to do a course in the first place - just look for BSAC clubs in your area. It's a better way to learn than just getting it all crammed into one session on holiday, you can attend weekly sessions then go on a trip to say an inland site in the UK for your first open water dive, then go on a proper diving trip either in the UK or abroad. Also if you do want to dive in the UK then probs better to do it this way too, you'll be learning to use a drysuit properly early on etc...
Been diving for 9 years but just socially and on hols, I don't even keep a log. Maybe done 50 dives. Last time in Koh Lipe, Thailand.
- Do your PADI or SSI cert somewhere in the UK or not too far. Don't waste days in places like Thailand unless you are there for a long time.
- Once you have the license you can dive to pretty good depths but always with dive masters (no one dives solo).
- Even the beginner dives are great. Took a friend to Thailand a year ago, had never dived but did the little beginner course and was loving it at about 10m.
- Everything good is within 15m. Fish, colours, etc. Going deep is pointless.
- The license lasts forever (?) but.....if it's been a long time since your last dive *tell them* - they may take you aside for a refresher dive or just pay closer attention to you.
- Do your PADI or SSI cert somewhere in the UK or not too far. Don't waste days in places like Thailand unless you are there for a long time.
- Once you have the license you can dive to pretty good depths but always with dive masters (no one dives solo).
- Even the beginner dives are great. Took a friend to Thailand a year ago, had never dived but did the little beginner course and was loving it at about 10m.
- Everything good is within 15m. Fish, colours, etc. Going deep is pointless.
- The license lasts forever (?) but.....if it's been a long time since your last dive *tell them* - they may take you aside for a refresher dive or just pay closer attention to you.
Sounds like the best way forward , you’ll meet new friends too which will give you more opportunities to dive
After a few holiday dives i decided to do my training with a club and I learned so much more than just how to dive
My wife and father inlaw both dive, father inlaw is PADI trained, wife is BSAC Open Water Instructor level.
They both agree BSAC is be overall.
Only reason he did PADI was they allowed him to dive with his heart condition.
Definitely do it here in the UK, at least to the level that allows unsupported diving. So you can go off on your own, but not to Instructor level as they will always ask you to help people when on holiday. So my wife says.
I only snorkle. It's nice having the extra luggage weight when going on holiday as well. Lol
They both agree BSAC is be overall.
Only reason he did PADI was they allowed him to dive with his heart condition.
Definitely do it here in the UK, at least to the level that allows unsupported diving. So you can go off on your own, but not to Instructor level as they will always ask you to help people when on holiday. So my wife says.
I only snorkle. It's nice having the extra luggage weight when going on holiday as well. Lol
The only times that i've been on unsupported dives are when you're pretty much diving around a pier and can't get lost and under 5m. Interesting but also.....weak. Really any good dive involves a dive master and a route. The dive master knows where he is going, keeps an eye on everyone and points things out. This leaves you with just two responsibilities - enjoying yourself and keeping an eye on your dive buddy.
No decent outfit would expect an existing DM or DMI to look after people.....but a DM/DMI would do so anyway out of habit if they are stuck in a junior group. The most i've ever been asked (and just because I had the most dives in a very beginner group) was to bring up the rear. He was a good DM who kept his eye on everyone and did not slack, but if you have someone a little more experienced.....that's the most they would ask. Was no sweat off my back
Associate
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- 15 Feb 2015
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As mentioned above, join a club and theres plenty of good diving in the UK.
I learnt in the UK then switched to just diving on holidays with a quick refresher beforehand. If you have more time on hands you'll find lots of clubs arrange weekends away in the UK throughout the warmer months of the year.
I learnt in the UK then switched to just diving on holidays with a quick refresher beforehand. If you have more time on hands you'll find lots of clubs arrange weekends away in the UK throughout the warmer months of the year.
Associate
This. I dived for years pre kids and did much more UK diving than I did abroad. I tried outside a club and as part of a BSAC club (Hellfins in central London in case you're around there) and it was much better as part of a club.
Did lots of cool stuff in the UK - German battleships scuttled in 1919 in Scapa Flow (Orkney Islands), landing craft and wrecks off the Normandy beaches (Susan B Anthony is impressive), the HMS Scylla as an artificial reef in Cornwall, and my particular favourite, a small Royal Navy frigate off Chesil beach sunk in the WWII, and then near it the U Boat that sank it (it got taken out shortly after). Trips arranged through internet forums (is Yorkshire Divers still going?) or through the club.
I gave up as when kids came along they stole all my free time and my spare cash!
How deep do you end up going on diving trips? Whilst Id like to train up and give it a go, im not really interested in going beyond a depth i can easily get back up from if there is a problem. 30m sounds a lot to me, i was thinking more like 5-10.
If you plan on diving regularly then look into joining a BSAC club. It is vital to do your research though, the level of training given can vary from top class to down right dangerous.
If you plan to dive on holiday only then go do a PADI, SSI etc open water course. Again research carefully for similar reasons to above.
Completely depends on the diving you plan on doing. All my best dives have been with no guide, away from groups, often times with no one else in the water. If you are planning to dive in the UK then diving as just a buddy pair is the norm for pretty much all dives.
If you plan to dive on holiday only then go do a PADI, SSI etc open water course. Again research carefully for similar reasons to above.
Completely depends on the diving you plan on doing. All my best dives have been with no guide, away from groups, often times with no one else in the water. If you are planning to dive in the UK then diving as just a buddy pair is the norm for pretty much all dives.
Depends where you are and what you want to do. There is loads in the 5-10m range, tend to get the most life shallow. Depth tends to open up mire wrecks and caves.
In the UK you have places like Farne Islands, St Abs, Swanage that offer shallow diving. Most places abroad will also cater for shallow depths as that is what most people are trained for. Entry level courses are normally 18m max depth
Associate
One of my most enjoyable dives was in high summer under Swanage pier. Sooooo many crabs! Max depth was 9m I think.
However, the deeper the wreck, the more intact it is. There is plenty to do at shallower depths, but you won't get a perfectly intact wreck in most cases at 15m (except maybe the HMS Scylla out of Plymouth). However, as you grow in confidence you realise what the risks and limits are and think about how you mitigate them. If you stay shallower then a BSAC club should have plenty of people to dive with as I seem to remember the depth limit for the first level of qualification is 18m anyway.
Give it a go - if I hadn't had kids I'd still be diving now!
Im gonna try it for sure. Im just thinking I'd never want to go beyond about 10m because if the worst happened I reckon you could get back to the surface from 10m on a single breath after dumping your gear. I doubt that could be done from 30m.
Im not that excited about diving in the UK seas to be honest. Feels like it would be cold (I know thermal gear is worn but still) and muddy. Hopefully if I can find a club they will run trips abroad?
Im not that excited about diving in the UK seas to be honest. Feels like it would be cold (I know thermal gear is worn but still) and muddy. Hopefully if I can find a club they will run trips abroad?
Associate
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- 15 Feb 2015
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Waters from Dorset down to Cornwall can have some great visibility, 10-15 metres with the right conditions which isn't far off the med.
As for temps a semi-dry will be fine during summer months.
UK is good in that there is still some nice diving to do in between your trips further afield.
As for temps a semi-dry will be fine during summer months.
UK is good in that there is still some nice diving to do in between your trips further afield.
Soldato
I only ever did it once, many years ago while on holiday in the Dominic Republic.
Was a magical experience, I can still remember looking up at the boat from about 12ft down waiting for my dive mate to join me. Seeing the sun gleam through the utterly blue of the sea was amazing.
Further on during the dive it was like an episode from Jacques Cousteau, with various tropical fish swimming around.
Would have loved to have taken it up earlier in my life.
Was a magical experience, I can still remember looking up at the boat from about 12ft down waiting for my dive mate to join me. Seeing the sun gleam through the utterly blue of the sea was amazing.
Further on during the dive it was like an episode from Jacques Cousteau, with various tropical fish swimming around.
Would have loved to have taken it up earlier in my life.
I can quite happily tear arse around on a motorbike, trackdays the lot. But diving is probably the scariest thing i have done. i do not find it calming at all. Think it was in the Maldives when the coral was spawning and we just happen to be on a dive and everyone was like ohh wow you are so lucky and i am thinking it was crap i couldnt see more than 1m gave up after that mrs went on more dives and i hit spa for massages
Think its the fact that anything you touch is going to kill you
Enjoy and good luck and enjoy the nose bleeds
Oh and 10m is more than enough to kill you pressure and lungs = dizzy and death
Think its the fact that anything you touch is going to kill you
Enjoy and good luck and enjoy the nose bleeds
Oh and 10m is more than enough to kill you pressure and lungs = dizzy and death