New to diving

[Capt. Lt. Dan]

So I feel kinda weird asking but, I'm very new to diving, just got my open water cert last weekend actually. Now the issue I have is finding people to dive with. I want to get as many dives under my belt as I can before taking the advance open water course. So, does anyone need a dive buddy?

[oldflounder]

Everyone needs a dive buddy, but these days it is hard to find them. This is sinful/blasphemy to say in the dive community, but if you really want to last more than a year in the sport, learn to dive alone. Use a small pony tank for redundancy and to relieve the anxiety and stay shallow while rewiring your brain to accept the idea of breathing underwater. Learn to trust and rely on yourself. It will make you a much better dive buddy when you hook up with others later. Also, take all the courses you can afford.

[oldflounder]

I just looked at your profile and noticed that you are an emt/firefighter. You should contact ScubaJay for some pointers.

[Diver1111]

I understand your interest in gaining experience safely and trying to connect with people you can sensibly dive with. Good decision. ScubaJay would be a good start.

Old Flounder is right-diving alone is quite possible and I do it all the time for various reasons but many criticize it. But the dives I do solo are all very conscious and calculated dives. That’s all I’ll say about it. Most don't think about it but, among other examples, when I am lobster diving my buddy always starts with me but we both soon end up solo because no diver will wait and wait and wait while you tease a lobster out of hole. Result: You are solo diving in the first 10 minutes of a dive and thereafter unless you run into them by accident (it happens). Sometimes you're able to stay together sometimes not;

That said:
- Diving alone or not, a pony bottle is with me on nearly every single dive; I use a 19 cf pony tank but 30's and up are available; don’t use a Velcro connection but instead buy a stainless or aluminum tank band that bolts on to your main tank; they’re easy on/off too and the pony won’t move around on you; place the pony reg on a snorkel keeper over the mouthpiece on the shoulder or top front D-ring of your BC and it will be right there (like a police officer’s radio mike) when you really need it and you can find it by feel even in silt-out or black conditions;

- Start out by chartering as much as you can if the money to do so is there; you will meet many just like you-new to the sport; Dive Winni and Sharkbait are the only two outfits on the lake I know of; def. a good start and you may find new buddies to dive with later from the charter;

- Try shore diving off a camp in 10-25 feet of water; practice your skills-navigation, buddy breathing, taking your BC off and donning it again while on the bottom and so forth; you need to be absolutely comfortable with your gear and be able to handle it effectively without always being able to see what you're doing;

- Get some cheap rubber-faced gardening gloves and use them now and then because the dexterity is excellent-you can feel everything; ¼” or 7mm wetsuit gloves will always be needed but in terms of getting a feel for your gear and what stuff feels like, in the beginning they are great; I use them all the time for bottle digging or shallow dives so I don’t destroy my wetsuit gloves;

- Subscribe to Dive Training Magazine (https://dtmag.com/); great info for new divers-actually it’s geared toward new divers and Instructors but still a lot of great material for all divers; often found free of charge in dive shops;

- Buy a waterproof dive box for a save-a-dive kit; mine has snorkel keepers, fins straps, mask straps, brass clips, rubber o-rings for steel and aluminum tanks, tie wraps, silicone lube for anything rubber, dry suit zipper wax, a multi-tool, pliers, screwdrivers, extra hoses, and a mess of other things I end up needing at some point; mine is about 15” x 8” by 12” and I fill all of it;

I’d be happy to dive with you but you need some measurable experience first; in the last week I dove with an experienced buddy to 88 feet in Alton (46 degrees on the bottom) and another site solo on a pick-up truck I found on side-scan-sonar in Moultonboro at 40 feet, but visibility was miserable there-neither place would be good for you at this stage. On the other hand that’s the only way you’ll learn-to go out and do it. Just not before your time;

Please email me privately with your contact info. I’m no Jacques Cousteau but we can dive sometime when you think you’re ready. We’d be doing dives say, 50 feet or less looking for stuff or checking out sonar hits.

Lastly, Certification patches on an arm don’t mean much to me. Experience does. Yes it’s vital to have the training-obviously. But then you need to go out and apply it before you forget it. As my brother's flight instructor once told him when he got his wings..."You now have a license to learn".

Dive as much as you can in varied environments-ponds, lakes rivers etc..

And take really good care of your gear.

HH

[Capt. Lt. Dan]

Thank you guys for the tips and pointers. I'm still working on getting all my gear, just need a few more things. I had thought of solo diving and just working on skills, but everything I've seen or heard said don't solo. That being said I break the no solo rule on everything else, so why not this too. I probably will do a charter soon as well.

[JonLevis]

Check out Shark Bait Diving Adventures out of Fay's Boat Yard...great team that runs a lot of charters and they will dive with you so you don't have to go alone! Jim, the Captain, is also on here...SharkBaitDiving is his handle

[oldflounder]

If you pick a weekend day to do a charter later in August or early Sept. I may be able to join up w/ you.

It is just so hard to plan ahead. I am so busy in the summer, diving is usually a last minute decision [one reason I do a lot of self-reliant diving.]

[Capt. Lt. Dan]

Originally Posted by oldflounder

If you pick a weekend day to do a charter later in August or early Sept. I may be able to join up w/ you.

It is just so hard to plan ahead. I am so busy in the summer, diving is usually a last minute decision [one reason I do a lot of self-reliant diving.]

I will, and I'll let you know which date I pick. Thank you!

[Aquanut]

Capt Lt. Dan
I am also recently certified and looking for a dive buddy. I'm looking to go out on dive winnipesaukee out of wolfboro this weekend or next. If you want to dive together please let me know, I have all my gear except tanks. I'll rent those. I'd be willing to meet and dive anywhere. Though I am new I do consider myself to be safety conscious, and would be fine diving in shallows and exploring while taking it easy and gaining experience and comfort/confidence.

[Capt. Lt. Dan]

Got your pm, sent you a message. Let's dive!

[Aquanut]

Originally Posted by Capt. Lt. Dan

Got your pm, sent you a message. Let's dive!

Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

[Diver1111]

I just came back from visiting Russ Kolifrath in N. Hampton, NH. Russ ran a dive shop (North Atlantic Scuba, not to be confused with a store of the same name in Mass.) for years and years but closed it about 2-3 years ago. However he has wide variety of new and used gear for sale.

Tanks, lead, belts, buckles, knives, lights, clips, masks, BC's, wetsuits, snorkels, hoses, fins etc.. All nice stuff, mostly new stuff.

As to tanks he has 4 recently hydroe'd steel 100's and 3 very nice bright green aluminum 80's with tank boots and the plastic mesh protectors, that have just been hydroe'd and vizzed. He wiil fill them as well and sell each for $115.

I'd buy one or more of the tanks but I already have 6 80's and 4 100's.

Russ: 603-926-0129 or mistral@ttlc.net

[SharkBaitDiving]

checkout my site at

www.sharkbaitdivingadventures.com

welcome to the underwater world and as we are closing the boat this weekend hope to see you next year!

Thanks and PM me if you need any advice or help on anything.

Captain Jim Carozza
Shark Bait Diving Adventures
Fay's Boat Yard
Gilford, NH