Re: Scuba Diving?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Witch Doctor</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have been a Master SCUBA Diver Trainer for 17 years with PADI, and a Technical Instructor with TDI for the past 8 years. Admittedly my focus is within the caving and wreck community, but I still teach Open Water pretty frequently. The first question I ask my students is; legitimately how many times a year are you going to actually dive. Are you going to diving every weekend, once a month, or once or twice year on the family vacation. With that said, you will need basic snorkeling gear, booties,and a weight belt for the Open Water class. The shop you go through will provide you the BCD, regulator, wetsuit, and tank as part of your check out dive. Just like shooting; buy once, cry once. Masks, a good quality silicone skirted low profile mask; this will be comfortable, and easy to clear. I prefer black silicone because clear will eventually turn yellow over time. Snorkel, don't go crazy here as you will most likely chunk it after certification. Wetsuit booties, a quality zippered neoprene with a good sole. Fins, a good quality fin will make your experiance enjoyable, avoid Jet Fins, they will make you miserable. Weight belt, go with soft weights, they are lead shot inside a cloth or nylon pouch and if you drop it on your toe you won't break it like a hunk of lead. Be prepared to buy enough weight to compensate for 10% of your body weight. If you way 200 lbs, buy 20lbs of weight, that will be more than enough.
In reference to your Open Water Class, I would suggest researching the local shops and see who you like, ask to see their rental equipment, and ask where they do their check out dives. Your in Mississippi so you have access to Florida springs and the Gulf Coast. Don't predicate the class on how fast they can get it done or how cheap you can get it, its not a race, its a new hobby / experiance. Plan on taking the nicest check out dive you can afford, if that is a long weekend in Pensacola diving the Gulf, you will surely enjoy the experiance and want to continue the hobby. If you do a check out at the local lake because its cheap, you probably won't be that enthusiastic, and it will become one more thing you did.
After the class if you think you will really like SCUBA, I would suggest buying a good regulator, octopus, and guage console (HP guage and depth gauge). They are easy to carry on planes, and its a piece of mind knowing that your air delivery system is yours and up to date. Especially if you like to travel to the Carribean or Mexico. Every shop in the most out of the way places has tanks and BCD's. There isn't much to them maintenance wise, so you don't need to worry about how the locals maintain them. Now if you have your own boat or plan on diving alot, an investment into the BCD and wetsuit is a good idea, because the cost of rental will be outweighed after several dives within a few months. I would however suggest not spending money on tanks unless you are going to be avid about the sport.
The last thing I would suggest is that if you like the experiance, continue your education with Advanced Open Water, Nitrox, etc. Once your certified, you don't have to re-certify or pay annual dues, your certified to dive. I encourage continuing education because it is not nearly as book intensive as Open Water, and it gives you the oppurtunity to further your experiance with instructors present, and the availability to dive some pretty cool places at discounted prices.
If you have any questions don't hesitate to PM me.</div></div>
Thanks for all of the good info Witch Doctor.
