Mikey Ace

iTrader: (1)

Wahoooooo... step one done,

Thanks to all at Iles World Of Diving http://www.scubatraining.com


now to build up my dive experince (and do a few more courses) then of to getting to see some sharks ...

any good dive stories out there??

Mikey

Pigfrog

Congrats mate. I started diving about 7 years age and am a dive master now. When you have enough experience do the rescue diver course. Tiring but excellent. Where do you plan on going?

scooby-si

well done mate

did 30 dives in oz in 2001 and so 2 white tip reef sharks on my last dive lol

if you want some vgood diving go out to the maldives

SineSTI

Congratulations from me too. Now discover all new world!

Phil

Maldives and Diving

They go together like Larger and Crisps

Barmyclown

Well Done, I did mine last year after much badgering from the partner, I wasn`t keen as I spend over an hour a day on the water 6 days a week. But it is good, first dives were in malta. And just about to go to the canaries to do some diving. The plan is to do my advanced open water when on holiday in turkey later in the year. I think this will be as far as I need to go for a while as I have don`t have an interest in a career in diving. And my sport is my first priority.

Jase

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

i had a scarey one last time i was diving !!

















i got some pubes stuck in my teeth

R19KET

Well done. Do as Pigfrog suggests, get a few dives in, do your advanced, then after you've got a bit of experience, do your rescue diver. It's an excellent course, and will also give you a lot of self confidence.

As for diving with sharks, it's a great buzz, that and a good wreck dive. There's always the excitement of finding something interesting.

Best I've done is Southern Red Sea live aboads, down by the Sudan border, a few years ago. You know it's going to be good when the dive guide warns you some of the dive sites are new, and that the sharks won't have seen divers before, so they get pretty inquisitive.

He was right

I'd already seen White tip reef sharks on many other dives, but nothing prepares you for big Grays, Hammerheads, and an Oceanic White tip (3.5m!)

I still want to dive Micronesia (Truk, Soloman for the wreck diving) Palau, because it looks fantastic, and Cocos for the schooling hammerheads.

Damn, and Papa Newguinea, South Africa for Great Whites, the list goes on.

Don't forget there's some very good diving in the UK. Diving with the seals in the Farne Islands is just amazing.

Sorry, I'll stop now


Mark.

Aquanaut

Welcome to the underwater world.

Take your time, enjoy everything. The guys in the dive mags doing the sexy stuff started at the beginning too.


The worst sharks are the ones who run the dives shops!!

Pigfrog

Sorry failed to mention. There are some very cheap deals to sharm at the mo. Some of the best diving in the world, plus you go at the right time of year you are pretty much guaranteed to see sharks. Ive seen whale sharks from a shore dive!!!!! Not to mention large silky's and plenty of reef sharks.

Daz34

Congratulations.
My advice would be to join a local friendly club.
Also, if you are gonna buy your own kit then don't rush into it. It's expensive & you might find the stuff you buy limiting if your diving develops beyond basic recreational warm water diving. A lot of people make this mistake and then sell the stuff on to new club members so beware friendly people offering you great secondhand deals
Look at what other divers are using and ask them why and if they would buy it now. Save your money for the Dive Show in Birmingham or London as you get some fantastic deals from the traders as well as playing with the stuff beforehand on the manufacturer's stands.
Get a new interest free purchase/balance transfer credit card though as it is a money pit hobby that is highly addictive

wide

Did my open water diver in Jamaica 3 years ago and havent since used it over here but would love to get involved, just dont fancy freezing water. Must get off my **** and give it a go

Jamescsti

Did my open water course last year in March in freezing quarry and still loved it, congratulations mate!

mjb1

Nice one. I just did a PADI Discover session and want to sign up for more.

salsa-king

well done.
you need to now talk with TED ED on here... hes a sea king... i mean a Dive Master!! always off diving on wrecks around the world. the real action man!

Phil

Mikey Ace

iTrader: (1)

all

thanks for your replies...

I have joined a local club (Ilses World Of Diving based in shoreham), and I'm off to get my reg set, bcd, fins etc etc 2moro... wahoo... gotta go to brum 4 it tho.

I'll be looking to go to Horsea Island again with my new gear(after a pool session to familiarise with it) then off to a few dive sites round the uk - most likely Stoney Cove (spelling??) and a site in somerset (vobster - I think?). I'm looking to be in a position to take my Advanced open water course there in June, so I want to get in 5 or 6 dives by then....

Once I've got that - I'll be booking a holiday, and Sharm looks fav at the mo. The prices seem very good, and the diving is superb from all the stories I've heard.

I shall keep you updated... I can't wait....

cheers

Mikey

Mikey Ace

iTrader: (1)

thanks for this advice Daz34, i've done exactly what you suggest and spoken to probably about a dozen or more experienced divers, from the instructors to friends that dive regularly, and the gear I've found seems to be right up there in their opinions, all be it expensive to service, but hey, what price safety, eh? I'm off to research some dive centres locally... any one up for an outing?
Mikey

TopBanana

Mine's lapsed. Can you do a short refresher course or do you have to start again?

wakeboardar

are you sure padi open water lapses how long between dives do you get, mine may be shot too

Mikey Ace

iTrader: (1)

err, dunno about it "running out" - the advice PADI give is that if you haven't dived in a few months get a "check dive" this is where you are accompanied by a dive instructor just to see how you do...
if you haven't dived in a year or more, you get a scuba review course, a day or so, you re-sit the "final exam" and do you skills again, just to brush up. not too hard, all PADI schools will help you choose the best one for you to do...

Mikey

TopBanana

Ahh that is good news... I must have got the wrong end of the stick. Going to the Seychelles in a couple of months and this will come in handy!

Mikey Ace

iTrader: (1)

Mark, I can "see" your excitement build as I read your post, lol... great too see you love it so much, i can really understand why, it's an amazing feeling, even in 7 degrees C water... ouch.

Mikey

Mikey Ace

iTrader: (1)

now I hear that is a fantastic place to dive, get yor skills up to date and make sure you let us all know how it goes....

have a great time !

Mikey

LG John

I've booked up for a holiday abroad and one of the local activities is diving which I'd be interested in doing. They can send you on a course while you are there but to be honest I'd rather have whatever qualification you need before I go so that I can dive there and enjoy the scenery (underwater of course). What international 'qualification' do I need for this? Where do I get it? How many hours/days does it take approximately?

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

if you do it abroad it will only take a few days and it it will be the PADI open water diver course which will give you the basic diving skills, plus you will have more confidence as you will be diving in warm clear waters

Mikey Ace

iTrader: (1)

best thing to do is find your local "PADI" centre, and talk to them. You'll most likey be best to go for the "open water diver" course, this permits you to dive to 18m and is typically a 4 day course.
DAY1) morning in the classroom, reviewing material you have done at home before you attend day 1, in the afternoon you are in a pool doing some basic skills
DAY2) am - back in the classroom for the rest of the knowledge modules and the final exam. then off to the pool for the afternoon for the rest of the skills

day3) open water dives 1&2, you put into practice some of the skills you've learned in the pool in a "real life" situation
Day 4) open water dives 3&4 more skills plus a compass exercise. then that's it. GO FOR IT.....

total time in the "cold" water is about 2 hours over 4 dives... with about 7 hours in the pool before hand.

if u r near the brighton area of the south coast then go to http://www.scubatraining.com

great people...

cheers

Mikey

LG John

Cheers, guys I followed the link at the top of the page and saw that it takes about 4 days and £250. I actually know of a friend of a friend that owns a dive centre so I might get 'preferential' treatment on the price

Mikey Ace

iTrader: (1)

infact - here's our course photo.... top left photo, me on the right... lol, don't we all look pleased to be slightly less cold.... lol...

Gary our instructor is kneeling in front of the group - TOP BLOKE and a superb instructor. We also had two guys Dave (in the pic too) and Danny who were assisting Gary, so we had a really good student/instructor ratio, and they were all superb.

Mikey

edited to actually include the link to the photo - lol
http://www.scubatraining.com/student_photos.htm

Daz34

BSAC is also internationally recognised and offers training better suited to UK diving if you intend to do that some time.

Tiggs

I did my PADI referal at a private scuba school near London. Single day course (needed to do the reading at home before hand)....only 2 of us on the course, morning of theory then in the pool from about 11am till late. Almost one on one and very easy enviroment to learn in, got 100% in the theory and the diving stuff was simple enough.

T

ps- never finished it in the maldives as planned as i discover i thought scuba diving was a bit crap.....but a great way to do it if its your thing.