new to site/ new diver

[racerx]

Hey guys whats up! Im a new diver with open water certified and nitrox certified. I want to work my way to a Tech diver asap haha. so if any of you experienced guys have any tips and ideas let me know!

Drew

[ScubaFinder]

Hi Drew...always happy to see a new diver. I do have one piece of advice...SLOW DOWN. Anyone can get their open water and Nitrox in two weekends and 8 dives. Not saying this is how you did it, but all too often people think those little cards that PADI sends you make you invincible under water.

Call me safety minded...but it always makes me cringe when someone says they want to get to tech diver as quickly as possible. Tech diving is incredibly dangerous, and not something anyone should ever rush into. I have several hundred dives logged, and I just now feel like I'm ready to move towards tech diving. I'll hop off the soapbox now and tell you....see you on the bottom. Take your time getting there, we don't need any more stories like the body recovery thread below.

Jason

[ScubaDude]

Drew, welcome to T-net.

Jason is right, diving is a wonderful hobby, unfortunately it is not a forgiving one. Its kinda like skydiving, or flying a few simple little mistakes added together and your done. I am amazed when I read through some of the diving forums and see guys with fewer than 50 dives talking about cave, wreck, and tech diving like they are bullet proof.

My advice is be patient, and build on your skills, experience, and knowledge. Remember your local dive shop makes money by selling you gear, charters, and training. Over the years they've come up with tons of new "certifications". They now have over 25 different specialty cards, give me a break. Seems like they should have taught a little more in the initial class to start with. They now teach in a few classroom and pool sessions what took weeks of classes and pool sessions not that long ago.

[Darren in NC]

That was Brad, Grubby, but thanks for the credit

Drew, everyone is trying to help you. No one wants to rain on your parade. We just want to to live to see these great adventures. So how many dives have you had so far? Christina Campbell is an accomplished woman tech diver. She has dove the Andrea Doria (78 meters) and the Lusitania (93 meters). Here's what she says...

You need to get trained - nitrox, advanced nitrox, technical nitrox or extended range, and then a mixed gas course. Invest money in the right equipment, you'll need at least 4 cylinders...Doing all the build-up dives and practicing the skills will take time. You will probably need to spend at least every other weekend diving.

Gary Gentile says it may take 2-5 years to get the skills necessary to go 130+ mixed gas diving - don't rush it. Some are never ready and that's okay, too. Better to be realistic than dead.

Let us know how things go...oh, and welcome to the forum

[diverlynn]

Welcome aboard Drew,
There's nothing like diving. I've been doing it for 19 years now. Took me 10 years before I found actual work as a diver, first as a Dive Travel Specialist and Host (till 9/11) then as crew on a dive boat and finally where I have always wanted to be, on a
treasure boat, soon to also be the Capt. if I can swing the test. Being a GIRL didn't help either!
Hope your independently wealthy! Remember when buying gear, you get what you pay for, don't buy gear from pawn shops or on the internet, find a local dive shop and people you trust not to sell you everything under the sun. Research!
Good Luck

[Sandman]

Hey Drew, welcome to the world of sucking air.

Drew, everyone is trying to help you. No one wants to rain on your parade. We just want to to live to see these great adventures. So how many dives have you had so far? Christina Campbell is an accomplished woman tech diver. She has dove the Andrea Doria (78 meters) and the Lusitania (93 meters). Here's what she says...

You need to get trained - nitrox, advanced nitrox, technical nitrox or extended range, and then a mixed gas course. Invest money in the right equipment, you'll need at least 4 cylinders...Doing all the build-up dives and practicing the skills will take time. You will probably need to spend at least every other weekend diving.

Don't rush it. You need experience to get you back out of the water alive. Don't try to save pennies by buying on ebay or such. Use a good dive shop for your equipement. Also you can ask if they know of any divers that have suits to sell, etc. Diving is expensive when done right, but it is so rewarding. Dive as often as you can.