where to start....

Hi

I've never tried scuba diving before, but have been intersted in
trying it out for some time. Any advice on how best to get started? I
realise the first port of call is a course. I was wondering if there
were any particularly good/bad recommendations people might be willing
to share with me. I am based in Southampton.

Thanks for any help
Darren

Darren,

Well you've come to the right place!

Can I suggest you take a look here (if you haven't already!)
http://www.ukrs.org.uk/faq/#training

and also, I am sure someone will be along in a minute with recommendations
for local training centres/clubs to you.

It gets lots better as soon as you've taken that first 'dip'.

All the best and enjoy!

Wilbo.




"brian" <mung_99@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:145e7195.0401051251.34b150fc@posting.google.c om...
> Hi
>
> I've never tried scuba diving before, but have been intersted in
> trying it out for some time. Any advice on how best to get started? I
> realise the first port of call is a course. I was wondering if there
> were any particularly good/bad recommendations people might be willing
> to share with me. I am based in Southampton.
>
> Thanks for any help
> Darren

There's a dive shop/centre I wouldn't use, but I'm not going to air it
publicly. email me off group to diver@chrystianne.com - I've got some
contacts I could put you in touch with.

Chrystianne

"brian" <mung_99@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:145e7195.0401051251.34b150fc@posting.google.c om...
> Hi
>
> I've never tried scuba diving before, but have been intersted in
> trying it out for some time. Any advice on how best to get started? I
> realise the first port of call is a course. I was wondering if there
> were any particularly good/bad recommendations people might be willing
> to share with me. I am based in Southampton.
>
> Thanks for any help
> Darren

"brian" <mung_99@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:145e7195.0401051251.34b150fc@posting.google.c om

> I am based in Southampton.

Drop me a mail off-line - I'm also from Southampton.

Vic.
[mail me at vic AT yellowside DOT org DOT uk]


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Darren asked - how to start scuba-diving....

As someone who is perhaps only a dozen dives ahead of you here's the way I
did it having been booked on PADI scuba course as a birthday present, and
then immediately got the bug.

Although the best advice is to find a collegue or mate who dives and get
them to recomend a dive-shop/instructor/club, I was lucky with my
instructors, who as well as being v.good also run an informal club so I now
have people to dive with as well. Being based in Cheltenham they may not be
too convenient for you though.

I did my course in the UK, rather than the alternative approach of going
somewhere on holiday to do it. I think doing the training in the UK is best
as you have UK instructors, HSE keeping an eye (perhaps a mixed blessing for
the sport but good for novice punters), even though it means diving in cold
water etc. And you don't want to waste your holiday watching training
videos.

The technical content of the PADI course at least is frankly pretty noddy,
but the pool sessions and sea-dives are what it's about. It's probably worth
reading a couple of books beforehand - I'd suggest the BSAC manual - much
better than the v.noddy PADI book which you get with the course. I'd also
recommend the DIR intro book - although you'll have to do it differently
from what DIR say for PADI or BSAC, it certainly makes you think about
stuff - and explains things like bouyancy control and kit configuration.
Obviously you have to "do it the insructor's" way, rather than "Do it right"
as it were, but it's still a good read even though most of it is beyond what
I'm doing.

I didn't find the UK cold water an issue, even though I do feel the cold,
but I am used to caving and such-like. Though my instructors train their own
customers in dry-suits, my course was wetsuits as they were sub-contracting
to the dive-shop.

There's also something to be said for training in a dry suit - as you are
then so say "certified" to use one. However after a few dives I just went to
a shop and bought one and started using it - so it seems not to be such a
big deal if you're aware of the feet first cruise missile scenario (so far
so good anyway)

Most of my beginner mates did the Red Sea thing -based on the PADI
"referral" route whereby you do lessons and swimming pool stuff in the UK,
then proper diving somewhere hot. IMHO you may as well spend the extra
weekend in the UK and get it over with, and have the continuity of
training - that said, my mates are happy with their way.

There is also the club route which is no doubt equally valid. This does tend
to mean they have a training regime starting in whatever month, so if you've
missed it, you've missed it -perhaps for a year. With commercial training
(which can still be BSAC syllabus), you're a customer and just go on the
next available weekend. Historically at least, I'm led to believe that some
clubs used to be very anal about stuff with the diving officer bossing
everyone about, but I doubt if that's true these days - else no-one would
join !

Once you've qualified - by whatever route - you need to have a grand or so
put aside for kit. If you shop around, and get a couple of bits 2nd hand you
can mitgate costs a little. I only got a few things 2nd hand, but for regs
and tanks the savings were marginal and didn't seem worth it. Though I
bought a new dry-suit - you could be lucky on wet-suits in the local rag, as
people trade up to buy a dry-suit. A 2nd hand dry-suit is more of a gamble I
think. The longer you leave kit purchase the more likely it is to be the
right gear first time. By reading and asking a lot first, I've not yet made
any mistakes - other than having to buy new flippers as my old snorkling
flippers were for bare feet rather than boots. My best decision was not to
buy a "console", but seperate guages. However it's premature to go too much
into kit for the moment.

Good luck

Hywel

"Hywel & Ros" <nothywel@hywel-ros.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:btseta$bs$1@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Darren asked - how to start scuba-diving....
>
> As someone who is perhaps only a dozen dives ahead of you here's the way I
> did it having been booked on PADI scuba course as a birthday present, and
> then immediately got the bug.
>
> Although the best advice is to find a collegue or mate who dives and get
> them to recomend a dive-shop/instructor/club, I was lucky with my
> instructors, who as well as being v.good also run an informal club so I
now
> have people to dive with as well. Being based in Cheltenham they may not
be
> too convenient for you though.
>
> I did my course in the UK, rather than the alternative approach of going
> somewhere on holiday to do it. I think doing the training in the UK is
best
> as you have UK instructors, HSE keeping an eye (perhaps a mixed blessing
for
> the sport but good for novice punters), even though it means diving in
cold
> water etc. And you don't want to waste your holiday watching training
> videos.
>
> The technical content of the PADI course at least is frankly pretty noddy,
> but the pool sessions and sea-dives are what it's about. It's probably
worth
> reading a couple of books beforehand - I'd suggest the BSAC manual - much
> better than the v.noddy PADI book which you get with the course. I'd also
> recommend the DIR intro book - although you'll have to do it differently
> from what DIR say for PADI or BSAC, it certainly makes you think about
> stuff - and explains things like bouyancy control and kit configuration.
> Obviously you have to "do it the insructor's" way, rather than "Do it
right"
> as it were, but it's still a good read even though most of it is beyond
what
> I'm doing.
>
> I didn't find the UK cold water an issue, even though I do feel the cold,
> but I am used to caving and such-like. Though my instructors train their
own
> customers in dry-suits, my course was wetsuits as they were
sub-contracting
> to the dive-shop.
>
> There's also something to be said for training in a dry suit - as you are
> then so say "certified" to use one. However after a few dives I just went
to
> a shop and bought one and started using it - so it seems not to be such a
> big deal if you're aware of the feet first cruise missile scenario (so far
> so good anyway)
>
> Most of my beginner mates did the Red Sea thing -based on the PADI
> "referral" route whereby you do lessons and swimming pool stuff in the UK,
> then proper diving somewhere hot. IMHO you may as well spend the extra
> weekend in the UK and get it over with, and have the continuity of
> training - that said, my mates are happy with their way.
>
> There is also the club route which is no doubt equally valid. This does
tend
> to mean they have a training regime starting in whatever month, so if
you've
> missed it, you've missed it -perhaps for a year. With commercial training
> (which can still be BSAC syllabus), you're a customer and just go on the
> next available weekend. Historically at least, I'm led to believe that
some
> clubs used to be very anal about stuff with the diving officer bossing
> everyone about, but I doubt if that's true these days - else no-one would
> join !
>
> Once you've qualified - by whatever route - you need to have a grand or so
> put aside for kit. If you shop around, and get a couple of bits 2nd hand
you
> can mitgate costs a little. I only got a few things 2nd hand, but for regs
> and tanks the savings were marginal and didn't seem worth it. Though I
> bought a new dry-suit - you could be lucky on wet-suits in the local rag,
as
> people trade up to buy a dry-suit. A 2nd hand dry-suit is more of a gamble
I
> think. The longer you leave kit purchase the more likely it is to be the
> right gear first time. By reading and asking a lot first, I've not yet
made
> any mistakes - other than having to buy new flippers as my old snorkling
> flippers were for bare feet rather than boots. My best decision was not to
> buy a "console", but seperate guages. However it's premature to go too
much
> into kit for the moment.
>
> Good luck
>
> Hywel
>
>
>
>

Anybody just starting the sport should remember that all of the foregoing is
only one person's opinion...........

"Hywel & Ros" <nothywel@hywel-ros.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:btseta$bs$1@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Darren asked - how to start scuba-diving....
>
> As someone who is perhaps only a dozen dives ahead of you here's the way I
> did it having been booked on PADI scuba course as a birthday present, and
> then immediately got the bug.
> Good luck
>
> Hywel
>
>

This post remonds me of the phrase ' A little knowledge is a dangerous
thing'?

Talking to people who have made the fuck-up's already always help. You won't
learn everything from a book.

Scubatricky

Having started my post by saying I only had a little knowledge, then
factually described going on a PADI course - which is one of the standard
routes - then mentioned valid alternatives, and suggested a couple of books
I found useful - what can possibly be wrong with that ?

"Tricky" <scubatricky@nospam.yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:btsn6b$o5o$1@news7.svr.pol.co.uk...
>
> "Hywel & Ros" <nothywel@hywel-ros.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:btseta$bs$1@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...
> > Darren asked - how to start scuba-diving....
> >
> > As someone who is perhaps only a dozen dives ahead of you here's the way
I
> > did it having been booked on PADI scuba course as a birthday present,
and
> > then immediately got the bug.
> > Good luck
> >
> > Hywel
> >
> >
>
> This post remonds me of the phrase ' A little knowledge is a dangerous
> thing'?
>
> Talking to people who have made the fuck-up's already always help. You
won't
> learn everything from a book.
>
> Scubatricky
>
>

"Hywel & Ros" <nothywel@hywel-ros.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:bu08uq$4bo$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Having started my post by saying I only had a little knowledge, then
> factually described going on a PADI course - which is one of the standard
> routes - then mentioned valid alternatives, and suggested a couple of
books
> I found useful - what can possibly be wrong with that ?

Hi Hywel,

IMHO factually the PADI open water manual contains everything that is
_required_ to go diving; 9 out of 10 things I correct in "further" training
I can reference the PADI Open Water Manual.

I would also suggest that the BSAC manual has more additional information
that is UK diving related.

As the proud owner of currently four very different dry suits, and six
others previously - I can advise that not all drysuits are the same and a
drysuit course is not just about diving with one.

DIR is great, however 1/10th of it, is in the book you refer too; get onto a
DIR-F course (Andy Kerslake has some openings on the 30th Jan).
www.gasdiving.co.uk will get you contact details.

The PADI / IANTD & SDI open water curriculums allow DIR style teaching.

Nobody can dispute "Although the best advice is to find a collegue or mate
who dives and get
them to recomend a dive-shop/instructor/club" is the best advice given,
assuming they knew what was what.......along with scouring the ukrs website
and faq.



/FAB

"Hywel & Ros" <nothywel@hywel-ros.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:bu08uq$4bo$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Having started my post by saying I only had a little knowledge, then
> factually described going on a PADI course - which is one of the standard
> routes - then mentioned valid alternatives, and suggested a couple of
books
> I found useful - what can possibly be wrong with that ?


Your post was for the most part interesting and a useful description of your
early experiences. The most important thing, as you say, is to be lucky
enough to have a good instructor. This is _far_ more important than the
agency. It's not till you get a naff instructor that you realise the value
of a good instructor.

I will disagree with your description of the PADI course as "pretty noddy".
I take it that you mean the OW course. Their system is designed to be
modular, you can complete the courses that you need for the diving that you
will do. For example, if you only want to dive in the sea, don't worry about
the altitude speciality.

It seems to me that you have read far beyond your experience, which is not
in itself a bad thing, but PADI OW course materials and DIR Introduction
were written for _completely_ different audiences. After reading higher
level books, the PADI OW book may seem a little "noddy" but I would still
recommend learning it backwards as there is some useful stuff in there.

I also believe that there is a lot to be said for drysuit training. Just
remember that " the feet first cruise missile scenario" might end in the pot
or worse on the wrong day.


Keith