Hi, I'm new to the forum, but not to diving.
I am a native of Seattle, but I have never been diving in the NW. I have been diving for about 20 years as an AOWD through PADI and never thought to really get more credentials because I didn't need them. My diving experience comprises all sorts of places in tropical waters. I used to live in Hawaii and Guam, so I did a lot of diving there. I have also lived in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, so I dived the Red Sea quite a bit. I still have a house in Egypt and go there often to dive.
After a 10 years of not living in the US, I am finally returning to Seattle for good. Between looking for a job and other things, I would like to continue diving as a sport and eventually make some kind of career out of it. I am currently interested in taking the DAN BLS and DEMP courses and a rescue course - but I am not sure if I want to do it with PADI even though I heard it's their best course. Perhaps those of you with experience can direct me to the right path.
I would like to get some experience diving in cold water and take a dry suit class ASAP, and, at the same time, meet some like minded individuals that like to have a good time diving.
Hello from Seattle
Re: Hello from Seattle
Welcome back to Seattle! Although not as warm and blue as the Red Sea, Puget Sound offers some fabulous rewards for the cold water diver, and you've definitely found a good place to scare up partners with whom to see it.
As far as further education goes, I really think that, with certain caveats, it's not the agency with which you train, it's the instructor with whom you work that makes the difference. Some instructors go above and beyond -- check out some of the comments about Grateful Diver (Bob Bailey) and his superb AOW class. At the risk of sounding self-serving, I'd also like to add my husband, Peter Rothschild, to that list. There are a lot of others, and I'm sure folks will chime in here with some recommendations for the people they have enjoyed and benefited from working with.
Getting a dry suit cert early on is definitely a good idea. You CAN dive the Sound wet (especially at this time of year) but almost everyone who intends to dive here year-round goes dry. And although an experienced diver can master a dry suit on his own, perhaps with a bit of mentoring, taking a class speeds things up.
As far as opportunities to dive go, take a look at the "standing dives" listed as a sticky under the Dive Planning subforum. Almost every night of the week, there is a dive going on somewhere, and all of them welcome newcomers.
As far as further education goes, I really think that, with certain caveats, it's not the agency with which you train, it's the instructor with whom you work that makes the difference. Some instructors go above and beyond -- check out some of the comments about Grateful Diver (Bob Bailey) and his superb AOW class. At the risk of sounding self-serving, I'd also like to add my husband, Peter Rothschild, to that list. There are a lot of others, and I'm sure folks will chime in here with some recommendations for the people they have enjoyed and benefited from working with.
Getting a dry suit cert early on is definitely a good idea. You CAN dive the Sound wet (especially at this time of year) but almost everyone who intends to dive here year-round goes dry. And although an experienced diver can master a dry suit on his own, perhaps with a bit of mentoring, taking a class speeds things up.
As far as opportunities to dive go, take a look at the "standing dives" listed as a sticky under the Dive Planning subforum. Almost every night of the week, there is a dive going on somewhere, and all of them welcome newcomers.
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
Re: Hello from Seattle
Thanks LCF and BASSMAN. I hope everyone enjoyed the 4th.
@LCF - I saw your husband's name through a number of forums and so I contacted Sound Aquatics. All of the instructors there sound quite experienced, which is what I am looking for. I do not want an instructor just to go through the routine and give me a certification because I read a book. I was lucky enough to have great instructors that certified me 20 years ago, and I have been unlucky enough to have seen awful instructors during the multiple dives I have done with tourists on the Red Sea. That being said, as a college professor, I know that you can have a great teacher with awful students and vice versa.
I have been looking on the forum for diving opportunities when I get back to Seattle in mid-July. However, I would request that fellow divers have some patience since I have not dived (or dove - depending on which side of the grammar war you belong to) in the Puget Sound (or cold water) before.
@LCF - I saw your husband's name through a number of forums and so I contacted Sound Aquatics. All of the instructors there sound quite experienced, which is what I am looking for. I do not want an instructor just to go through the routine and give me a certification because I read a book. I was lucky enough to have great instructors that certified me 20 years ago, and I have been unlucky enough to have seen awful instructors during the multiple dives I have done with tourists on the Red Sea. That being said, as a college professor, I know that you can have a great teacher with awful students and vice versa.
I have been looking on the forum for diving opportunities when I get back to Seattle in mid-July. However, I would request that fellow divers have some patience since I have not dived (or dove - depending on which side of the grammar war you belong to) in the Puget Sound (or cold water) before.
-
Penopolypants
- NWDC Moderator
- Posts: 3906
- Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:37 pm
Re: Hello from Seattle
Welcome to board! Most people here are quite patient, I'm sure you'll have a great time. Cold water diving is definitely a different animal, but it's worth the effort!
Come to the nerd side, we have pi!
Re: Hello from Seattle
drgoogle, please feel free to pm me when you're back in town. One of my favorite thing is mentoring folks.
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
Re: Hello from Seattle
Thanks Penopolypants for the welcome. I'll be sure to try and contact you LCF once I'm back in town.