So you’ve finished your diving lessons in the pool and are well under way to completing your theory lessons. What comes next before you can say you are a qualified Ocean Diver?
First contact your training officer and enquire about your suitability for the next scheduled dive or request a dive with an instructor.
Although your pool training has been free up to now there are costs involved with open water diving. If your dive site is a quarry, namely, Vobster quay, Stoney Cove or Wraysbury then the costs will entail:
• Transport costs to get to & from the site (petrol, diesel or electric)
• Entrance fee to the dive site
• Hire of wetsuit/drysuit
• Hire of Equipment – It’s normally cheaper to use the club’s equipment
• Food & drink
• Your air fills (Air or Nitrox)
• Your instructors expenses
Fortunately we’ve made this easy for new divers and Putney charge a one off cost for daily visits to your dive site at the quarry.
Wraysbury – £65 without kit £90 full kit hire (Near Heathrow)
Vobster Quay – £75 without kit, £100 full kit. (Somerset)
Stoney Cove – £82 without kit £107 full kit (Leicestershire)
(please check our costs page for any updates)
Preparation (Notes from Ben)
• Go through the theory materials on what you’ll be trained on before you go so you thoroughly know to expect in the lesson. Also read ahead of where you are in theory sessions. In a shallowish pool with warm water, 100% vis and less distractions you have less to think about, so just good to be prepared and use the time to put in place best practice. Think safety stops, signals, buoyancy, buddy skills, dive planning, etc.
• Plan 2-3 weeks in advance
• Chat to the equipment officer. You need to arrange to pick up your equipment at the end of Tuesday’s training sessions and return the gear before the start of the following Tuesday training session in the pool. Cylinders need to be returned full.
• Take a change of clothes, flip flops or crocs, a towel, snacks, water. Some sites have good tuck shops so less necessary.
• The club has good cylinders & regs to hire, you can likely rent everything else you might need there, but may be missing bits. Stoney as an example didn’t rent computers, I know others don’t do hoods or gloves. Call ahead and plan what you need. Anything they don’t have and the club doesn’t rent, you may be able to borrow! Again, best to not leave to less than two weeks ahead.
• Quarries etc can be cold. You can be tough and risk being chilly in a wetsuit or go straight to dry suit. You can likely hire at the site to try before you buy, and include dry suit skills in the open water training. Review the theory on them and talk to your instructor in advance, they’ll give you tips of what to wear under and what to expect.
• (That said, I think I should have tried wetsuits in the cold more to get a feeling for the limit, so maybe hire and try both before you dive in? (Pun intended))
• Best to have your own mask, a dodgy mask is a big pain, especially if the water is very cold.
• You will need a computer and know how to use it. You can maybe rent, but not always. If you don’t have one and renting isn’t an option, People in the club have spares you can borrow to learn before you buy. Just ask!
• If you get kit to take, test it in the pool the Tuesday before!
• Ask Early if you need a lift or make an early offer to take passengers if you are keen to drive.
On the day
• Plan to get there early doors (crack of dawn departure, arrive before open). Probably head home mid to late afternoon. (Expect a lot of faffing around with gear, chatting and generally enjoying the day). Don’t make plans for early evening, and expect to be knackered!
• Plan for 2 dives, 20-50 mins each. Maybe 3 if you’re lucky. So expect you can probably do two lessons in a day, weather and instructor patience permitting! In between, take cylinders to get refilled, have a snack and drink, faff with gear, hang out. When cylinders are filled, get ready for round two.
• When you get there, get rental kit ASAP (your instructor will need to be there to hire it). Then – suit up, review plan, buddy check and head down to water in full kit.
• If you’re new to going >5m down, clear your ears on the surface before you descend and do it every meter going down.
• Plan for 2 dives, 20-50 mins each. Maybe 3 if you’re lucky. So expect you can probably do two lessons in a day, weather and instructor patience permitting! In between, take cylinders to get refilled, have a snack and drink, faff with gear, hang out. When cylinders are filled, get ready for round two.
• When you get there, get rental kit ASAP (your instructor will need to be there to hire it). Then – suit up, review plan, buddy check and head down to water in full kit.
• If you’re new to going >5m down, clear your ears on the surface before you descend and do it every meter going down.
• Plan for 2 dives, 20-50 mins each. Maybe 3 if you’re lucky. So expect you can probably do two lessons in a day, weather and instructor patience permitting! In between, take cylinders to get refilled, have a snack and drink, faff with gear, hang out. When cylinders are filled, get ready for round two.
• When you get there, get rental kit ASAP (your instructor will need to be there to hire it). Then – suit up, review plan, buddy check and head down to water in full kit.
• If you’re new to going >5m down, clear your ears on the surface before you descend and do it every meter going down.
There’s a lot to take in on your first open water dives but do try and relax as much as possible. Our instructors are a patient bunch and they were once in your position. This might just unlock some of your passions for continuing to dive in different conditions and different locations all round the world. Putney BSAC wish you all the best in continuing your diving pursuits.