Hello everyone!

[dougie59]

I originally got certified in Maui 2 years ago on my honeymoon. I did the classroom and pool stuff at home (Sacramento area) and did not pass the open water part of it due too, in my opinion, a not so good instructor and about 5 ft visibility in the water. I kept getting water in my regulator and water kept seeping into my mask. I was not comfortable at all and couldn't settle my breathing down so I just stopped the test and went home. My buddy said that the instructor should have spent extra time with me beings that the other three people in our group had some sort of previous experience, my buddy getting re-certified and one other an abalone diver.

Honestly I was just going to forget it and not bother, I felt like a failure and didn't want to humiliate myself again. My wife talked me into bringing my paperwork with me to Maui just in case I might want to finish what I started. Mind you it had been 7 months since I had tried the first time. When I got there the place we stayed at had Scuba cert classes, so I was thinking maybe I might after all. I took the number of an intructor before we left home and I called him the next day after we got there. He met me at the hotel and we drove down to the beach. The water was nice and clear 75+ft visibility. We went through my skills test and came back out. He said I did fine but he wanted to do them again. Did the skills again and then went out on a 25-30 minute dive.

Needless to say I am a certified diver now and I have my wife to thank. Only problem is, is that was 2 years ago and I haven't dove since and need to do a refresher course. I talked to my local shop and can take it for about $50. Me and my wife were married in Monterey and love it there. I would love to live there if I could but I need to win the lottery first. Sorry for the long post but I wanted to give you guy's something to read. Anyway I will be on here from time to time asking questions that might seem lame but I want to learn as much as I can about the area and what to expect when I dive. Thanks, Doug

[MattC]

Hi Doug, and welcome to the board. Glad to hear you were finally successful in getting certified. Hope you have some good experiences in Monterey. Just keep in mind that the best way to get those good dives is to dive often. As you get comfortable you'll learn to admire the creatures you see when the visibility is lousy, and relish those awesome days when visibility opens up.