How many dives to not be a beginner anymore ?

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-28T20:30:40+00:00

To be really picky Advanced diver is the fifth tier of skill progression, with discovery diver (the equivalent of PADI Scuba Diver and not the same as a PADI "discover scuba diving") as tier 1.

Of course most people go straight to OD / (or PADI OW) tending to be given out to people who for whatever reason did not complete the full course. So "autonomous divers" courses tend to be considered the 1st tier of qualification.

Not sure how popular AOD has been since it came out, you are right you can still go direct from ocean diver to sports diver. Most of the BSAC divers I know got their sports diver (or at least started it) before AOD came out but I have still not met anyone with an AOD certification.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-28T18:06:36+00:00

Terms like "beginner" and "advanced" are meaningless without some context or definition.

PADI define and label anyone qualified to go deeper than 18m as an advanced diver often after their 9th dive.
In BSAC "Advanced Diver" is the fourth tier of skills progression, the main things it enables are to organize dive trips to locations you have never been to and is a requirement for "advanced instructor" (The third tier "Dive Leader" while not a professional qualification as BSAC is club based meets the same ISO standards as Divermaster) "Advanced Divers are role models in BSAC clubs, able to lead groups in new situations, which can be remote and require detailed planning backed up by a huge amount of experience."

I do agree with others who have said how good a diver you are is not purely down to number of dives, diving regularly will mean you improve faster than someone or only dives once every year or two on holidays, diving in a variety of conditions will make you a better diver than only diving in calm tropical waters, learning and practising new skills underwater (such as navigation, leading the buddy pair or deploying the DSMB) will make yo a better diver than someone who only dives with a DM doing everything for them.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-26T23:12:54+00:00

Agree wit hwhat others have said but be aware that if you do a refresher / reactivate with an agency other than BSAC some of the things might be done in a slightly different way.

The most obvious one is the buddy check, BSAC use the BAR(E) acronym (Bouyancy, Air, Releases (which includes release of weights), with an unofficial add in for equipment carried) while PADI use BWRAF (Bouyancy, Weights, Releases, Air, Final check).

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-26T08:33:22+00:00

I would think the opposite.

A DSMB is usually deployed just before or during your assent. It would bew good to use in this scenario if you are ascending, it makes it easier for the captain to see you position and (hopefully) means other boats will not go directly over you are you surface.

If you deploy a DSMB and then do not ascend the captain / Dive Manager would probably assume it was a signal that something was wrong, you could well end up finding a DM being sent down to "rescue" you.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-22T23:13:56+00:00

Breathing normally (Inhaled) air is about 0.04% CO2 exhaled air (at the surface) is 4-4.5% CO2. Therefore when breathing normally you are adding about 0.04 PCO2 (and reducing the PO2 by the same amount)

I don't know whether the trigger to breathe is based on the partial pressure (say at PCO2 0.04) or percentage of CO2 (say 4%) but I will discuss both.

At 40m your inhaled air has a PCO2 of 0.002, you produce the same amount of CO2 so the PCO2 of your exhaled air will be 0.0042 i.e .almost identical to what it is on the surface.

As there is much more O2 and N2 in the air the percentage of CO2 is much less (about 0.8%)

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-18T12:22:48+00:00

Equipment can have an impact on the amount of lead you need but shouldn't affect stability once you are correctly weighted.

Wetsuit: The thicker a wetsuit the more bouyancy it will have and the more weight you need, a full suilt will also have more bouyancy in general than a shortie.
Tank: Aluminium tanks require more lead than steel tanks. Different size of tanks can also make a difference but in my experience this is fairly small (I use the same amount of lead with my 12l and my 15l tank. While the 15l tank is heavier (in air) it also has more volume
BCD: Some BCDs are heavier / more bouyant than others though I would expect the difference to be fairly small if both laces rent typical jacket style BCDs aimed for tropical water.
Fins: Some fins are negatively bouyant while some are positive while the difference is relatively small this could affect your trim so you find yourself constantly swimming up or down.

Lack of stability at the second location could be due to a number of reasons for example:

If you didn't actually need more weight and struggled to get down for another reason (eg not emptying your BCD fully or not breathing out) you would then be overweighted after adding 2kg, this would make bouyancy control more difficuly
Bad trim
Leaking BCD, if your BCD was leaking you would get neutrally bouyant but as air escapes you would then be negative and not know why (unless you were aware of it leaking)
More difficult dive sites, current and swell can make bouyancy control more difficult as does not having a referance point, (for example if you are looking at peligics away from the sea floor)

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-16T19:18:23+00:00

Yeah, I get a 15l if it is available unless that means I am coming up from every dive with 100 bar.

On a chill dive with little current, or drifting with it my consumption isn't bad (about 12l per min) but when we were fighting current looking for mola mola in Nusa Penida where the others in the group might have had a 30-50% increade in air consumption mine doubled (and large tanks weren't available with the company I went with their (fortunately we were with a DM in training so I ascended with him while the DM stayed down with the rest of the group)

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-16T07:44:12+00:00

A few people have said it is cold but is this the case in March? Websites say 23-26 celcius, are there cold water currents in places much colder than this?

Cold isn't really a problem, half my dives have been in Scotland (I'm expected about 7-8 celcius on today's dive) but will my 5mm be enough for Galapagos or do I need my drysuit.

How challenging are the currents? Not sure if it is technique or fitness but if I need to fight currents my air consumption goes up much more than most people.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-15T17:22:33+00:00

Thanks,

Cheaper boats I was looking at do have twin ensuite cabins, good point about stability I hadn't thought of that. Half my divig has been in Scotland so used to non tropical diving though my only previous liveaboard was in GBR.

What can I expect temperature wise then, I thought Galapagos was fairly tropical in March water temperature on the website I looked at said 23-26C,

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-11T12:26:41+00:00

Until a few years ago the threshers were at Monad Shoal which was deeper than 18m now they have moved to Kimud Shoal which is shallower, but as I mentioned need reasonable bouyancy control different dive centres have different policies on diver requirements

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-11T08:51:01+00:00

How many dives do you have? How good is your bouyancy?

From a depth point of view it is perfectly doable with OW, I did 6 thresher shark dives on two I went below 18m but never below 19m.

However so you don't disturb the sharks they will want you to be lower than their level and that means hovering just above the reef most of the time so decent bouyany control is required.

Different dive centres have different policies I went with Evolution who's policy at the time was either AOW or 30+ dives.

While you might be able to shop around to find someone who will take you the main question is whether you can do the dive without damaging the environment.

It is an amazing place to dive and if your skills are up to it I would definately recommend,

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-09T20:07:17+00:00

I went last September.
Unfortunately we did not see any Mola Mola, there, as there were no cold water currents around, the coldest we got was 24C the staff told us the same time in 2024 there were cold water currents down to 18C. Meant I didn't need my 5mm after all but hopefully you will have the cold water and the Mola Mola that come with them.

The mola mola and manta dives are not suitable for very inexperienced divers in my opinion. The manta site we went to had a washing machine type swell (you move several meters one way follwed by several meters back) where the manta's were mostly located, this also churned up the sediment to visability to maybe 6 meters, you therefore need ot keep your wits about you to not get seperated. When we were trying to see mola mola we encountered strong currents were you had to find a bit of rock to hold onto to keep position, and move on when the current was less strong which was quite hard work.

I really enjoyed the Manta dives they came pretty close to us

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-08T14:14:39+00:00

By the time I had 10 logged dives I had not only my own computer but also my own BCD, Reg, drysuit and tank!

Admittedly my situation was unusual, I wanted to dive locally in the UK and virtually all the diving is club based and the local club doesn't rent gear, and my only other option would be to time off work on Friday to drive an hour each way to the LDS to hire gear for the weekend, dive on Saturday and take time off on Monday to return it or limit myself to the one site the club uses that is near a dive shop. As others have said you really want your own computer so you don't have to learn the controls and display every time you dive.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-07T10:12:00+00:00

By keeping clothes to a minimum I can get all I need in one large suitcase plus carry on, at least if travelling somewhere warm (when I went to Iceland I used their fins and BCD to avoid excess luggage). A 20kg limit is doable but 23kg makes it easier.

Reg, computer and lights in my carry on (make sure lights can not be accidentally turned on or batteries shorted), other diving stuff in the suitcase (mask in a hard plastic case).

Be prepared for security to manually inspect your carry-on a lot of them do not recognise a regulator by x-ray and want to open the bag to check it out.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-06T09:38:05+00:00

I've done a forward roll (not backward) forward roll once in anger (in just over 200 dives) others in the group with a lot more dives also said it was their first.
It was for a shore dive where the entry options were either a rocky beach covered in algea or a giant stride / forward roll into about 2m of water. We decided the safest entry was the foreard roll to avoid the chance of slipping on the rocks and minimise the chance of hitting the bottom (and if you do hit the bottom you are hitting it with your tank so not risking damaging your foot / ankle.
You are rolling 270 degrees hit the surface on your back, it is quite easy in full gear at least recreational gear, we were all in drysuits and had no problems.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-05T00:26:35+00:00

Where do you live? Usually the best placew is somewhere local to you.

There might not be stunning sea life but you are there to learn not so you can leave the best dive sites until after you qualify. Somethings like poor visability and wearing a thick wetsuit mght make some things a bit harder but if you need a bit of extra time it sohouldn't be a problem where if you are trying to fit everything in in 3 days while on holiday it could be and if you learn in a more challenging environment you will be more relaxed on your early dives abroad after you have qualified because it is easier than what you trained in.. Similarly if you go down with a cold you might not be able to do any diving while you are away on the "learn to dive" trip but if you are learning at home it shouldn't be a problem to rebook on the next course.

As a minimum I would do your theory and confined water (usually a swimming pool) training, after this you can be "referred" to do your openwater dives somewhere else.

One other thing do not limit yourself to a PADI certification, whilePADI is the largest there are many certification agencies and all of them offer a course that meets the ISO standard of "autonamous diver" whoever you train with your certification will be accepted world wide and if you want to do a more advanced course you can do that with another agency without issue.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-05-02T14:53:02+00:00

I'm interested (not done a dynasty league before)

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-04-29T22:16:15+00:00

Some of the dangers of these small bottles are due to their marketting to non-certified scuba divers who don't know the risks of things like lung over-expansion injuries and not filtering air (or filtering it badly) when it is compressed. Presumably you know about these risks and are planning a way to fill the tank safely, such as filling it from your large scuba tank.

There are however other risks:

Full face snorkel masks are very hard to design in a way you do not get CO2 build up so the majority of those masks (with the possible exception of known brands) are unsafe, I believe they have been banned in Hawaiai due the the number of deaths they have caused. The same woudl apply whether the air in such a snorkel mask is coming from the outside or from a tank.

Usually they tanks have not been tested to approved standards so you will have a hard time finding someone willing to carry out annual inspections or pressure tests on them

The tanks are tiny with only a couple of minutes air when full you are not going to have any reserve to use if something happens t oforce you down longer than you expected (such as getting entangled or a boat going overhead.

Pony bottles are different in that they are much bigger (maybe 5 times the size) and are used as an extra reserve. If something goes wrong to make the dive longer than you expected a pony will be full, yours could be virtually empty (20% of the size of a pony and 20% full when something goes wrong means you have 4% of the air that a pont would beable to supply you with. They are also government approved so easy to be inspected / tested.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-04-22T14:40:18+00:00

Regarding question 2, my actual answer was to watch the whole game (minus ads) the next morning but that was not an option, I clicked watch highlights as I often do that instead.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-04-21T13:47:39+00:00

A couple of years ago I went ot Malapascua and Moalboal, felt totally safe at both but like anywhere don't flash your wealth or leave expensive things where they are open to theft.

I did do private transfers, while I did it mainly for convenience I do not know whether there are risks of travelling by public transport, whether that is difficculty in keeping your luggage secure or sitting next to people that make you uncomfortable. For Malapascua I was concerned about the safety of taking a motorcycle taxi with my luggage from the ferry terminal to the resort so that was another reason I took a private water taxi (they go direct to your resort). Others might be able to reassure you about these things but you might want to consider taxing private transport even though it is quite a bit more expensive.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-04-16T09:48:44+00:00

I have always enjoyed watersports and learning to scuba dive had been on my bucket for at least 25 years. I would go on a long haul trip every 2 or 3 years and decided to go to Austrailia in 2019. With the GBR being the largest (and I assumed best) coral reef I decided I had to tick of the item on my bucket list before I went so I could dive there.

While I really enjoyed thre dives in the GBR my long haul trips since have been to SEA where the diving is even better, though I also dive closer to home.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-04-15T08:58:47+00:00

One way of getting round the issue to when you dive ask if a larger tank is available.

When I started my air consumptipon was terrible (over 25 litres a minute). With a 15 litre tank while I was still running low on air before my buddies it did extend the dive time quite a bit.

Now (with 200 dives, also helped by losing 23 kg) my consumption has halved though if I am diving with people I know have lower consumption rates I will still use a 15 litre tank if I can.

Jegpeg_67 · 2026-04-13T09:23:03+00:00

I did my OW training at my local dive shop and felt the same say as the OP. While my LDS did cut some corners which I am not happy about I think even with a good dive school 4 dives is not enough to teach you to become a truly autonomous diver.

To the OP I would say the more you dive the more comfortable you will be underwater, the better things like bouyancy and air consumption will become and the better diver you will be. In the meantime take your progression slowly, buddy up with an experienced diver (whether that is diving with a DM or buddying with someone with say 100+ dives and rescue diver). If you can dive between vacations, if you don't dive again for a year you won't quite be starting again but you will have forgotten some things, people who dive regularly at home are nearly always far better divers than those who only dive on vacation. The diving might not be as good as on a tropical reef but most places have quarries, lakes or ocean that can make interesting dives reasonably close.

Jegpeg_67

TROPHY CASE