I just completed my Open Water Certification, now what?!

Matt Everett   Apr 08, 2023

I just finished my open water certification, now what?

Congratulations on completing your certification! You have taken your first step into exploring the underwater world. Now you must be wondering, “What now? What’s the next step?” The most important thing to do after getting certified is to go diving! This may seem simple, but diving is a skill and like any skill, you will not improve without practice. The longer you wait after certification to go diving, the less comfortable you will be. The more you dive, the more comfortable you become as you solidify your skills and learn the ins and outs of diving. Let’s look at the different options you have available to keep your skills sharp and increase your comfort in the water.

TAKE MORE CLASSES

A great way to get back in the water and continue diving is to take another course. After Open Water, the next main course you can take is Advanced Open Water, or you can branch out and try specialty classes such as Lobster Science or Drysuit Diver. 

JOIN A DIVE CLUB

Second, you can join a dive club! There are several dive clubs in the area which are a great resource for meeting other divers, learning about diving in your local area, and joining in on dives they run. Many of them offer social club meetings, which is the perfect time to meet other members and get to know everyone before jumping in the water. Here are a few of the most popular dive clubs in the area:

Bay State Council of Divers: This organization was founded in the early 1970’s and represents organized divers in the state of Massachusetts. They are a member of the Underwater Society of America which is made up of dive councils, clubs, and independent divers throughout North America. One of their main functions is to educate divers about issues affecting them such as shipwreck laws. They work a lot with local town governments about laws affecting divers such as water access, diver regulation, and marine conservation. While they do not run dives themselves, they do sponsor an annual underwater treasure hunt and do a tremendous amount to support all divers in the state. http://www.baystatecouncil.org/BSC/Welcome.html

MetroWest Dive Club: The MetroWest Dive Club is one of the most consistent clubs in the area: they dive every Saturday year-round! They host meetings on the second Tuesday of each month which typically feature a presentation on a wide range of topics. https://www.mwdc.org/index.html#

New England Aquarium Dive Club: Started in 1975, the New England Aquarium Dive Club is a non-profit organization headquartered at the New England Aquarium. They organize shore and boat dives throughout the Northeast. They meet the 3rd Wednesday of the month at the New England Aquarium (meetings are also available via zoom). http://www.neadc.org/

North Shore Divers Club: Their members have been boating diving since 1971! They own and operate their own dive boat and go out every weekend and holiday from June to November. Sites are determined by consensus when leaving the dock and can range from lobsters to scallops to wrecks and more! https://northshorediversclub.com/

North Shore Frogmen: One of the oldest continuously active sports diving clubs in the world, the North Shore Frogmen has been diving here since 1958. Full of divers of all experience levels, the Frogmen host weekly meetings every Thursday to socialize and discuss past and future dives. http://www.northshorefrogmen.com/

SECONN (South-Eastern Connecticut) Skin Divers: For those of you located to the South or willing to travel, SECONN is a scuba dive club focused on the Southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island area. They host meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of each month to socialize, share dive plans, and listen to presentations from members or invited guests. They offer club dives as well as charters exclusive to their members. http://www.seconndivers.org/seconn-events/club-dives/

South Shore Neptunes Dive Club: Founded in 1955, the South Shore Neptunes host regular dives, and meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month. They hold annual events such as a “Diver-of-the-Year” competition and an Underwater Photography Competition. http://www.southshoreneptunes.org/index.html

HIRE A LOCAL GUIDE

Another option for getting back in the water is to hire one of our dive professionals for a private dive! This is a great way for you to focus on getting comfortable in the water and solidify your skills while our dive guide takes care of navigation and carries the flag, allowing you to direct your attention to the diving! You can find information here on our website but the easiest way to schedule a private dive is to shoot us an email with dates that you are looking to dive and we will do our best to assist you: https://underseadivers.com/private-dives

FIND A DIVE BUDDY

Another option is to start diving with a buddy. This could be a buddy you met in class or someone you met through a club or Facebook group (there are several Facebook groups of divers in the area). There are a few things to know before heading out on your own dive: first, Massachusetts has a dive flag law; all divers must tow a flag with them while underwater (one per buddy pair/ buddy group is sufficient, every individual diver does not need their own). Undersea Divers does not rent flags, but we have a few options available for purchase. Second, you want to check the marine forecast to determine safe conditions and the best site to go to. For information about that, check out our blog here. After checking out the marine forecast, you need to decide on a dive site to meet at. Check out our blog post on our most frequented shore diving sites. From there, you just have to communicate to your buddy and enjoy the dive! Always feel free to call or reach out with any additional questions you might have!