Posted 20 November 2023 - 09:38 AM
pronunciation: py_the_red aka Nicole
I went to Coco View in March 2023, finished my OW certification there and have been trying to plan another trip since! Unfortunately my dive buddy is going back to school and can't travel/dive anymore.
I'm trying to decide between going back to Coco View with SD, trying out Bonaire, or saving my pennies for 2025 for Tubbataha.
Hello Nicole and welcome aboard, I echo Kamala's suggestion to take advantage of 2024 to prepare for challenging Tubbataha by honing scuba fundamentals while enjoying a great time with other fun buddyless divers at Bonaire or Roatan. Frankly, the best bang for the increased skills buck is the club's unique Rent a Buddy (aka Rent a Mentor) Program. For a fee you are paired with a scuba pro Divemaster or higher certified dive buddy (often The Wench herself) which not only adds confidence so you relax and enjoy the dive, but post dive feedback on what you are doing right as well as tips on what you may need to tweak. We are talking about everything from buoyancy and trim to finning techniques to lower gas consumption rate and more. 
Whatever you choose, the club is like a large, if loosely associated, family that adds quality to your dive trip. I have been a member for 12 years, a volunteer for eight, and just finished my 26th club trip in Dominica last month. (The latest Happy Hour craze is a board and card game hybrid called Sequence, it has proven pretty addictive for several including myself. It is a deceptively simple game, the more you play the more strategies you develop. Just a heads up.) 
Again, welcome.
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Brad, the Fledgling Journeyman Master Hedonist
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