Just got back from vaca over the weekend, and my wife, father and I were able to complete our OW cert while we were in Key West. What an awesome adder to our annual trip!! We did our closed water sessions local to us just outside Chicago, then went down with our gear and completed our OW checkouts and passed everything, though my mom had a hard time and unfortunately returned minus her cert. She'll be completing her open water dives this summer with our LDS instructor that works super well with her and the issues she's had getting comfortable.

None of us were huge fans of the cattle car dives, but we had a good instructor with Southpoint Divers, and our own gear that we're all comfy with, so I'm sure that made a big difference.  I know I'll be the only one of the 4 of us going past OW, but I'm ok with it. Definitely stoked  to have a(nother) new hobby!!



Yes, that's my dopey ass in the middle...

Congrats!

Now get some local diving in!

Congrats!  Keep diving!

I definitely plan on it!! Marie, I believe you and I are in very similar locations. I'm in the Aurora/far west suburbs, I see you mention DRI in Plainfield a few times, and think I caught a post of yours on Scubaboard about pool work in Algonquin, it'd be good to meet up with someone local other than the people I know that dive for work.

I'm looking forward to Haigh opening here in a few weeks, and warming up enough to dive in a suit. I've got a few friends in Chicago that dive there fairly regularly in the summer as well.

Actually pool work in Crystal Lake. My regular dive buddy and I will be up there on Saturday with another fellow Arfcommer diver who lives in the area. I live in the NW burbs.

I'll be out at Haigh on opening day.

ETA: it would be great to meet up with someone else for local dives. I aim to dive every weekend, if possible, and my regular dive buddy has too much other stuff going on in his life to do that. I'm single, so I can dive as much as I want!

Your goofy self in the picture made me laugh!

No dry suit, so I'd say count me out on opening day, but I'll be trying to get there a few weekends a month while I can. Are you going to Sea Level in Crystal Lake? I was recommended to go there for reg service, but had our place in Naperville do it for me before KW.  Saturday would be tough for me this week, but maybe we can get together sometime soon!

DRIS does any and all sorts of repairs/service, so they're who I've used when I've bought some used regs. I only use Sea Level in Crystal Lake for their pool.

Just let me know your schedule. I'm out at Haigh opening day April 1 then out of the water for 2 weekends due to other stuff. Should be at Pearl Lake in South Beloit April 22 for their opening day, then I've got an Advanced Buoyancy class at Haigh April 23. After that I'm free for a few weeks. I've got diving plans the middle-end of May at Gilboa in Ohio.

Not sure if you know but 3 Oaks in Crystal Lake has diving. Relatively new and not much to see uw.