| Personally I'd go for it Do your IFC and build some experience and then go OWI. That's where I'm going.
Sod the problems in your club. If people think you're doing things wrong, it's normally because of a lack of knowledge. Learn who to isten to and respect and temper your enthusiasm with their experience (I assume there are non student members that sort your training. It is in our club).
I dive in and out of my club all the time. I have people at home that are PADI and basically non technical. I have the people in my club that are the same but they don't think they are. And then there's possibly four others that I would consider in the same bracket as me. Of those I only really dive with one from a technical standpoint. He is a mentor of sorts but the way I want to develop is possibly a little different to the way he wants to go, which is fine as I have been gleeming a few Proteges myself.
Find yourself someone you can dive with regulary and learn a lot from. Do some diving that isn't training and hone your own skills. Familiarity breeds complacency at times. Don't get caught in the trap of thinking that diving at 10 is any different to diving at 40.
The final word is build it up and don't go any faster or further than you feel comfortable with. The water will always be there.  |