I am from New York. With only 16 dives, I doubt you can call me a diver. We have a quarry here (Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA). Plus local dive sites in Atlantic are nearby, about 20 minute drive. There's a good site in Long Island, in Montauk. But that's a hell of a drive. The reason I don't dive much is due to the gear. I still need to buy BCD, wetsuit. I have a used reg set, but I need new set of gauges and to do an annual on the set. Thing is, I don't know where to send the damn thing. It's a ScubaPro set, and my LDS already treats me like an enemy because I spent $250 on reg and Air2 instead of $800 with them on reg alone.
So yea, once my friend starts diving and I get more gear, it would be more or less acceptable for me. I'd be fine without wetsuit in some dive sites (max depth is 25') but I am still saving for half-decent BCD. Shop only has ScubaPro Knighthawk, for $605 and I am not paying that much.
I actually took wreck diving course figuring that confined environment needs a bit more attention, and is not something I should be picking up from instructors. And my LDS said that they want me to take Deep Diver course in order to do wrecks. Idea is that most wrecks in the area are at least 60' deep. There's a radar station, about 250' down which I would LOVE to see, but I am not anywhere up to the level of expertise required for it.
My certs are from SSI. At least they want you to know tables. I recently stopped by a TDI/SDI shop who said that they don't teach tables, and you must have a computer. So one malfunction sends you back to the boat for next 24 hours.
