Oh and I saw you posted about New England waters! I dive mainly out of Cape Ann outside Boston. For your first time, try to go when the visibility is good, 20 feet is nice in New England waters. You may not be able to control this for your certification dives.

After a heavy rain or storm the visibility can get pretty low so the best time to go is after a few calm days with low wind and no rain. A local dive shop can help steer you to good visibility sites for the day you want to go. I know my dive shop (Undersea Divers in Beverly , MA if you're up this way!) will tell people which sites are best each day when you go in to get air.

For light: Take an underwater flashlight with you to help cut down on the anxiety about visibility. Also, the closer you are to the surface the more light you'll have!

To maximize light: Try to be done at least an hour before sunset so it doesn't get too dark from the shadows. It won't be DARK or anything, just not optimal if you really want bright light to curb the anxiety.

If you haven't bought a mask yet, I'd recommend getting a mask with a black skirt (rather than clear) because this helps focus light better so you can see better in darker water. It made a big difference for me when I switched!