So school me on scuba

[jasnmar]

I did a search. Everything just returned replies from scubasteve. I expect signcant help from you.

OK. So we're going to Cozumel this summer. I want to dive.

We went to Cozumel ~8 years ago. Me and my then ~10 year old son did a resort course for relatively cheap. Turns out the pool was busted that morning so we (a total of 5 of us plus the instructor) did a walk in and we're chest deep for the instructions and did a walk in dive as our test. Only about 15' but real ocean.
We loved it. Ended up signing up for a one tank the next day. It was great. My son and I. Two guys who were doing their open water test the next day and the Dive Master. We're drift diving on the Palance reef. Amazing.

We go back a couple years later, but to Cancun. Similar set up so we do the resort course. In the pool. Just me and my ~12 year old but totally boring. Sign up for a dive the next day. We're going to Isle de Mujeres, which isn't drift, but swim diving. We get paired with a couple of 20 something kids and a Dive Master, who is "ok". She doesn't really say much, but isn't horrible. So the 20 something guys purchased a couple disposable underwater cameras and spend all of their time swimming faster than one another to make the other take a picture of them in front of any stupid thing they can see. Total dive lasts about 20 minutes. Dummy 1 is at 200 lbs before he realizes there's a problem. We surface and I'm at 1900 lbs. I'm pissed.

So. I want to get my open water cert for my son and I (wifey has no desire, when I ask her if she wants to scuba she almost hyperventilates, no desire). My (now ~17 year old) son just wants to do "resort dives" again. I'm close to having him convinced to actually get his cert, but I'm clueless as to whether or not my plan makes sense.

We're a bit hard to schedule. He works some "odd" evenings and I work days. We've found some localish instructors that have indicated they can accommodate our schedules for $500/person for certification. (note: I also like the idea of getting some training above that offered in a resort course). Is this ridiculous? Reasonable? I have no clue.

Other plans are for us to actually purchase minimums. Probably snorkle, mask, and fins. Maybe dive light and tool. BCD , regulator weights etc. to be rented. Good/ bad plan?

What am I missing? What don't I know (lots I'm sure)?

[fineout]

Do you ever plan to dive up here? At a minimum buy fins snorkle mask and boots, at the least you can then use it at the beach or something up here to snorkle around. Try on a bunch of different masks and don't cheap out on it because a cheap mask will ruin your day. Fins are really important as well, I use force fins for scuba and really really like them. You should be able to get into a class for around 200-300$ so you can definitely get good heart with the extra money in your budget. I learned scuba in my pool when I was 5 and have been certified for something like 8 years so if you have any questions key me know. Good luck!

[qqac]

Take the PADI online open water course for $120. You can do it as your schedule allows, start and stop whenever you want. Then complete the in-water sessions at whatever dive resort you go to. Cost is typically around US$300, depending on the resort, of course. Doing the open water at a tropical resort beats the heck out of a cold pond in NH. (For clarity and ease of reference, let's call the one-day limited instruction type dive a hotel dive, not a resort course, because dive resorts offer the full range of certification courses.)

A mask with silicone skirt that fits your face is probably the only essential. Traveling with the other gear is kind of a pain, so you might consider just renting at the dive resort if all you do is destination diving, i.e. you don't dive around your home area. Complete rental package is not too costly for what you get, better than having to rent just a few items of gear, which is a rip off.

Next after the mask is a wetsuit and booties. Again, fit is important, but I also don't like the idea of putting on a wetsuit and booties that many others have worn and possibly peed in or vomited on.

If you want to buy your own gear, scour ebay. If you know what you are doing, you can buy used oldies but goodies for cheap money. Otherwise, stick with new or at least recent models. Many new divers get all excited and spend a ton of money at dive shops right after certification, then dive a few times the first season and don't dive again and end up putting their stuff on ebay.

[black]

like one poster said do you plan to dive here? how routine?
I am PADI certified about 20 years ago. In my 20's i'd dive 1x a year then for the first 8 years but I haven't dived in 8 years.

When I wanted to go diving last couple of years they told me I'd need a refresher course or have dove in the last 12 months other wise they wouldnt let me dive. Now how they know I didnt ask. Just an FYI.

Also i see groupons and such like amazon deals for learn to dive for 200$. My wife did that.

[snwbrdr435]

Been diving for 12 years now, did all the class and pool work up here and my open water dives to complete the cert in Key Largo. Worked great.

[Larry]

Get certified locally to make sure you know what you're doing! Online SCUBA cert? No way! I have many years and am just shy of my Master Diver Certification and still run into situations where I am glad I got proper training! Don't trust a dive operator to save your bacon, trust your training!
The last time I went on vacation (resort diving) they made me take a refresher course before I could dive because I had no logbook (left it at home) to prove I had been in the water in the past year.

[jasnmar]

Thanks for the help so far all.

Do you ever plan to dive up here?

Traveling with the other gear is kind of a pain, so you might consider just renting at the dive resort if all you do is destination diving, i.e. you don't dive around your home area.

like one poster said do you plan to dive here? how routine?

As to whether or not I'm going to do this locally, I don't know. I haven't really considered it. The water's effing cold up here. Blah blah Dry suite blah blah. It's unlikely that I'll do much diving locally. I have no intention of really getting "into" diving.

At a minimum buy fins snorkle mask and boots, at the least you can then use it at the beach or something up here to snorkle around. Try on a bunch of different masks and don't cheap out on it because a cheap mask will ruin your day. Fins are really important as well, I use force fins for scuba and really really like them.

A mask with silicone skirt that fits your face is probably the only essential. Complete rental package is not too costly for what you get, better than having to rent just a few items of gear, which is a rip off.

Next after the mask is a wetsuit and booties. Again, fit is important, but I also don't like the idea of putting on a wetsuit and booties that many others have worn and possibly peed in or vomited on.

OK. Mask at a minimum it is. When I did the Hotel Dives previously I actually had really good luck with the rental gear, but buying a mask, at least really makes sense.

What does "not cheaping out" in mask terms mean. Will this work?



Kidding .

What range are we talking for a "solid" mask? ~$100? Less? More?

Opinions on single vs. double glass? The ones we used previously were single. That seemed fine, but whaddo I know.

And who knew you could pay $500 for a set of fins?

So, last time, for the hotel dive we didn't wear wet suits. We just went in our swim suites. With them just being single tank dives and with the water in Cancun being very warm they weren't needed really. If we're going to have more bottom time, I should think about at least a shorty version.

If you want to buy your own gear, scour ebay. If you know what you are doing, you can buy used oldies but goodies for cheap money. Otherwise, stick with new or at least recent models. Many new divers get all excited and spend a ton of money at dive shops right after certification, then dive a few times the first season and don't dive again and end up putting their stuff on ebay.

I can assure you, I have no idea what I'm doing when in comes to BCD / Regulator / Gauge / Computers. Nothing. The Hotel Dives used gauges, not dive computers. More on computers in a bit...

You should be able to get into a class for around 200-300$ so you can definitely get good heart with the extra money in your budget. I learned scuba in my pool when I was 5 and have been certified for something like 8 years so if you have any questions key me know. Good luck!

Take the PADI online open water course for $120. You can do it as your schedule allows, start and stop whenever you want. Then complete the in-water sessions at whatever dive resort you go to. Cost is typically around US$300, depending on the resort, of course. Doing the open water at a tropical resort beats the heck out of a cold pond in NH. (For clarity and ease of reference, let's call the one-day limited instruction type dive a hotel dive, not a resort course, because dive resorts offer the full range of certification courses.)

I am PADI certified about 20 years ago. In my 20's i'd dive 1x a year then for the first 8 years but I haven't dived in 8 years.

Also i see groupons and such like amazon deals for learn to dive for 200$. My wife did that.

Been diving for 12 years now, did all the class and pool work up here and my open water dives to complete the cert in Key Largo. Worked great.

So part of the "issue" with us taking a "standard" dive class is schedule. My son works 3 evenings a week (Mon-Weds-Thurs). That work schedule makes in "nearly" impossible to do anyone's "normal" class schedule, which leaves us with either a couple months of Saturday classes or something "custom". We've been talking to http://www.aquaticescapes.com/ (any goods / bads / about them is more than welcome as well, I picked them relatively randomly...) about a "custom" jam everything into a weekend possibility, which is where the $500 / person came from. As a side note, their open water tests are done in the ocean, in a dry suite.

I'm through like 6/7th of the online SSI course. It seems pretty "basic". I wouldn't be comfortable just hopping in the ocean having only done it. It will be followed with real training of some sort if we decided not to just do the hotel thing again. The SSI course does have quite a bit of talk on using your dive computer, and a little bit of talk on the dive tables. I get it, I think. The computer is a bit more accurate as it keeps track of your depth and time rather than you having to "guess" at it on the tables. Is a dive computer a "must have" nowadays? Still, the computer is just running on a dive model. It isn't actually measuring nitrogen intake / off gassing. Is it really that much more accurate? On the Hotel Dive our Dive Master had one and we were close to him at all times (not down long or deep enough for it to really matter), but the gauges were at least something that I didn't have to figure out how to use at the ocean floor... Thoughts on these?

Course outline has been described as something like:
Session 1 – About 3 hours in the classroom (review material, watch movies and final tests are taken)
Session 2 – Complete and master skills for Pool 1 and Pool 2.
Session 3 – Complete and master skills for Pool 3 and Pool 4
Session 4 – Complete and master skills for pool 5 as well as time to work on any skills you’re rusty on because next time you’re going in the ocean!
Session 5 – Complete Ocean open water dives 1 and 2 (demonstrating skills you've learned in Pool 1 and 2 while exploring our reefs with your instructor).
Session 6 – Complete Ocean open water dives 3 and 4 (demonstrating skills you've learned in Pool 3 and 4 while exploring our reefs with your instructor).

Hotel dive. Fair point.

Marco - I've also considered doing the "open water" tests (Sessions 5 and 6 as described above) "on site" in Cancun. My "issue" with that is son and I are going to be doing this without wifey and his girlfriend. We're going for 7 days. At the outside we're going to have a "full day" of dive time (like one morning and one afternoon or something to that effect), maybe less. I don't want to spend a significant part of my "dive time" doing the certification stuff, at least I don't think I do, but having not done it, what do I know? It is an option to consider.

When I wanted to go diving last couple of years they told me I'd need a refresher course or have dove in the last 12 months other wise they wouldnt let me dive. Now how they know I didnt ask. Just an FYI.

Get certified locally to make sure you know what you're doing! Online SCUBA cert? No way! I have many years and am just shy of my Master Diver Certification and still run into situations where I am glad I got proper training! Don't trust a dive operator to save your bacon, trust your training!
The last time I went on vacation (resort diving) they made me take a refresher course before I could dive because I had no logbook (left it at home) to prove I had been in the water in the past year.

As I don't "think" I'm going to be doing much diving locally, I'll probably need to do this each time I go. It's good to know that I'll need to plan for it.

Again, thanks for the feedback so far.

[black]

refresher course was like 120$ from what i remember..... check around.. it was enough that I said bah.. screw it and didnt bother to go diving or cost wise it was not what i wanted to spend for 45 minutes underwater with the other costs, rental gear, dive guide etc

[qqac]

For the mask, stick with reputable SCUBA brands. You should go to a store to try the fit. Buy there if you want to support the local dive shop, otherwise order the same one online to save $$. Decent ones can be had for as little as $30. Single glass is all I have ever used.

Fins, I've never been too picky. I prefer open heel so I can still walk around with protective booties with the fins off. In the tropics, many of the dive pros I have seen use full foot closed fins.

wetsuits - even in 80 degree water you will get chilled eventually on longer dives or multiple dives. As important, the wetsuit provides abrasion and sting protection for the occasional bump into a rock formation, or brush against a jellyfish.

If you are doing the practical up here in a drysuit, you will have another set of skills to learn (good to know, but piling on for a beginner). Between fumbling with the drysuit, dealing with the extra weight, and the cold water, your bottom times up here will be reduced and maybe all you can fit in is the drills and skills portion, with no touring.

In the tropics, you can get the drills and skills done and still have time for an enjoyable tour underwater, so even if you only had 1 day for SCUBA it would not be wasted.

[Cheese]

Follow Chuck's advice - Classroom and pool work here, open water dives at the resort. If the resort has a reputable dive staff, they'll be familiar with this.

Mask - Single glass is fine as long as it has valsalva slots. You should be able to get one from a big box store like Sports Authority. As for fit, stick it to your face without the strap, inhale through your nose, if it stays on your face, it fits. Don't pay extra for splash proof snorkel gimmicks.
Fins - Make sure you get dive fins and not snorkeling fins. Snorkeling fins usually don't have the strength to push the extra bulk of a divers gear so sort of fold up when you kick. I prefer the strap type so I can change between barefoot, booties and aqua shoes underneath. Bring your booties or aqua shoes with you for the fin fitting.
Wetsuit - Look at shorties, dive skins or thin full suits. The warmer you are, the less air you'll burn while diving. No gloves as that only promotes touching of things that should be left undisturbed by divers.
Mesh dive bag - Cheap, easy to transport and keeps things from getting left behind. I good place to store your PADI certification card, DAN insurance card, dive tables and marine life identifier cards.
Regulators, BCD, weights and dive computers are best rented on site. You'll likely get more modern gear than your own even if it has been used a few times by others.

Your initial complaint about a short dive due to others can happen fairly frequently. A camera is often the sign of a heavy breather. I typically talk to the dive master before the dive and ask if it's okay to hang around under the boat when others have exhausted their tank. Whether it's an out and back or a drift dive it's often acceptable to hang out there even after your buddy has surfaced. Just make sure you save enough air for a 10' decompression stop so you'll be ready for the next dive.

[snwbrdr435]

I don't want to spend a significant part of my "dive time" doing the certification stuff, at least I don't think I do, but having not done it, what do I know? It is an option to consider.

When I was doing my open water cert dives I saw more shit than almost any other dives I have been on. We also didnt focus on just the cert part and we got to explore a bit as well. Obviously not always the case.

[jasnmar]

Thanks Cheese. Very helpful.

Marco, good to know. Thanks.

[Rambunctous]

I know a guy that needs divers. He pays around 20 bucks a hour to pull weeds and shove them into a underwater vacuum. This gets done is reservoirs. Its not exciting work. You won't see a thing all day working in the muck.

[fineout]

What range are we talking for a "solid" mask? ~$100? Less? More?

Opinions on single vs. double glass? The ones we used previously were single. That seemed fine, but whaddo I know.

And who knew you could pay $500 for a set of fins?

.

Mask usually around 75-150 will get you something good, try and find a place that you can try them on, silicone skirts are way better and more comfortable than eurethane or whatever the other kinds are, softer plastic and make a better seal. Here's a trick my dad taught me when i was a kid: to check for a good seal, flip the strap to the front and put the mask on your face, suck in a little with your nose and see if it stays on your face with no strap, if it does youre good.

you dont want freediving fins as a scuba diver. you can get a good set of scuba fins for ~100 give or take a few, comfort is key for any scuba purchase, so try as much on as you can. Trust me, i bought freediving fins because i freedive more than i scuba more sight unseen because they were a good deal, i wish i had went and tried some on because the cramps the skinny footpockets give me are super uncomfortable and stress me out and RUIN my bottom time. For SCUBA, strap on fins are usually better than the footpocket ones, although if youre only planning on resort dives in nice locales off boats its a bit easier to just get whatever fits best.

[nhbubba]

A couple years ago my ex and I bought masks from this guy. He had a good selection and was a helpful salesman. Not really in your neighborhood.. but not a bad neighborhood to wind up in when out on the bike.

[scubasteveRR]

S.C.U.B.A. - Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatuses... blub blub

[jwm2k3]

I've been diving for 25 plus years. I became a PADI instructor in 95. Been to Cozumel 8 different times...my favorite place. I've amassed approximately 2900 dives (not sure of the actual # as I stopped logging dives a LONG time ago)

Cozumel is absolutely beautiful for diving....but be careful of the current. The level of safety is better now, but they used to lose at least 1 diver a week when I started going there back in the day.

I recommend 'Dive Paradise' on the island. Dove with them many a time. Just be up front about your experience and they will make sure you enjoy.

I was there a year ago this past January. I think i was a Mayan in a past life...I'm so drawn to that culture and location....

Good luck! Have fun and take photos!!

[number9]

Mrs. number9 has hinted that she wants to take scuba lessons, so I thought I could win some brownie points by organizing them for Xmas.

I have no idea where to start. Who can help me? Boston Scuba have beginner group classes which look like they might be the ticket, but it's kinda pricey. Mass Diving have a cheaper option where you do some of it online, which makes more sense to my inner George Costanza.