How the heck do I get started?

[Heatherly30]

Ok...thanks for all of the information! New question...Discover Scuba course. Tell me more about that. I'm going to research it myself, but you all probably know the details. We want to be certified, but we may have difficulty since we are pressed for time. Is this class something we could do in Cancun, but have time in the ocean, or is it all class work?

We are also considering going to Gulf Shores, Alabama in September. Is there any way we could do all of the class work and dives in one week while we're there? If not, I am guessing we could definitely do everything here in the next month and then do our certification down there. So many options, so little time (and money

Thanks again for all of your help!

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Personally I would do the certification in Ohio. I've met a couple of the instructors from Cincinnati Diving Center and liked their dedication to diving and their students. Looks like there is a class starting Aug 10. That would be a good one to get into because the water in the quarries will still be warm when you finish the class in September.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Peter Guy]

Heatherly30 -- You've been given a lot of information -- IMHO some it good, some of it not so good.

Here's my view which may be (is?) a little different:

a. SCUBA diving is a very safe activity, as long as everything is going well -- BUT, once underwater, you are in a very foreign, and unforgiving, environment. This is NOT written for the purposes of scaring you away from diving, to the contrary, for the purpose of reinforcing the notion that the more training (and the better training) you get, the more you'll enjoy the sport AND the safer you will be.

b. Trying to pick the least expensive, or quickest route, may not be the best route for you -- likewise picking the most expensive or fastest route may not be either. None of us know how well you will learn the sport. People learn at different paces and I don't think there is any way of predicting the pace prior to doing it. (Note -- I just finished helping out an OW class with several kids and adults -- two of the kids did MUCH better at "getting it" than two of the adults -- while several of the adults were absolute stars.)

c. IF you want to enjoy your limited time in Cancun, get as much instruction/practice as you can at home -- even if that means doing skills in lousy viz in a quarry (which is something I've never done -- in a quarry that is -- done plenty of skill dives in cold, lousy viz).

d. The most important thing is for you to learn safe and good practices so that you will be a comfortable, safe diver.

 

[Heatherly30]

Ok...another stupid question. If we get certified before we go to Cancun, what will we need to do when we get there to be able to dive. I assume you can't just run to the ocean, dive in and go at it. Will we go to a dive shop, sign up, pay, etc. Do we need to do this in advance? Will there be a guide to go along with us? I will want someone experienced to along along with us our first several times. Safety is very important to me.

Has anyone ever heard of snuba? We did that in St. Thomas. What are the main differences?

Any more info on Discover Scuba?

 

[diver 85]

Whatever you do, do things correctly.......I would go to a dive shop and have a talk with them, it's only your life you're talking about.......

 

[sixgears]

Ok...another stupid question. If we get certified before we go to Cancun, what will we need to do when we get there to be able to dive. I assume you can't just run to the ocean, dive in and go at it. Will we go to a dive shop, sign up, pay, etc. Do we need to do this in advance? Will there be a guide to go along with us? I will want someone experienced to along along with us our first several times. Safety is very important to me.

Has anyone ever heard of snuba? We did that in St. Thomas. What are the main differences?

Any more info on Discover Scuba?

No such thing as a stupid question when talking about safety. If you get certified before you go that means you only have to show your c-card and sign up for the dives that interest you and your husband whether it be a boat or a shore dive. Regardless of the type of dive you will probably be going into a dive shop and renting equipment. That would be a good time to speak to someone regarding your experience (or lack thereof) so they can point you to which dives would be most enjoyable and the most safe for your experiece level.

Before you leave I would suggest researching a couple of dive shops at your destination and calling in advance and also ask all the questions you can and make sure they address your concerns. If one dive shop does not meet your needs there's always another one you can call.

 

[MtnPlayVA]

Has anyone ever heard of snuba? We did that in St. Thomas. What are the main differences?

Any more info on Discover Scuba?

I've done both Discover dives and snuba in Belize. I liked the Discover dive because I could figure out whether this was something I was interested in without spending a fortune in dollars and a ton of time. I didn't like snuba because you are tethered to a float with other people. In my case, it was my sister who didn't like it at all so I ended up towing her around while she hung on the raft. After trying both, I realized I wanted to dive and wanted to learn more so I signed up for the open water class. I didn't like the eLearning version - I wanted the full instructor led class. I just completed my advanced open water training this weekend. If you are on the fence about whether this is for you or not, do a Discover Dive on your vacation. It was definitely worth it for me.

 

[Heatherly30]

So if we are certified, we will not have a guide down in the water with us? It will be my husband and me, and any other divers on the same adventure as us?

If I do a Discover Scuba class, will it be in the ocean, or in a pool?

 

[MtnPlayVA]

So if we are certified, we will not have a guide down in the water with us? It will be my husband and me, and any other divers on the same adventure as us?

If you are certified you will not necessarily have a guide with you - it depends on what you set up. If it was me diving after being newly certified, I'd want to go with a group or at least someone local that knows the area, points of interests and hazards.

If I do a Discover Scuba class, will it be in the ocean, or in a pool?

You do both - mine was about 2 hours in the pool the night before and then two ~40 minutes dives off of the reefs in Belize. It was fantastic. We always had the instructor right there with us and it gave me enough of a taste for diving that I wanted to continue.

You said you've done snuba before - what did you like, not like about it?

 

[sixgears]

So if we are certified, we will not have a guide down in the water with us? It will be my husband and me, and any other divers on the same adventure as us?

If I do a Discover Scuba class, will it be in the ocean, or in a pool?

You can always get a dive master to go with you. I know on boat dives there's always a DM whom you can follow around if you so choose. I don't think any reputable dive shop is going to let you go on your own specially being novices. Even experienced divers still need the guidance of a DM specially in places that are not too familiar to them. This can be one of your requirements when you book at your destination.