Advice for a newbie : buying tank packages ahead

[Divingblueberry]

Here’s post #26 from this thread: Questions about choosing a Raja Ampat liveaboard

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

I am very much in plan A : my certification dives will be done next week-end in a quarry in a drysuit !
I'll have skipped no 2 though.

 

[ljwillia]

Thanks Christie. Your answer is much appreciated. I would indeed prefer smaller boats for many reasons. That being said, I was under the impression that the pier was solely for the hotel's shop. I was mistaken.

I've not yet read through the remaining responses but wanted to echo Christie's advice. I can speak from personal experience.

Our second dive trip after being certified was to Cozumel. We selected a dive op on the recommendation of our LDS (local dive shop). It was a small operation and was perfect. As new divers, I didn't realize how helpful it would be to have the personal attention and advice from the DM. He could only provide that because it was a small group. I learned so much more on that trip than on our first trip which was on a cattle boat in St Lucia.

I also experienced some unexpected anxiety. I had never been in the kinds of current that are common on Cozumel. Our DM spent quite a bit of time with me and helped me to gain the confidence I needed. Since we had communicated with him via email prior to our trip he knew that we were brand new divers. Consequently he selected sites that were appropriate to our experience. 6 years on we still dive with him when we are in Coz. We don't need as much of his attention these days but I still appreciate the smaller groups.

Whatever you decide, have a great time. Cozumel is really special.

 

[Hatul]

We did Pro-Dive from Occidental and found their dives bland, but if you're a newbie they should be fine. They generally limit their dives to 60 ft depth. Their boat goes out at 8am (meet at 7:30) and one early afternoon boat. Make sure if you're over 45 and take any meds to have a letter from your physician or they won't let you dive.

 

[Divingblueberry]

Make sure if you're over 45 and take any meds to have a letter from your physician or they won't let you dive.

That is a very good point. (I don't remember reading that on their website.) I am, for the better or worst, over 45 so I have to take that into consideration. Thanks very much for bringing that up

 

[deepsea21]

Haha - that is still 8 - 12 divers on the boat! That can be really overwhelming for a new diver.

I think it depends on the dive op. Some may feel cramped in anything more than a 6-pack while others can be happy with perhaps twice that many. In my opinion, what makes the difference is when you are diving with a smaller boutique dive op you are generally diving with an entirely different caliber group of divers than those (not all) who generally dive with the AI in-house dive ops. It is human nature for new divers to think they are safer on a boat with lots of other divers (safety in numbers right?) but nothing could be further from the truth in my opinion.

In my opinion it's so much better (and safer) to the newbie diver on a smaller boat of experienced divers who all know how to watch out for themselves, each other and the group as a whole than to be a cattle boat of 15-20 divers who plan to dive a day during their trip with their other days spent renting a dune buggy, parasailing, visiting Mayan ruins, going on a tequila tour, swimming with captive dolphins and closing out their trip with day at the spa and a massage.

I will use 3P's as an example but I am sure other boutique dive ops deliver similar experiences. 3P's is known for the freedom it provides experienced divers... If you want to hang with the DM you are welcome to and if you want to venture out on your own keeping the group in sight you are welcome to. You dive your own profile with 3P's and no one is forced to maintain some silly underwater train of divers with locomotive and caboose DM's. As such, if a 3P's boat is at it max capacity of 10 divers, you can rest assured that at least 6 of those 10 are going to go do their own thing venturing off and rejoining the DM from time to time which leaves those who want to stick close to the DM with basically a private DM experience.

I well remember a newbie diver we met on a 3P's boat who was diving solo. He was an offshore oil rig driller from Canada and his wife didn't dive so he left her at the AI and went diving with us during the days. He wasn't shy and announced that he was new to diving to all on the boat and we all welcomed him and assured him he'd have an absolute blast. He hung close to the DM his first day (didn't hire a private DM). His first day he was the first to surface with the DM sending up his SMB and seeing him to the boat. Those 2 short dives that day lasted all of one day as the other divers (including myself) started explaining breathing technique, energy conservation, buoyancy, don't fight the current let it take you on a ride.. Etc Etc Etc. By day 3 he had gone from an initial 35 min bottom time to over an hour. On day 3 I surfaced before he did and met him at the ladder as I was on the boat and asked WTF are you doing surfacing after me? Great times. Great times. Great guy we hope to dive with again but our visits haven't matched up with his since. Some day.

 

[Altamira]

You should also check on the refund policy if you are unable to use your package number of tanks for reasons beyond the dive op cancelling the trip for weather or mechanical issues, for example, a last minute medical condition. A refund for such situations is good; a credit for future trips maybe not so good.

 

[Divingblueberry]

I think it depends on the dive op. Some may feel cramped in anything more than a 6-pack while others can be happy with perhaps twice that many. In my opinion, what makes the difference is when you are diving with a smaller boutique dive op you are generally diving with an entirely different caliber group of divers than those (not all) who generally dive with the AI in-house dive ops. It is human nature for new divers to think they are safer on a boat with lots of other divers (safety in numbers right?) but nothing could be further from the truth in my opinion.

In my opinion it's so much better (and safer) to the newbie diver on a smaller boat of experienced divers who all know how to watch out for themselves, each other and the group as a whole than to be a cattle boat of 15-20 divers who plan to dive a day during their trip with their other days spent renting a dune buggy, parasailing, visiting Mayan ruins, going on a tequila tour, swimming with captive dolphins and closing out their trip with day at the spa and a massage.

I will use 3P's as an example but I am sure other boutique dive ops deliver similar experiences. 3P's is known for the freedom it provides experienced divers... If you want to hang with the DM you are welcome to and if you want to venture out on your own keeping the group in sight you are welcome to. You dive your own profile with 3P's and no one is forced to maintain some silly underwater train of divers with locomotive and caboose DM's. As such, if a 3P's boat is at it max capacity of 10 divers, you can rest assured that at least 6 of those 10 are going to go do their own thing venturing off and rejoining the DM from time to time which leaves those who want to stick close to the DM with basically a private DM experience.

I well remember a newbie diver we met on a 3P's boat who was diving solo. He was an offshore oil rig driller from Canada and his wife didn't dive so he left her at the AI and went diving with us during the days. He wasn't shy and announced that he was new to diving to all on the boat and we all welcomed him and assured him he'd have an absolute blast. He hung close to the DM his first day (didn't hire a private DM). His first day he was the first to surface with the DM sending up his SMB and seeing him to the boat. Those 2 short dives that day lasted all of one day as the other divers (including myself) started explaining breathing technique, energy conservation, buoyancy, don't fight the current let it take you on a ride.. Etc Etc Etc. By day 3 he had gone from an initial 35 min bottom time to over an hour. On day 3 I surfaced before he did and met him at the ladder as I was on the boat and asked WTF are you doing surfacing after me? Great times. Great times. Great guy we hope to dive with again but our visits haven't matched up with his since. Some day.

That is interesting... I am curious to see how it's going to work actually. One thing I have learned from my reading is not to hide that I am a newbie. I think that's the best way to stay in my comfort zone and learn.

I will certainly work on my breathing, but I am not convinced I could do an hour on a tank to be honest.

Thanks very much for your input. That is greatly appreciated

 

[Divingblueberry]

You should also check on the refund policy if you are unable to use your package number of tanks for reasons beyond the dive op cancelling the trip for weather or mechanical issues, for example, a last minute medical condition. A refund for such situations is good; a credit for future trips maybe not so good.

Thanks very much for the tip. I am looking at the different operator's website and the refund policy is now a deal breaker. Especially in my case : I will be diving in the South roughly twice a year.

 

[keepdivin]

You should also check on the refund policy if you are unable to use your package number of tanks for reasons beyond the dive op cancelling the trip for weather or mechanical issues, for example, a last minute medical condition. A refund for such situations is good; a credit for future trips maybe not so good.

This is excellent advise and something worth considering especially being a new diver if booking a week of diving in advance.

Ear problems or respiratory ailments do happen on dive vacations. You should check with the dive ops your considering booking with on there policy is if this happens. You shouldn't feel pressured to go diving if your not feeling well or have ear issues. To be fair I wouldn't expect a refund or not to be billed for a dive if this was a last minute decision. You should communicate with your op at least the day before if you believe your not going to be able to dive due to medical issues.

The prior advice you have received about diving with a smaller group and your personal DM for the first few dives would be the direction I would recommend also. Have fun and enjoy Cozumel.

Keepdivin

 

[Christi]

I'd think a new diver would be more comfortable in a large, stable roomy dive boat (even if there are many other divers) than in a smaller boat.

I think it depends on the person in the end. However, I can say as a dive shop owner who has been in the biz for 2 decades and owned my own shop for 17 years - it has been my experience and observation that new divers need as little task loading and stimulation as possible. That is hard to get on a large boat with a lot of people. I'll add that bigger boats rock more - so actually not more stable unless seas are rough.