Brand new to scuba - looking for advice

[wgw04024]

Let's not split hairs Don jeez. I think when you compare the level and frequency of current of Cozumel to Key Largo, you can safely say Key Largo has none to barely on dives OW students are going to dive. I have been when there is a ripping current on the Duane, but I wasn't referring to that at this point....

 

[kmarks]

PADI has a class called discover scuba diving, it allows you to see if scuba diving is for you - if you’re unsure or have any doubts, definitely more cost effective route cause if you don’t like it, you’re out only that minimal cost. Discover scuba training can carry over to PADI open water training, doesn’t really save you much time at all as the bare minimum is covered in discover.

SSI also does this. But discover scuba is done in a pool, not on your vacation to Cozumel. Resort Course is basically discover scuba, but you get to do it on vacation and see real, live fish.

I agree with your premise that pool and classroom should be done prior but I'm pretty sure the max 3 training dives per day applies only to open water dives. Pool work is not considered a dive and is not logged as one even in training.

That's true, the pool dives don't count as loggable dives. And the max of 3 training dives in a day refers only to open water. But SSI recommends a minimum of 16-32 hours for OW diver, including 6 pool/confined water sessions and 4 OW dives, as well as 6-8 hours of classroom time (plus all of the online/app training beforehand). You can actually do OW dive 1 before you complete the classroom and confined work, so theoretically, you could make two very long days of it if you did academic sessions 1-3, confined water 1-3 and OW 1 all on day one, then started early the next morning and did academic 4-6, CW 4-6, and OW 2-4, doing probably 10-12 hour days. But I think that would be too much for even the most enthusiastic students (or instructors - I would be wiped out after that, even with a small class of natural fish). And it would leave you no time to enjoy your vacation.

On an semi-related side note, I actually recently heard a story about a guy who logged all of his pool sessions (just going to his local shop on the weekends to play) as dives and when he went on his first ocean dive, he bragged about having well over 100 dives. Questions were asked on the boat very quickly after the first dive.

 

[W W Meixner]

Hello Scuba family,

My significant other and I are looking to get certified in Cozumel next month. We have never done scuba before. Would we be able to get open water certified and potentially advanced open water certification during our 3 day/3night stay in Cozumel? If you have any recommendations for dive shops or instructors, I'd be very grateful.

Thank you!

F...

No ''probably not'' about it...showing up cold...absolutely not...

Depending on your arrival time...you'll likely sign up the first day and start the OW course the second day...OW will take four intensive days...the reading and completion of work-book assignments will suck up any free time you think you may have...

Your first evening will consist of reading half way through your OW training manual...plus correctly answering all the chapter questions...

I think you've been sorely misled as to what is involved in OW certification...not to mention what is involved in AOW course reading/completing work assignments/practical application...and passing five specialties in order to become AOW certified...

Four OW pre-certification dives...do not make an AOW candidate...and at this point...you don't know if you and your spouse can qualify for OW certification...

Take a breath...take a step back...and realize what it is you and your spouse are trying to achieve...this isn't a race...and everything has to be done right...

OW/AOW back to back...you'd be looking at a minimum of eight/nine days...with time for nothing else but your dive training...
Are there shops that could do the training...both courses...in less time...maybe...I wouldn't use them...

W...

 

[wgw04024]

If you do your book work before you get there (which most people do, even doing the class locally, you do your bookwork on your own), OW is only 2 days of ow check outs, and at most 2 days for pool dives. That's 4 tops. AOW is 5 dives, so that's 2 days. I would also recommend doing AOW directly after OW. You aren't that comfortable after OW (most anyway), and if you did 5 warm water dives after with an instructor, that's 3-5 hours of time/training with a professional. Generally speaking, people are much more comfortable after that. Look at AOW as an extension of OW. Some say OW should be what is now OW PLUS AOW. My $.02.

 

[abnfrog]

first of all getting advice from non scuba professionals is NOT a good idea they don't know what they don't know , they just seem to dispense wrong and bad advice like they actually took the time and energy to become instructors , as ANY instructor knows you can (most agencies ) do ALL the classroom online thus reducing the time spent in classroom to almost nil (you still have to meet with an instructor to go over mistakes you make etc all the paper work can be done before you arrive .......

 

[DandyDon]

Got it. Thanks

 

[ChuckP]

SSI also does this. But discover scuba is done in a pool, not on your vacation to Cozumel. Resort Course is basically discover scuba, but you get to do it on vacation and see real, live fish.

That's true, the pool dives don't count as loggable dives. And the max of 3 training dives in a day refers only to open water. But SSI recommends a minimum of 16-32 hours for OW diver, including 6 pool/confined water sessions and 4 OW dives, as well as 6-8 hours of classroom time (plus all of the online/app training beforehand). You can actually do OW dive 1 before you complete the classroom and confined work, so theoretically, you could make two very long days of it if you did academic sessions 1-3, confined water 1-3 and OW 1 all on day one, then started early the next morning and did academic 4-6, CW 4-6, and OW 2-4, doing probably 10-12 hour days. But I think that would be too much for even the most enthusiastic students (or instructors - I would be wiped out after that, even with a small class of natural fish). And it would leave you no time to enjoy your vacation.

On an semi-related side note, I actually recently heard a story about a guy who logged all of his pool sessions (just going to his local shop on the weekends to play) as dives and when he went on his first ocean dive, he bragged about having well over 100 dives. Questions were asked on the boat very quickly after the first dive.

PADI has no “resort course” - it’s called discover scuba diving (dsd) and is done every day by many people in Cozumel in the ocean, you may start in the pool - it depends on who is teaching you.

Complete DSD and do well, the dive op may allow you to continue diving with them but that is outside the bounds of PADI and doesn’t count anything as training unless you take OW.

DSD is for people to try diving before putting up bigger dollars for OW training or that person that just wants to try it. All my kids but one did a DSD first, it saved me from paying full boat on the two that didn’t like it and could not have completed OW.

DSD training is setup to carryover into OW. Say you like it and want to continue, your DSD training counts towards your OW training, it ain’t much but is something.

Vacations are supposed to be fun, scuba diving is fun - complete all the book and pool stuff at home at your leisure, have fun. Come to Cozumel with your referral form and have fun - it’s a blast.

 

[ggunn]

I would also recommend doing AOW directly after OW.

I disagree. If you do that you come out with a total of something like 10 open water dives under your belt with a card that calls you "advanced" and ready to do some "advanced" diving.

 

[DandyDon]

I would also recommend doing AOW directly after OW.

Really. Not me.

DSD is for people to try diving before putting up bigger dollars for OW training or that person that just wants to try it. All my kids but one did a DSD first, it saved me from paying full boat on the two that didn’t like it and could not have completed OW.

I got hooked that way, after two DSDs on Windjammer cruises, different years.

DSD training is setup to carryover into OW. Say you like it and want to continue, your DSD training counts towards your OW training, it ain’t much but is something.

I never heard that, but I think my Instructor over trained me in the pool, just to keep me motivated until we went to OW check out as it was a trip.

 

[Esprise Me]

I'll echo the suggestions for a Discover Dive or equivalent resort course where you'll have a quick orientation and an instructor closely supervising you at all times. You get to try out diving in all its colorful, fishy glory, in benign conditions, before going for the full OW course. Not everybody likes diving once they've tried it, and even among people who like it, not everyone feels compelled to do it again. I felt that way about sky diving; I had fun on my tandem jump, but now I feel like I can check it off my bucket list and move on. You'll have more fun if you approach this as an exotic vacation adventure, and then, if it really grabs you, buckle down and do the homework.