Cayman Islands ok to dive for OW Cert.?

[Insta-Gator]

What do I think?

a) Nitrox is of limited value above 60'.
b) AOW is kind of a joke certification.

I see you have between 0 - 24 dives but I don't really know how your skills are in the water. If you are comfortable in the water and your buoyancy skills and air consumption is acceptable and you find yourself on a boat that doesn't really care what c-card you hold, then I'd go ahead and start diving to 90 - 100. There's no boggie man at 61'.

After you've done that for awhile, go back and get your AOW but look for an instructor who will actually challenge you rather then just take you on 5 adventure dives.

+1 This is spot on, depending on your own personal skill and comfort. I would recommend you buddy up with an experienced diver for the deeper dives just to give you some comfort level and someone who might recognize if you get narced.

Other than that, have a great time.

 

[chrpai]

I'm not saying I didn't learn anything in AOW.... but frankly zero to hero in 9 dives total isn't my idea of an "advanced" diver. Let's be clear what this course can be when taught to minimum standards: 5 adventure dives that are designed to give you the bare minimum skill and then sell you on a "speciality". Do all of those and throw on rescue diver and then pay for your master diver cert. What's the math on that? Something like 25 dives and your a "master"?

Instagator pointed out something that I failed to articulate. Find a good experienced buddy and just go diving.... A LOT. C-CARDS are just pieces of plastic.

 

[caymaniac]

I'm saying Something like 25 dives and your a "master"?

just go diving.... A LOT. C-CARDS are just pieces of plastic.

My sentiments agree with these statements, I've met people that have those 25 dives that think they are a "master" , the thought of 25 dives makes you an expert....ha,ha,ha.
Wait until you have an actual out of air situation, I've been involved with that a couple of times.
Wait until you get in that down current and get forced own to 120 ft. (it's happened to me).
Wait until you come to the surface because current has swept you, your buddy and one other diver out to sea where all you could see was little dots of boats on the water, perhaps a mile away.
Wait until you get left at the dive bouy while the boat crew engages in an emergency and heads to shore with an injured diver, you have to wait around two hours to be picked up at the bouy out at sea.
Wait untill your dive boat engine dies, you are in Egypt, offshore and not able to see the mailand and you cannot communicate with the Arabic captain, there's no radio onboard and he starts diassembling the diesel engine, you are adrift in the Red Sea.

Yes all these things have happened to me, plus a few more, have you ever been with a diver on a dive and he panicks...that's no fun, but sh!t happens.

25 dives might get you a "master" card ( I hate when these divers brag) but experience like 1000 dives may help save your life and teach you what to do in bad situations.

 

[jameseg]

I don't think I was very clear in the title. I'm already certified but only OW and Nitrox. Was thinking of getting AOW before the trip but I don't think I have time. So, I was hoping that there would be plenty of diving for me above 60 ft. What do ya'll think?

SheilaRee, I was in Brac last year. Most of the dives were under 60', and all of them could have been kept at 60' or less if a person wanted. Even the famous wreck, the Captain Keith Tibbetts, starts at 30' and has much to see at 60' or less. On the south side there's a nice wall, but the top starts around 50', if I remember correctly, and provides plenty to see. Highly recommended dive destination.

James

 

[BDSC]

I'm thinking of going on a Cayman Brac trip but was wondering....aren't most dives below 60 ft? Will I still enjoy myself if I'm not able to go below 60 ft or should I go on a trip that offers more shallow dives?

Like others have said, you should have no problem staying at 60 ft. or above if that's what you want to do. But like others have said, there is no magic about 60 ft. I have been out diving on several occasions with newer divers who had an OW cert but wanted to go deeper. (We were in Bonaire.) So what we did was discuss our dive plan before the dive and then we went diving. I had told them that what we would do would be to go to 60 ft. and I would check with them to see if they felt OK. At that point we would then proceed to 70 ft. for that dive and no deeper. We would check with each other at 70 ft. and if they felt OK we would stay at that depth for several minutes and then start to head back up to something more shallow.

When the dive was over we discussed how they felt and how the dive went. If everything was good with them maybe the next day we would approach 75 to 80 ft. By the end of the week we would be in the 90 to 100 ft. range for a few dives. That's how I did it and that's how I have helped a few others with deeper diving.

Everyone has to decide for themselves how they want to approach diving. Some folks would rather "take the class" before trying something new and that's fine. More training is never a bad thing. But there are other ways to learn to dive rather than taking the latest and greatest course.

 

[divin'dog]

You will have plenty to see at 60' or less. The problem may be finding someone who wants to stay at 60' or less with you. Depends on who's on the boat. A more experienced diver will not want to be limited to 60'. I recommend buddying with a diver who is similar in experience and wants to stay within depths that you're comfortable with. Makes for a more fun experience for both divers.

For my whole week at CB, I have about 7-8 dives where I was below 60' and those were between 80'-100' for only a short while then came up to 60' or less for most of the dive. There really is not as much to see below 60'. It's more about curiosity. 2nd and 3rd dives of the day were always 60' or less. DM on the boat always stated the plan was to 60' or less which was probably a formality for liability(?). Just dive comfortably within your abilities. And if you find yourself accidently below 60', remain calm, there will be no scuba police or boogiemen, but do what you think is right for your abilities (and your buddy's, of course).

Lastly... if you dive with the Tarpon who can be skittish, don't look them in the eye! It was my favorite dive. I was able to hang with them for a considerable amount of time being within only a couple feet of them. They were magnificent! Hope you go! CB is a great place to dive.

 

[caymaniac]

Lastly... if you dive with the Tarpon who can be skittish, don't look them in the eye! It was my favorite dive. I was able to hang with them for a considerable amount of time being within only a couple feet of them. They were magnificent! Hope you go! CB is a great place to dive.

They are truly awesome:

 

[SheilaRee]

Okay, everyone has convinced me...I don't need a plastic card to dive a few feet lower. I actually was scared of the bogey man at 61' or a

scuba nazi who would grab me and send me back to the boat alone and hanging my head in shame. I'm pretty good at both bouyancy control

and air but I've only had about 20 dives. I've actually thumbed a dive because of what I considered rippin' currents down in the keys with a

pretty unhappy dive buddy, but I believe in safety first and didn't want to be lost at sea with no safety sausage (and we were the only

2 occupants of the boat). I didn't want to book with a group of advanced divers and hold anyone back from their dive plan but I

feel pretty comfortable with a more experienced buddy (but not necessarily to hold my hand). I dived at least once (accidently to 84' but that

was only to retrieve a mask). But it really didn't feel any different, just made sure to stay down for the safety stop a little longer. I have dived

with tarpon on night dives but I was mainly focused on the diver who "fell" on top of me and knocked me into the coral. I was only a little

scratched up but the tarpon ignored me and focused on whatever my light was shining on. I'm glad to know there is plenty to see on the walls

for a lowly OW diver and I'm looking forward to the trip. I just hope there are spots open! If I go, I'll be sure a post a trip report here on SB.

Happy Diving everyone!

 

[divin'dog]

They are truly awesome:

... Like chrome Terminators! Thanks for the pic.

 

[bractime]

Diving on the Brac you will find that all levels are welcome. You can be comfortable in the fact that you won't hold anyone back. For those that want to do their own thing they can go first and dive the way they want. If you want to have a little more supervision then you can wait for the divemaster on the boat and they will give you a tour around the dive site. The divemasters will do everything they can to make it an enjoyable experience for all levels and desires.