Checkout Dives in Coz - What's Normal?

[Ron Brandt]

I finally booked our dives for our trip to Coz. I have been there before, but this will be the first trip that I have booked with a dive-op. Question is - what is the normal procedure for checkout dives? Do you perform the checkout, and then proceed with your scheduled boat dives, or is your first boat dive spent 'checking out'?

Some dive opps do the check outs "on the fly". Yep welcome to diving! When I take mt students down we generally do the standard check outs from the shore,just as we would here. I feel the contol is better and did find that out last December when I took one of our students off the boat. She freaked her husband did'nt. We we on a shallow reef at 32 feet. Got her back in the next day and she did ok.

Ron

 

[diveborg]

It really depends on the op and your dive history, etc.

For example, I now require divers that are newly certified (first ocean dive) or who haven't dove in two years to schedule their first dive in the afternoon. We do two shallow easy dives so the DM can work with them to get their buoyancy/weighting adjusted and to get comfortable in the local environment. They are "normal" dives but the purpose of the dives is so that they can get personalized attention as neede to work through any issues before being "thrown to the sharks" so to speak.

What an excellent idea. It seems like a win/win for everyone. Newbies get more confidence, the DM's get to know the divers, and the regular morning dives are less restricted by the limitations of the newbies.

WTG Christi

 

[transman]

Normally what i do is go check in at my hotel. Get my dive gear together and go to my dive op. I do a shore dive there. Check bouyancy and gear. Rinse gear, put in loccer. Dive the next day.

 

[HammerNoMore]

Problem is there are only a handfull of shops where you can do a shore dive...

 

[transman]

Very true. I have always dove with Papa Hogs. Guess im spoiled by where they are located.

 

[scubajim]

I started back diving in 2003 after being away from it for twenty-nine years. I did get checked out my Doctor and headed for Coz with my buddies. With all new gear I booked a checkout dive with Dive Paradise at the Barracuda Hotel. They have an area for the checkout right there. It cost me 50 bucks but well worth the 1 hr checkout. I didn't have any problems and dove the C-53 wreck (90'), no penetration the next day with no problems. Have a blast