Discovery dives and diving

[mac66]

I think the fact that they will take stone cold newbies and take them diving on a DD tells you something. Diving ain't rocket science.

 

[CyPlainsDrifter]

I did a discover dive at the age of 64 in 2018.

Got certified and dived 6 times in 2019 then covid hit. Started diving again in Dec 2020 and now have 26 dives, all while on cruises.

Anyway...just returned from a cruise to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize and Roatan with my brothers and their wives. I talked my brothers (66 and 58 years old) into doing a discovery dive in Roatan. I dived while they were doing the instruction and then we all went out and dived together on my second dive. It was a lot of fun seeing them try it.

In that most discovery dives are just some onshore instruction, practice in shallow water and then a short dive, adding another "real" dive to the equation was interesting. It was also interesting watching them cope with bouyancy and trim. My 58 y/o brother did better (by not very much) than my 66 y/o brother who was all over the place. Both were athletic in their younger days. Neither had any problems going underwater or equalizing ears,

I don't think either one will take up diving but both said they enjoyed it and would do it again. I was proud of them for trying it.

BTW, I've met people on cruises who only do discovery dives. Some have more dives than me. They never get certified but are happy doing discovery dives as an activity.

Love reading posts like this. I am 59, turning 60 this month and I am just starting the process. I have wanted to dive my whole life and other things in life just got in the way. I was actually slated to go to Navy dive school in 1990 to certify as an underwater welder for my sub, but I decided to change commands and that opportunity slipped away. I spend most of my years since then, living in Iowa working a 60+ hour a week job and just never did anything, even though I thought of it often.
This winter I told my wife I will wait no more, so my old and fat self is losing weight (40 lbs for far) and the eLearning is done and I'm doing the pool dives this weekend. When I recently signed up at the LDS I wondered if I was too old, but since then I've seen several posts by others who started late. I already have tentative plans to dive ~monthly this year. I retire in a year and can spend all the time I want chasing the dream as long as I get trough the certification. Wish me luck!

 

[mac66]

Love reading posts like this. I am 59, turning 60 this month and I am just starting the process. I have wanted to dive my whole life and other things in life just got in the way. I was actually slated to go to Navy dive school in 1990 to certify as an underwater welder for my sub, but I decided to change commands and that opportunity slipped away. I spend most of my years since then, living in Iowa working a 60+ hour a week job and just never did anything, even though I thought of it often.
This winter I told my wife I will wait no more, so my old and fat self is losing weight (40 lbs for far) and the eLearning is done and I'm doing the pool dives this weekend. When I recently signed up at the LDS I wondered if I was too old, but since then I've seen several posts by others who started late. I already have tentative plans to dive ~monthly this year. I retire in a year and can spend all the time I want chasing the dream as long as I get trough the certification. Wish me luck!

Go for it!

Diving is something I always wanted to do but life got in the way. I sometimes wish I'd started earlier but then I think what a wonderful time I'm having now diving. I don't think I would have had the patience to appreciate it when I was younger. I would have been chasing certifications and trying to be the best and have the best. I'm older and wiser now and have nothing to prove. Being retired I can enjoy the peacefulness under water without worrying about what I have to go back to on land when I'm done.

I'm glad I started later in life and can enjoy it. I'm sure you will to.

 

[TMHeimer]

Go for it!

Diving is something I always wanted to do but life got in the way. I sometimes wish I'd started earlier but then I think what a wonderful time I'm having now diving. I don't think I would have had the patience to appreciate it when I was younger. I would have been chasing certifications and trying to be the best and have the best. I'm older and wiser now and have nothing to prove. Being retired I can enjoy the peacefulness under water without worrying about what I have to go back to on land when I'm done.

I'm glad I started later in life and can enjoy it. I'm sure you will to.

I hear ya. I've been retired my whole diving years. I would have done it long before age 51, but living inland I had no desire to dive lakes, etc.-- especially being a shell collector. The move to Nova Scotia in 2005 did it for me.

 

[Chavodel8en]

I think the fact that they will take stone cold newbies and take them diving on a DD tells you something. Diving ain't rocket science.

In terms of safety, I liken diving to driving a car.

For both, there are some basic procedures you must follow, or else you may put yourself at risk, even fatal risk. And you must be alert to your surroundings.

I will say driving is a bit more intuitive. Some of the "rules" of diving aren't that intuitive, like "dont hold your breath"

 

[TMHeimer]

In terms of safety, I liken diving to driving a car.

For both, there are some basic procedures you must follow, or else you may put yourself at risk, even fatal risk. And you must be alert to your surroundings.

I will say driving is a bit more intuitive. Some of the "rules" of diving aren't that intuitive, like "dont hold your breath"

Agree. My feeling is that an hour in the pool doesn't qualify you for following those basic procedures. I suppose that's why the instructor is with you (and 3 others?), and perhaps why more accidents do occur on DSD dives than on other course dives (again, so I once read somewhere).

 

[mac66]

Agree. My feeling is that an hour in the pool doesn't qualify you for following those basic procedures. I suppose that's why the instructor is with you (and 3 others?), and perhaps why more accidents do occur on DSD dives than on other course dives (again, so I once read somewhere).

Apparently and hour does quality you because, thousands upon thousands of first timers do discovery dives every year with the minimal of training and without hurting themselves. I think diving is pretty safe and pretty easy to do unless of course you are a total moron which is why you have an instructor with you all the time.

And...not to mention every single dive shop and instructor does discovery dives. Perhaps they know something you don't?

I question whether the statistics support your contention that more "accidents" happen on DSD dives than other dives. Does anyone even keep/compile those stats?

And/or I guess you need to define "accidents". Is that when someone drops a tank on their foot? Or bumps their head or trips getting into the water? Or are you talking fatalities because I've never heard of a fatal Discovery dive incident.

 

[TMHeimer]

Apparently and hour does quality you because, thousands upon thousands of first timers do discovery dives every year with the minimal of training and without hurting themselves. I think diving is pretty safe and pretty easy to do unless of course you are a total moron which is why you have an instructor with you all the time.

And...not to mention every single dive shop and instructor does discovery dives. Perhaps they know something you don't?

I question whether the statistics support your contention that more "accidents" happen on DSD dives than other dives. Does anyone even keep/compile those stats?

And/or I guess you need to define "accidents". Is that when someone drops a tank on their foot? Or bumps their head or trips getting into the water? Or are you talking fatalities because I've never heard of a fatal Discovery dive incident.

Well, I BELIEVE what I read was that it was a PADI stat, and I THINK it talked more like serious/fatal accidents in the water. I do know from personal encounters that the ratios are ignored in some places, but that is of course true for any course.
As I said, I had the opportunity to do one of those in 1999 but passed when told of the minimum time of instruction. And i have been a life-long "water" person. But, maybe that's just me. To my knowledge I don't think there is a swim requirement to do a DSD-- correct me if I am wrong.

 

[mac66]

Well, I BELIEVE what I read was that it was a PADI stat, and I THINK it talked more like serious/fatal accidents in the water. I do know from personal encounters that the ratios are ignored in some places, but that is of course true for any course.
As I said, I had the opportunity to do one of those in 1999 but passed when told of the minimum time of instruction. And i have been a life-long "water" person. But, maybe that's just me. To my knowledge I don't think there is a swim requirement to do a DSD-- correct me if I am wrong.

Sorry you were uncomfortable doing one but not sure what your point is?

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

Apparently and hour does quality you because, thousands upon thousands of first timers do discovery dives every year with the minimal of training and without hurting themselves. I think diving is pretty safe and pretty easy to do unless of course you are a total moron which is why you have an instructor with you all the time.

And...not to mention every single dive shop and instructor does discovery dives. Perhaps they know something you don't?

I question whether the statistics support your contention that more "accidents" happen on DSD dives than other dives. Does anyone even keep/compile those stats?

And/or I guess you need to define "accidents". Is that when someone drops a tank on their foot? Or bumps their head or trips getting into the water? Or are you talking fatalities because I've never heard of a fatal Discovery dive incident.

First of all, a statement like "diving is pretty safe" is a dangerous one and not fully accurate. Diving is inherently risky. I believe it was @Jim Lapenta that stated, and I am paraphrasing , we are using life support equipment to go into a hostile environment.

Diving can be safe if done properly but there are always risks involved with some pretty severe outcomes, like death. If one dies on a dive, it does not mean they are a total moron.

Yes, dive centers around the world do DSDs, also called Try Dives, and I can tell you that is the one thing instructors dislike the most. We know they can be dangerous. I refuse to take more than 2 at a time due to me only having two arms. I typically never let go of them during the dives either. Mainly because they have zero experience and will swim up or down without realizing it. I have had MANY people tell me they are strong swimmers and in the pool I realize they only use their arm when they swim or they kick as well but the kick is not efficient. This is why I end up pulling them during the entire dive...which flat out sucks.

As far as deaths during DSDs, you may have never heard of one but that doesn't mean they don't happen. I can recall one of the top of my head from 2008 where a Japanese person died in New Caledonia.

Aa for the records of mortality rates, here is what I am guessing @TMHeimer was reffering to. Note that the mortality rate per 100,000 is NOT zero. Which means deaths do happen during DSD/Try Dives.

I also believe it is hard to compare the fatality rates of DSDs vs regular dives as many of the deaths on regular dives happen due to a medical event. Remember, diving is done by an older crowd for the most part.