Diving after a break

[nbavidge]

Dear all,

Firstly, newbie warning: I'm new to this site, so apologies if I screw-up / break any conventions

Secondly, a quick question: My wife and I went through SSI's open water course in Cairns about 2.5 years ago and haven't managed to dive since. We are heading for Thailand in a couple of weeks and hope to get in the water around the Similans. Is it likely that any respectable operator will take us out without demanding another stint in the classroom / pool, or is it wise to make time in our schedule to requalify ?

We're both very confident swimmers, and more than capable of brushing up on the academics before we go - sadly, we're out of time to arrange a practical refresher before we head off.

Any hints ?

Thanks , Nathan

 

[Drew Sailbum]

I'd expect that you will be asked about your diving experience and most good shops would require a refresher (pool or shallow water beachside). Of course some shops don't bother to ask, which is not a good sign.

 

[DORSETBOY]

Nathan, if you're considering diving around the similans I'd strongly recommend brushing up on your skills, also I'm not familiar with SSI's open water course but assuming it roughly equates to PADI OW I'd recommend additional deep water training. The reason being that the majority of the best similan dive sites are deep, have strong currents or a combination of both. A bare min in my opinion would be to take the padi advanced deep dive or equivalent.