how many dives / how much time for openwater checkout dives?

[adjuster-jd]

I'm traveling to Maui for 8 days in mid-June and am debating whether to try to complete my openwater dives before I go or once I get there. I will be completing the confined water class next weekend.

Since my wife and kids will not be diving with me (wife won't dive and kids too young) I don't want to spend all my vacation time away from them, but I do want to get a few dives in while on Maui.

I don't really cherish the thought of diving in cold water here in Ohio, so Maui is much more attractive in that regard.

How much time / how many separate dives are actually involved in the openwater dives? FWIW, I did an intro dive last year and the instructor marked my log book as having completed openwater dive 1. Does this save me any time?

I'll be staying in the Kaanapali area if anyone has suggestions.

Thanks..
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[Groundhog246]

I'd say do them before you go. Do you intend to dive locally after you certify? If so, then a checkout dive in tropical gear, does not really certify you for cold water diving. Many folks get in trouble when they certify in a tropical clime and without any further checkout, do a cold water dive.
You don't mention where in Ohio, some of the quarries warm up pretty quickly and shouldn't be all that cold by late May. Local quarry here is already up to 42F and there's still ice floating in Georgian Bay.
That said, a checkout dive with an instructor or DM, for your first saltwater dive would also be recommended.

 

[wreckchick]

I believe that the dive requirements vary some by agency, but PADI has a diver do 5 confined water dives and 4 open water dives to complete the OW certification process.

You can actually go about getting your certification a number of different ways:

1) Do the entire course locally and show up in Hawaii with your C-Card in hand.

2) Do the classroom and confined water dives locally and get a referral for the open water dives in Maui

3) Do the entire course in Maui

Out of these options, I would recommend either option 1 or 2 with 1 being my own personal preference. I strongly believe that the longer a person takes to complete the coursework, the more likely it is that the information will "stick." If you do the entire course in Maui you're probably looking at a couple days maximum for the entire process while the OW course I took here took 3 weeks (1 class, twice a week) plus 1 weekend for cert dives.

The other bonus of doing at least the classroom and confined water dives near where you live is you can be a little more picky about where you do your training, once you get there if you don't feel like you're getting top-notch instruction, to pick up and change shops will quickly start to dwindle the vacation time.

The diving here in Ohio (and Indiana) is certainly colder and for many less interesting than the lovely tropical waters of Hawaii, but if you can master all your skills in a cold quarry with a big fat wetsuit, a hood, gloves, and limited visibility; you'll really appreciate the diving there and all the skills you'll have to perform will be easier (you will have to clear your mask in open water).

Just the proverbial 2 cents!!

Rachel

P.S. If you're in the Cincinnati area, let me know and I can send to a couple local dive shops I like if you're interested.

 

[bwerb]

It was intensive but my wife and I planned it as one of the reasons for our trip.

I would recommend with your situation that you get certified at home. This way you can stay with your family for the majority of the vacation...otherwise you can count on spending a minimum of 3-4 days doing nothing but diving...all day...studying all night.

I would also recommend that you plan a trip to Molokini crater on one of the snorkel/dive boats. I love Trilogy...they are awesome. Anyhow, I recommend them because your wife and kids can come along to go snorkeling at the same site. You will get out first with a DM guiding you on a reef tour on scuba while the rest of your family can enjoy snorkeling and just being out on the water on a beautiful catamaran. This would also be a great supervised check-out dive for you as the dive/snorkel boats really cater to less experienced divers. If you really liked it and wanted to do more, you could book a second dive morning on another boat/location which would allow you to get in a 2 tank dive and be back with your family around 1:00 if you time it right.

Have fun...I wish I could come...Maui is my favorite place in the world.

Brian

 

[jbd]

to check on the sign off for the first openwater dive. That may be a time sensitive condition. In other words that sign off may have expired.

Most agencies require 4 or 5 dives to obtain openwater certification. Each dive may run from 20 to 40 minutes. Add in surface intervals and boat ride time etc etc and you may well spend 5 to 6 hours each day for two days to get the certification.

If you want to go diving while you are in Hawaii I would recommend getting your OW certification locally and then going to Hawaii as a certified diver. You will spend pretty much the same amount of time diving but you will spend it sightseeing etc instead of doing skills evaluation and very little sightseeing.

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

If you do not have any interest in local diving then heck yeah..Wait till you get to Hawaii. You had planned on diving out there anyway, right? Two days of 4 hours out and your done. Not to mention the turtles, sharks, tropical fishes and more turtles you will see.

However, if you have interest in local diving then you may as well get a taste of local diving before you go to Hawaii. Not to mention it's probably a little cheaper in Ohio vs. Hawaii.

I've been teaching in Kentucky for 7 yrs. now and certified for 20 yrs. Just to let you know who I am. I occasionally know what I'm talking about. j

In either case...Rent or buy a camera for your Hawaii diving..You won't regret that at all.

Have Fun

 

[wreckchick]

This may be a topic for another thread, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend a brand spankin' new diver take a camera diving. For myself I don't need another thing to worry about when I'm underwater just yet and the most reef damage I've seen by one person was a guy on his 2nd and 3rd post-cert dives smashing into a gorgeous wall with his hands, tank, camera, fins, etc. because he was trying to take pictures. Nevermind how many times he smashed into me and the other 3 people I was vacationing with.

I'm not saying this would specifically apply to this individual, but IMO a camera should wait until the other mechanics of diving are better tuned.

Rachel

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

biscuit7 once bubbled...
This may be a topic for another thread, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend a brand spankin' new diver take a camera diving. For myself I don't need another thing to worry about when I'm underwater just yet and the most reef damage I've seen by one person was a guy on his 2nd and 3rd post-cert dives smashing into a gorgeous wall with his hands, tank, camera, fins, etc. because he was trying to take pictures. Nevermind how many times he smashed into me and the other 3 people I was vacationing with.

I'm not saying this would specifically apply to this individual, but IMO a camera should wait until the other mechanics of diving are better tuned.

Rachel

MY BAD.

I'm not saying rent a Hollywood set to capture every second of underwater experience.

You can rent a little generic SeaLife camera or even buy a small disposable camera that you can stick in your pocket.

I just think it would be nice if you could take a few photos to show the family and reflect on later.

 

[wreckchick]

Understand that the memory of this yahoo blundering around is seared in my memory. Between the guy bashing everything in sight and his girlfriend/wife fully vertical and bouncing up and down like a yo-yo I blew through my tank about twice as fast as I should have.

A little snapshot camera shouldn't be a problem, just use some sense when you're taking pictures.

Enjoy Maui!! It's a beautiful place

R

 

[TheDarknessLord]

Hi adjuster-jd,
If you don't want to spend to much time diving, and you're going to take the course just to dive in Maui, don't take the course. Once there ask for a Discover. They are going to show you how to dive, and you can dive with an instructor whitout certification!
Waste the course money in Maui with your family...
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