Must I refresh after 14 months?
- Thread starter MoneyGuy
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"have to"? no - may not be a bad idea though.
if anyone there asks to see your logbook (assuming you keep one) they may have some issues with you being out of the water for a while.
When I was on the Cayman aggressor, I had been out for about a year, the Capt had some reservations with my current dive status but then I told him I did the scuba tune up book and scuba review and that seemed to appease his concerns a bit. He still went out with me on the first dive of the trip however, I guess just to make sure for himself.
if anyone there asks to see your logbook (assuming you keep one) they may have some issues with you being out of the water for a while.
When I was on the Cayman aggressor, I had been out for about a year, the Capt had some reservations with my current dive status but then I told him I did the scuba tune up book and scuba review and that seemed to appease his concerns a bit. He still went out with me on the first dive of the trip however, I guess just to make sure for himself.
diverrex
Contributor
It depends on how much you dove before those 14 months. If it was 20 dives over 3 years then maybe you should. If it was 150 dives over 3 years then it's probably not necessary. Last year I took my nephew to the Fl Keys to dive. He had been out of the water for a year due to college, but during the year before that he made over 100 dives while in Hawaii. As the responsible uncle I had him take the refresher class before he dove again. Even the the instructor realized halfway through his class that his skills were such that it was a waste of his time and my money.
driftwood
Contributor
You are spending a lot of money to vacation in Curacao. Enjoy that vacation to the fullest. Since you asked the question "Do I have to do a refresher?", I would say yes. Not quite travel insurance, but vacation enjoyment insurance.
Locally, a refresher course will run me around $100. Better to tune up at home than to spend very valuable vacation time being "uncomfortable". Since your trip to Curacao is with a dive shop, no harm in asking them for a free fresher to seal the deal.
I would encourage you to definitely do a refresher.
14 months...yes...with work, I'm out of the water for 28 days and then dive 28. I always do an easy dive my first day home.
cuddlefish
Contributor
A refresher is a great idea. I would go ahead and do it!
don Francisco
Contributor
You asked "must I refresh" which would be up to the operator. Whether you should or not is something you have to decide for yourself and depends on how solid your diving was before the interval.
If in doubt, go for the refresher course as a tune up. In the scheme of things the additional cost isn't that great, and you'll have better diving for the rest of the trip.
If you skip the tune up, be aware that many operators do formal checkout dives with new clients. To avoid disputes, others disguise these by taking folks on easier dives over shallow reefs on the first day and observing how they do, before taking them to deeper sites. Either way, diligent operators assess the skills of their clients and try to match the dives with their skill set, so looking good early on will get you more varied diving for rest of the week.
In any case, it's important that you're honest with yourself about your dive abilities, and confident without being overconfident.
If in doubt, go for the refresher course as a tune up. In the scheme of things the additional cost isn't that great, and you'll have better diving for the rest of the trip.
If you skip the tune up, be aware that many operators do formal checkout dives with new clients. To avoid disputes, others disguise these by taking folks on easier dives over shallow reefs on the first day and observing how they do, before taking them to deeper sites. Either way, diligent operators assess the skills of their clients and try to match the dives with their skill set, so looking good early on will get you more varied diving for rest of the week.
In any case, it's important that you're honest with yourself about your dive abilities, and confident without being overconfident.
DiverDean59
Contributor
Another thing you may want to consider. I was out for not quite a year and I found out when my LDS was going to the pool and just played around in the pool. It refreshes you on the setup of your equipment and just gets you comfortable in the water.
Charlie99
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Dive ops at warm water resorts are used to divers that like you, have not been diving since their last vacation a year ago.
Instead of a formal refresher course, more common is simply a "check out" dive in company with a DM. This is just a shallow, easy dive to both get your weighting adjusted and to get used to being back in the water.
A formal refresher course does make sense if you did an OW cert class, then just a few dives before your 14 month hiatus.
Another good alternative is to do an AOW course. The instructor can get you back up to speed, and then work on some additional skills like night diving, navigation, etc. In most resorts, doing an AOW course or hiring a private DM for a couple of dives is about the same cost.
Instead of a formal refresher course, more common is simply a "check out" dive in company with a DM. This is just a shallow, easy dive to both get your weighting adjusted and to get used to being back in the water.
A formal refresher course does make sense if you did an OW cert class, then just a few dives before your 14 month hiatus.
Another good alternative is to do an AOW course. The instructor can get you back up to speed, and then work on some additional skills like night diving, navigation, etc. In most resorts, doing an AOW course or hiring a private DM for a couple of dives is about the same cost.
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