New and need advice!

[Jonn]

Practice snorkeling in the pool, on your own time, for free. Removing and clearing your mask in chlorinated water is less fun, but your eyes will forgive you. It’s an important skill to master, leaks are common and you mustn’t panic when it happens. Being fit is its own reward, but you don’t particularly need it for scuba. As long as you can pick up your tank and weights and waddle off the boat you’re good to go. Once in the water you mostly just float there, they won’t (or shouldn’t) put you in heavy current when your this new. Scuba should be a relaxing, meditative experience that can easily kill you. Take it seriously, but don’t stress too much either.

 

[tbone1004]

Royal Caribbean offers full PADI certification as an FYI. They also do DSD and Reactivate

 

[drrich2]

Royal Caribbean offers full PADI certification as an FYI. They also do DSD and Reactivate

Thanks, glad to hear that! After I read your post, I Googled and found a page talking about it. From that page:

"How does the program work?

Guests will receive first-rate training and certification, with a mixture of online lessons, practice sessions in the ship’s pool, and finally, four open-water dives. The PADI eLearning™ online course and the PADI Touch™ mobile app are designed to let you study scuba theory pre-cruise, so, as Mario says, your trip will be “all about the fun of scuba diving.”

The best part? The four open-water dives will take place in two ports of call—in either the Caribbean or South America—letting you hone your skills in exciting environments."

I got certified back before the e-learning courses. Is PADI's e-learning portion available without paying, or does one have to pay first (just wondering how that works when booking the course as a ship excursion)? I clicked through to R.C.'s excursion page on it; roughly $600 (plus you are to bring a mask and snorkel, which can be purchased onboard).

Given the original poster's age, it's possible he may have health issues by now, so there's something to be aware of. When you show up to take a scuba training course (or for that matter, in many cases to go on a dive boat), there's generally a medical waiver. If you check 'Yes' to anything, they often require a Physician's statement certifying you okay to dive/take the course (not exact terminology on my part). From that page "• A signed letter of authorization from a medical doctor to dive will be needed if any part of the waiver form is completed with a yes."

I don't know whether the ship's Infirmary Physicians are apt to do those or not. Maybe you got to age 63 without hypertension or any other conditions, or for whatever reason will check 'no' to everything, but be aware of this.

 

[Suppresst]

Not really sure I understand the details of your problem with shop but the more training the better, and the shallower you do it the better until you get to Open Water dives. I'm certified but my wife took Open Water recently and I took course with her just to update and practice skills.

 

[Kimela]

I'm wondering if going to the pool to practice clearing your mask without any training might have created unnecessary angst. I would NOT have had the faintest idea how to clear my mask properly prior to taking the class. I would have royally botched it - and I HATE getting water in my nose and I'm not a fan of mask clearing! With that in mind, I agree that more training is always better. It gives you more opportunity to practice skills under the (hopefully) watchful eye of an instructor. I'll be 60 in July. I try to do 35 minutes on the elliptical at least three times a week, keeping my heart rate around 130. I don't do anything for upper body strength but I suspect I should. I think doing lunges and/or more leg work is equally important as the climb up the ladder can be a challenge as you're getting out of the water.

Go at whatever pace feels right for you.

 

[TMHeimer]

Practice snorkeling in the pool, on your own time, for free. Removing and clearing your mask in chlorinated water is less fun, but your eyes will forgive you. It’s an important skill to master, leaks are common and you mustn’t panic when it happens. Being fit is its own reward, but you don’t particularly need it for scuba. As long as you can pick up your tank and weights and waddle off the boat you’re good to go. Once in the water you mostly just float there, they won’t (or shouldn’t) put you in heavy current when your this new. Scuba should be a relaxing, meditative experience that can easily kill you. Take it seriously, but don’t stress too much either.

Close eyes when removing mask in chlorinated water. I'd never keep them open. I had Lasik surgery 2 weeks before taking OW and the Dr. said to keep them closed in the pool. No problems with the instructor, or with doing the skills. Later on when I demonstrated the skills I also kept them closed.

 

[yle]

Should I do the pool class twice or see if I can get a credit for gear and just wait for the cruise? Or.... join a gym and wait til next year. Thanks for your help!

Simple answer: yes, do the pool work twice. You'll be glad you did, and here's why:

You'll have plenty of time at home when you do the pool skills to get the "bugs worked out". Hopefully the shop can ensure that you'll have the time you need in the pool to really feel confident that you have mastered the skills. You'll learn a lot about the gear, you'll learn a lot of little things that can only be learned through repetition and observation. You'll learn at a relaxed pace that helps to build your confidence along with your knowledge.

Then you'll go on your trip, when you'll have limited time and are likely to be on a tight schedule. But you'll be looking forward to it, because you know you've already mastered your skills. Everything in the ship class will be review, and you'll knock it out. And while you do that, you'll be thinking about taking your skills to the ocean, and how awesome that'll be.

You'll hit the ocean with a sense of confidence, and you'll have a great time doing your cert dives. You'll finish your trip thinking "wow, that was awesome... I'm really glad I mastered the pool skills at home first!" And then you'll start planning your next dive trip.

On the other hand... if you skip doing the skills at home first, and figure you can just do it for the first time on the ship, you run the risk of being rushed, held to a tight schedule, not completing everything and feeling stressed and anxious about the whole thing. Which is not a nice way to spend a vacation.

Do what's best for you. And enjoy your diving.

ps... getting the administrative details, like the medical clearance and such, worked out is another reason to do it at home first. You'll know exactly what paperwork you'll need to take with you on the ship, and you'll have it done well in advance... no last minute surprises on your vacation.

 

[GrafCanuck]

Practice makes perfect. Well sort of. More experience usually equals greater comfort under the water. Whether in the pool, lake or ocean. Seize every moment and enjoy your underwater experiences. They are priceless.

Don't worry about being perfect in every open water drill. Try them all and keep on doing them. Perfectionist here and in due time it all comes together. When this happens, the underwater world is simply AMAZING. Enjoy. Ps - I'm in my late fifties.