Refresher Requirement at Sunset House?

[Jim Lapenta]

Mt Storm water temps should be near 80 by now if not above that.

 

[oly5050user]

Well, we're woosie warm-water divers. OK, I've got my 5mm hooded full suit and gloves, but the other family members only have 3mm or 3/2 suits.

Eden Rock e-mailed me back, and said that as long as our pool session refresher is signed off by an instructor or DM, that would work. Trouble is, while we'll get an LDS stamp after the pool session, the logbooks won't be signed by either.

Oh, the LDS tells me a refresher course with them -- even just pool checks signed off by an instructor -- would be $100 per person. That's a no-go for the four of us.

Looks like I may need to log this pool session as a for-real dive... Yes, I'm aware of the logged dives thread, and agree with everyone in general -- I have never logged a pool dive in my life, but there's a good reason to do it this time. Besides, it's going to be very structured and goal-oriented.

The price quoted you really is not out of line. Pool time is very expensive.When I rented a pool for the facility it cost us anywhere from $100.-$250. for 2 hours.One place wanted $50. per hr per person! Thats just for the pool.
The lds I currently teach out of charges $150. for a 2 hour refresher.The customer can have 1 friend or relative participate at no additional cost.After 2 people the cost goes up $20.per person. The pool time has to be covered as well as using the quipment(tanks-weight-bcd-air fills-insurance -electric etc)..then the instructor has to be paid for his/her time-the least expensive part of the refresher I am sorry to say, usually about $30. for the 2 hours ,sometimes longer, of their time.Instructors do not get paid for their travel time to the facility. I am glad to say that many times the customers are pleased with their results and leave a tip for the instructor.. For customers who have purchased their gear from us we allow FREE use of the pool for them whenever it is available.

 

[Marek K]

The lds I currently teach out of charges $150. for a 2 hour refresher.The customer can have 1 friend or relative participate at no additional cost.After 2 people the cost goes up $20.per person.

See, that makes sense. Once your overhead is paid for (pool, equipment, instructor time), then each additional person is a negligible cost to the provider. At your rates, it would cost the four of us $190 for the two hours, which would actually be reasonable.

But an across-the-board $100 per person? Not so much.

 

[conman]

I just dove Eden Roc two weeks ago. They only asked for c-cards. Once you gear up they will give you a nice dive brief. I think we got down to 45 ft on the dive.
Great spot to get your feet wet again.

 

[Marek K]

They only asked for c-cards.

They didn't even ask how long ago your last dive was? Hmmm... because they're telling me that they'd require that a logbook entry for a refresher session be signed by an instructor or DM. Which implies that they would ask about recency of diving experience, and want to see logbooks.

 

[conman]

The guys in the shop were great. Like I said they only wanted to see the c-cards. I do not carry a log book. I think eden roc is an excellent choice for a refresher dive. There are several buoys and markers that mark the site. You gear up right behind the shop. They even have lockers you can rent. Then central buoy is around 100 yards out. We kicked out on the surface to the buoy and then descended at that point. Again the people that run the store give an excellent brief on the reef. Nice swim throughs and some nice size tarpons. I did the dive the day before our North Wall trip to basically get a gear check in. Again a very nice shore dive.

 

[conman]

The water temp is very nice. I wore a long sleeve rash guard on the first day down to 90 ft. The second day I wore a short sleeve rash guard again to 90 feet. Water temp I believe was 84 to 86. Have a great time. Cayman is great!! Bring lots of cash.

 

[Marek K]

Thanks for the info, conman!

Speaking of water temp, do you tend to run cool or warm? I've always comfortably worn a 1mm full suit in 86F Red Sea water; but my wife and kids run cooler and have always needed 3mm or 3/2 full suits, and even then have tended to get cool toward the end of dives.

 

[conman]

I guess it comes down to personal preference. I think the only person wearing any sort of wet suit on the north wall was the camera person. Most of us were wearing rash guards, t-shirts, or just swim suits. I did see a couple of people at Eden Roc with full lycra skins. the water is really warm and comfortable in Cayman.

 

[Marek K]

Eden Rock just confirmed to me by e-mail that if customers haven't been diving in two years or more, they require either a logbook entry documenting a refresher signed by an instructor or DM, or an instructor-guided dive through them.

So the documented-refresher-after-two-years requirement is very similar to that of Sunset House. Though apparently not always enforced. But with my luck, it would be...