Scary story to relay...

[bluewatertoy]

My daughter was with some friends over the holidays and overheard a story from a recent cruise the friends went on. .

Not taking anything away from your kids but what really happened. This one time at band camp theory really comes to mind. Sometimes 11-12 year old kids stretch the truth a little.

 

[bart78660]

This is so unfair. I'm certified and haven't made it to 100 feet yet. And some discover scuba people get to go that far on their first dive!?! Man....that just ruined my holidays! If only I could find a good spring nearby that went to 100!

Please get more experience before pushing it deeper. I would say these guys were really..unlucky to have an operator that cared so little for them.

This is the sort of thing that will lead us to have government regulated dive limits etc. etc.

 

[TxHockeyGuy]

I found out last summer some friends of mine were going to do a discover scuba course down at some Caribbean destination. While some may flame me for this I brought my gear over and at least made sure they could do the basics in their pool. I showed them how to clear a mask, purge a reg, do a reg recovery, and gave them the basics of what not to do. Taking someone who isn't certified into a pool on Scuba may not be the safest thing to do but after all the horror stories I've heard with discover scuba courses I couldn't in good conscious not do it. I had another friend who told me he did a discover scuba class and he was never even told not to hold his breath.

 

[Jarrett]

The kid was telling the story in front of the dad and other family members which included my daughter. The dad didn't debunk any of it. Next time I talk to the dad I will ask him directly.

 

[reefugee]

I was thinking the same thing.

This one time at band camp theory really comes to mind. Sometimes 11-12 year old kids stretch the truth a little.

 

[Scubastud16]

I guess I'm one of the few who had a fantastic experience on a Cruise course. Our instructor was fantastic (late 20's, early 30's female, 3500+ dives), didn't push us, tought us everything in the book and more, kept us within all safety limits, made sure we knew everything we were supposed to, etc. Looking back, it was a total blessing.

It was a fantastic experience for my family and I. This was a Princess cruise for everyone's information.

 

[tstormdiver]

I really hate most of the stories I hear about resort courses. Way too many safety violations reported and this is pretty common in ANY destination.

My first diving experience was a resort course in Grand Cayman. The DM's taught the introductory part well & made sure we could perform all the necassary tasks for an emergency. We only went out on a reef that was 35' at the most. It was a wonderful & very safe experience. The DM's kept us together & kept a good eye on us. That's what got me into diving.For me at least it was a great experience, the equipment was decent & the staff cared about our safety & well being. Even though there are always shady operations, there are also good ones.

 

[bluewatertoy]

The kid was telling the story in front of the dad and other family members which included my daughter. The dad didn't debunk any of it. Next time I talk to the dad I will ask him directly.

Thanks for the confirmation Jarrett. As I said before I wasn't trying to insult your kids.
Happy Holidays
Kelly

 

[k4man]

I'm sure not insult was intended...or taken, hopefully.

All of us with (lovely) children understand exactly what you were saying!! And to think, I deal with that daily in my JOB!!!

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Is it safer or is it an illusion?

Sure it's easier to get a warm fuzzy in warm water and nice vis but like the saying goes, "it's all fun until somebody gets hurt".

Yes it is safer. You are not wearing bulky gloves/mitts that make everything difficult. People often don't have hoods on which makes many people uncomfortable. You are not wearing much of a wetsuit, so bouyancy change and control is vastly simplified. The water is usually clear, so you can stay in visual contact. The surface is within view which helps to calm down most people. Yes, warm tropical water is safer than equivalent depths in, say Maine..