SDI Open Water Referral in Coz

[-dIvEdEeP-]

My wife will be getting SDI certified shortly with her class and pool work done here in Phoenix, AZ then the open water dives when we go on a cruise in February. Our stops are Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Any recommendations for DO's who can do SDI referrals in Cozumel, and Grand Cayman for that matter, would be greatly appreciated. I am already certified and would like to accompany her on her dives also.

 

[ggunn]

My wife will be getting SDI certified shortly with her class and pool work done here in Phoenix, AZ then the open water dives when we go on a cruise in February. Our stops are Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Any recommendations for DO's who can do SDI referrals in Cozumel, and Grand Cayman for that matter, would be greatly appreciated. I am already certified and would like to accompany her on her dives also.

There's no way she can get those cert dives done before you go? Doing checkout dives on a cruise seems like sort of a waste when you have so little time and could otherwise actually go diving. You won't see much that Coz diving has to offer on a checkout dive.

 

[-dIvEdEeP-]

There's no way she can get those cert dives done before you go? Doing checkout dives on a cruise seems like sort of a waste when you have so little time and could otherwise actually go diving. You won't see much that Coz diving has to offer on a checkout dive.

We've been to Cozumel a few times already and I haved already dived there. The only place around here to do an open water dive is in a lake that's not all that appealing. I got my cert the same, didn't really have a problem with it. I do agree though, I would definitely prefer she do them here.

 

[rje634]

My wife will be getting SDI certified shortly with her class and pool work done here in Phoenix, AZ then the open water dives when we go on a cruise in February. Our stops are Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Any recommendations for DO's who can do SDI referrals in Cozumel, and Grand Cayman for that matter, would be greatly appreciated. I am already certified and would like to accompany her on her dives also.

I'm not sure about SSI but with PADI you have to do 4 dives, I think you would be hard pressed to get 4 dives in during a criuse ship stop. I don't think you can split the cert dives up between two places. Like Gordon said, you really might want to try getting her cert dives done before the trip. Isn't there a lake (Lake Pleasant) or quarry near you where she could do her cert dives before the trip, that way you can just enjoy the diving at these two world class dive destinations.

 

[-dIvEdEeP-]

I'm not sure about SSI but with PADI you have to do 4 dives, I think you would be hard pressed to get 4 dives in during a criuse ship stop. I don't think you can split the cert dives up between two places. Like Gordon said, you really might want to try getting her cert dives done before the trip. Isn't there a lake (Lake Pleasant) or quarry near you where she could do her cert dives before the trip, that way you can just enjoy the diving at these two world class dive destinations.

It's actually SDI, there are 4 dives, and yes you can split the dives. Doing my open water dives during a cruise and splitting them between two islands is how I got my certification. I just tried talking to my wife about diving in the lake and she is totally against it. It is mucky with 3-5ft of visibility. Not her idea of fun.

 

[ggunn]

It's actually SDI, there are 4 dives, and yes you can split the dives. Doing my open water dives during a cruise and splitting them between two islands is how I got my certification. I just tried talking to my wife about diving in the lake and she is totally against it. It is mucky with 3-5ft of visibility. Not her idea of fun.

Not that I think that I can change her mind, but the cert dives are not about fun, they are about survival, and I believe that it is a good idea to get checked out in less than ideal conditions. I did my cert dives in Lake Travis 12 years ago, and I've never been back there to dive. After Travis, Coz was a cakewalk.

 

[diveborg]

Gordon is correct, if you do your checkout dives in less than "ideal" conditions, any place in the Caribbean will be a huge step.

I did my OW dives in Washington (water temp 48f, vis 5-15ft), so my training has prepared me to dive anywhere the conditions were equal or better to that. I think California diving is warm and easy compared to local diving. I think it would be more difficult for a diver who completed their OW dives in the Caribbean to dive California, if they wanted to dive there.