Two questions

[boston_019]

Hi
2 questions... for now.

1) How do I start diving? Do I need a PADI cert? If so, which?

2) I get seasick pretty badly- is it okay (and effective) to use Dramamine before a dive?

Thanks all!

 

[FoxHound]

easiest way to start diving is to find a dive shop nearest to you and go in and talk to them. there may be people here that live close to you that can recommend a good shop. It doesn't need to be a PADI shop, there are a bunch of other agencies that can train you as well.

I know there are some things out there that are non-drowsy, it would be best to talk to a doc about what would be suitable for diving.....I believe there are a few Docs on here that can also at least point you in the right direction.

Cheers and hope to see you in the drink soon!

 

[swinging pink]

for sea sick use sea bands. they are wristbands that help I use them no drugs.

 

[LiveBait]

Welcome to the board! Since you came here first do a search on picking a good instructor. Also go a bit farther down the forum and look at the area forum for your area.

Once you have an idea of what to look for shop around in your area. Make the best decision on finding your open water instructor you can. Get certified THEN your training begins....

Also if you want to get a feel for how someone works ask if they teach a discover scuba class. This class is cheaper and in some cases free. It can give you an idea if you like scuba at all and or it can give you some idea of the instructors style of teaching.

The great thing about were you are is you can do shore dives. No need to worry about sea sickness if you don't want to but, when you are ready I recommend taking your medicine the day before. Go on a calm day. Sea sickness can happen to anyone long time sailors can switch boats and get sea sick. You just have to learn what works best for you and how best to cope with it.

Best of luck! Let us know how you did!!

 

[PatW]

You do need certification but it does not have to be PADI. I think PADI is just the largest agency.

As for sea sickness, some people get it and others do not. I got sea sick on some of my early boat dives. Sea bands are totally ineffective for me and I have tried them. I get good results with triptone which is a version of dramamine. Last year, we had some choppy seas on a few dives and none of them bothered me unduly. I got a little nauseated but I was able to control it with concentration. When you are really sea sick, it does not matter how much you concentrate (I know).

Sea sickness is a very individual thing. Some people get their sea legs, other people do not. I never have problems swimming in rough seas so if you are like me, shore dives would be a decent option.

 

[Froid]

The key I have found for seasickness is to take the medicine 24 hours before the dive. Also, you need to mantain a constaint level of the medicine during the dives. Test the different brands and levels of medicines to find which works best for you. After testing, I ended up using Bonine.

 

[dfx]

Most people will start by taking an "Open Water Diver" (OWD) course, which will earn them an OWD certification upon completion. As already mentioned, it doesn't have to be PADI - some PADI dive shops only do very short (but cheap) courses, with only a small number of pool sessions, little or no classroom time for the theory (you learn the theory at home). For some people that might be sufficient, but others are better off taking more extensive (and more expensive) courses. Some PADI centers will offer those as well, but usually you will find those courses from other agencies. Shop around.

 

[boston_019]

for sea sick use sea bands. they are wristbands that help I use them no drugs.

I've seen those, I wasn't sure how effective they are. Any recommendations as far as brand, material, etc?

---------- Post added April 3rd, 2012 at 11:37 AM ----------

Also if you want to get a feel for how someone works ask if they teach a discover scuba class. This class is cheaper and in some cases free.

I'll be sure to look into those!

 

[John L.]

The suggestion so far have been spot on. I would suggest finding a prominent dive oraganization in your area. I'd also look at where you would like the diving to take you. If you want to do more technical diving in the future it may benifit you to start out with an organization that has courses in that area for an experienced diver regardless of how many shops train in that as long as there is training available.

And as stated before sea sickness can hit anyone, it can also go away with experience. Personally I have not had a major issue with it. If the dramamine works for you without making you sleepy or "loopy" it should be fine. Just watch yourself and don't dive if you feel you are too tierd or "out of it" LOL. Also ginger works well for nausea without any side effects so you may want to at least try that out on a boat trip, if it works it works if not take the meds.

 

[gcarter]

Hi
2 questions... for now.

1) How do I start diving? Do I need a PADI cert? If so, which?

2) I get seasick pretty badly- is it okay (and effective) to use Dramamine before a dive?

Thanks all!

I have no idea about the dramamine, but you can have a lot of fun - and cheaper - doing shore dives if you have issues with boats.