What do you bring on the boat?

[Jim Lapenta]

Leave your shoes back on the dock or in the car. This is if you are using open heel fins. your dive booties are all that's needed. If you have a pair of those water shoes you can throw em in your bag. flip flops or open heel sandals are just a bad idea. boat decks can be very slippery and you don't need a twisted or broken ankle. Glad you took the make up remark the way I intended it . It never ceases to amaze me why some wear so much anyway and to the most ridiculous places. Seasickness is real as well. I reallly do not care for them but I sometimes take a few ginger snaps in a baggieeyebrow . Ginger works well! Also there is a new product out called Dive Bar. It's like one of those health bars but specifically for divers in that it is designed to provide energy and has ginger, pineapple, and papaya which aid in digestion and combat motion sickness. If you want more info on it PM me. Have fun. The little disposable camera is ok. most will fit in your bc pocket and be out of the way until you need or want it:14: You don't want to miss that first pic of you and yours under water or that pic of the big shark that will be coming towards you.

 

[TheRedHead]

And when you get certified, avoid diving on cattle boats where you are elbow to elbow with people. I also want a rinse tank for my camera and my strobes. You don't have to be treated like a prole when you boat dive.

 

[LuvDaOcean]

Well, with all of your help, I think I've got just about everything I need for the boat with the exception of water and snacks which I'll buy when we get there. And best of all everything fits in a pretty small waterproof bag!

So far, I've got a mesh bag for our gear and the small waterproof bag. Now I suppose we need a small carry bag for our towels, T-shirts, water, etc.. So, that means that between myself and my son, we'll be carrying on a total of two bags (mesh and carry bag). That's not too bad, is it?

As far as extra weights, o-rings, etc. go...I think I'll leave that stuff up to the instructor. All we're bringing with us are our fins, masks, snorkels, and booties. We'll be renting the rest of the gear (i know...icky, huh?), so shouldn't that other stuff be the dive ops responsibility? (this is certification...we barely even know what o-rings are at this point...ha! ) So, seems we're not bringing the kitchen sink after all.

As far as shoes go, I like the idea of going barefoot a lot! If that's not acceptable to the crew then wearing our booties as shoes would be perfect (might look ridiculous, but still a great option). No jackets, windbreakers or the like ... I know it's hot down there and fully expect to be dry in a matter of minutes after peeling off the wetsuit.

Which brings me to the whole idea of dry clothes. I'll be wearing a tankini top and boardshorts under the wetsuit. Both dry almost immediately, so do I really need 'return trip' clothes? Once my top & boardshorts are dry, my big T-shirt should be more than enough, right? :06:

For the poster who didn't understand the creme rinse thing - well, I've got this shaggy layered haircut and if I don't put something on it after being in water (especially salt water) my hair just stands straight up like Rod Stewart when it dries...lol...pretty embarrassing to say the least. My son has a buzz cut like you, so he's good. Nothing bothers him anyway. But then again he's a guy and I'm certainly not posting for him here in the Women's Forum.

For seasickness - I did buy some Bonine and we'll be taking it for precautionary measures even though neither of us have ever gotten sick on a boat and we've been on a LOT of boats. Oh, I take that back...I got seasick one time as a kid when I was on a field trip, but the boat was massive. Ferry size on a rolling sea. NOT pleasant, so just in case we'll take the Bonine night before and day of diving. This trip is costing me a fortune, so I don't want something that's preventable destroying our trip.

What is Burosol anyway ("ear beer")? I've never heard of it. ???

Tipping: Tip the boat crew independently of the instructor. $5-10 per tank is standard for the crew. If you listen to the debrief, they may tell you who to tip, if they don't hand it to the divemaster or captain with these words "This is for you two to split." or "This is for YOU." If you would like to tip your instructor, do so after the class is over and just hand it over with a thank you. I've never seen a situation where instructors and boat crew split tips.

Thank you SO much for this info, biscuit! Can you elaborate a bit on what is considered an acceptable tip for, say, the instructor? The captain & divemaster? Or are the captain & divemaster considered "the crew"? I'm not rich by any means and I'm already spending so much money on this trip that trimming the tips to minimum (certainly not "cheapo" though) would help ease the near empty bank acct that I'll be coming home to. Oh, and you being an instructor, how would you feel about students bringing a camera along on the last dive and asking you to shoot a couple of pics of them? Would that bother you? Is it just not done? I'm clueless here.

Thanks to EVERYONE for wishing us a fun and happy trip! Who knows how things will turn out, but I'm so looking forward to this whole experience that it doesn't matter that the last weather report showed t-storms both days that we're supposed to be getting certified. Even if we're thundered out at least I'll have a teeny tiny bit more bonding time with my son before he moves out on his own come summer (he's graduating high school in June ****SNIFF!!!!!!****).

 

[Jcsgt]

And when you get certified, avoid diving on cattle boats where you are elbow to elbow with people. I also want a rinse tank for my camera and my strobes. You don't have to be treated like a prole when you boat dive.

The rinse bucket for cameras should be separate from the mask rinse bucket.

 

[scubamickey]

Have you worn a wetsuit before? Boardshorts are going to be a pain. I'm assuming you are referring to the standard boardshorts that are really loose and long. Bikini bottoms are a lot more comfortable. If modesty is an issue you can always wear the boyshort style. Or even those lycra shorts they sell at the dive shops.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[meekal]

The rinse bucket for cameras should be separate from the mask rinse bucket.

although off topic a bit.... here's a BONUS tip for your journey out on cattle boats.....

never, never, never, never, (did i say never?) put your mask in the mask rinse bucket?

i'm NOT the sqeemish type, but i can't ~~~EVEN~~~ imagine putting my mask in a festering warm fresh water broth of a dozen divers 'natural' defog (read spit) and mask oysters (read snot) not to mention the guy with a pink eye or sweated off sunscreen or...... ewe...... i always get a kick seeing the 'slick' on the mask bucket at the end of a trip and glad that "I" didn't put MY mask in THERE.

 

[TheRedHead]

Thanks, meekal. Think I'll postpone the lunch...

 

[Jcsgt]

Be sure to take your Bonine the night before, to get it into your system, then a couple hours before you dive.

As far as dry clothes for the return trip, if it's warm topside, I just throw my shorts and tee shirt on over my wet swim suit, but them I'm not any fashion guru. Whatever's comfortable. I've also worn dive booties on the boat with no issues.

 

[LuvDaOcean]

Have you worn a wetsuit before? Boardshorts are going to be a pain. I'm assuming you are referring to the standard boardshorts that are really loose and long. Bikini bottoms are a lot more comfortable. If modesty is an issue you can always wear the boyshort style. Or even those lycra shorts they sell at the dive shops.

Thanks for the tip about the shorts. My boardshorts are the really short, short, short kind but a bit longer than boy shorts, so they'll dry in a flash. Also they're made of some sort of insta-dry type material (can't remember what it's called right now).

Good luck and have fun!

Thank you so much. The excitment level is really starting to build.... I can't wait! *BIG GRIN**

 

[LuvDaOcean]

Be sure to take your Bonine the night before, to get it into your system, then a couple hours before you dive.

As far as dry clothes for the return trip, if it's warm topside, I just throw my shorts and tee shirt on over my wet swim suit, but them I'm not any fashion guru. Whatever's comfortable. I've also worn dive booties on the boat with no issues.

That is exactly what I plan on doing. And, nope, no fashion guru here. I got all of that stuff out of my system when I was a lot younger and a lot skinnier. hehehe.....