planning a diving trip

[richardhmc]

Hey MR, my friends and I are looking to go diving for vacation.
We are absolutely clueless on how to plan this.

Are there certifications needed? Or do they teach you there how to dive?
We want to stay in florida, bahamas area. Any recommendations would be nice!

Would I need a company to help me out?
I'm not even sure what questions to ask cause I barely know anything about the topic :biglaugh:

thanks

overall, I just want to go for a swim and experience the waters

 

[20gallonreefer]

Diving you would need a certification unless the resort you are going to has a certification program that they will train you with there. You can also take the lessons where you live now and then just take the 4 open water dives on vacation and be certified that way.

Hey MR, my friends and I are looking to go diving for vacation.
We are absolutely clueless on how to plan this.

Are there certifications needed? Or do they teach you there how to dive?
We want to stay in florida, bahamas area. Any recommendations would be nice!

Would I need a company to help me out?
I'm not even sure what questions to ask cause I barely know anything about the topic :biglaugh:

thanks

overall, I just want to go for a swim and experience the waters

 

[Fitch4]

You do need a certification to SCUBA. Lots of places will do what they call a "resort course" where they do it quickly but you are not really certified to dive. My first recommendation would be to really get certified. Most dive shops will do the certification for you but there is a "classroom" part that you need to do as well, which may take away from your trip.
I run a scuba club at the school that I teach at and we have been quite a few places. Florida can be nice but the water can be rough which makes the diving iffy sometimes. Mexico can be great diving but is not the easiest of beginner diving (lots of drift dives). I have taken my group down to Roatan 4 times (our fifth will be this coming June!) and love the diving. The reefs are in great shape because there is not nearly as much tourism there (which also means less to do other than dive!). I was also pleasantly suprised by the diving in Begril, Jamaica, which was quite nice!] as well with LOTS to do as well.

 

[James]

umm... check my link. even if you stay somewhere else, utila is an amazing place to learn to dive, i believe they are the #1 place to get your PADI open water, you can also get naui there. diving is similar to roatan except it is safe to walk anywhere not just the resort and there is much less tourism even though fitch is right, roatan compared to other caribbean islands is not that touristy.... oh yeah. only place in the world where whale sharks are spotted 12 months a year off cayman trench off the north side of utila.

 

[SIReefer]

I would at least get the classroom & pool dives done here. If you wish to continue then you can finish your OW certification on your trip in warm, clear water instead of going to the quarry in PA. Florida waters in winter can get pretty rough. Buy a copy of Sport Diver & Scuba Diving magazines. You can get an idea where to go & what the prices are. If you are going as couples - Sandals Resorts offers free scuba diving at their resorts. They have top notch boats & all equipment is included.

 

[richardhmc]

Can anyone recommend me some good schools where I can get certified? What places would offer me the best deal? I found this place called empire divers via google but I'd like to know all the options I have.

I'm planning to get it this summer and hopefully the location is in the city thanks.

 

[beerfish]

Can anyone recommend me some good schools where I can get certified? What places would offer me the best deal? I found this place called empire divers via google but I'd like to know all the options I have.

I'm planning to get it this summer and hopefully the location is in the city thanks.

I haven't been diving in awhile, but will probably try to get back into it this season. Village Divers on the Lower East Side is the shop that I dive and train with. If you ever want to get into local diving, they're your best bet, but because the shop dives locally, it also has some of the best divers and instructors on this coast.

 

[Imbarrie]

Bonaire is a great place for SCUBA at your level.

You can get boat dives or if you feel ambitious you can go for shore dives all along the coast.
The island has sloping reefs and plenty of life over hundreds of dive sites.
A very laid back atmosphere and great food.

It is far enough south where you wont have to worry about the weather. And since it is Dutch, the healthcare is very highly rated.
After years of diving in the Caribbean and Bahamas I have seen many emergencies compounded by a lack of adequate medical services. I mention this because you are beginner divers.
They can also finish your diving certification there.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

I just started my certification last October and got my classes and pool time out of the way so I could dive for work. I'm doing my open water dives this summer to finish it. I would definitely recommend getting the class/pool out of the way before you go anywhere. Besides the time saved on vacation you'll have a proper working knowledge of what to do.

 

[thirty6]

Bonaire is a great place for SCUBA at your level.

You can get boat dives or if you feel ambitious you can go for shore dives all along the coast.
The island has sloping reefs and plenty of life over hundreds of dive sites.
A very laid back atmosphere and great food.

It is far enough south where you wont have to worry about the weather. And since it is Dutch, the healthcare is very highly rated.
After years of diving in the Caribbean and Bahamas I have seen many emergencies compounded by a lack of adequate medical services. I mention this because you are beginner divers.
They can also finish your diving certification there.

the medical aspect is a great point. when i got certified i had a hard time clearing and broke all the blood vessels in both eyes! wasnt a real emergency, but XXXX happens when least expect it

 

[bad coffee]

Get certified before you go on vacation. Do you want to spend the vacation days in a classroom or on the beach?

I got my classroom done here in the city, then did my open water in PA. That way when I went on vacation, I could show my card and dive that day.

B

 

[Imbarrie]

My first dive I thought my ears had ruptured. Fortunately for me I was in Florida and had access to healthcare.

I would not recommend taking the open water portion of the class in the north. Or any diving anywhere north of Florida until you are completely comfortable in the water. There are no good reasons and plenty of bad ones to start diving up here. Do this in the warm clear waters far to the south.

Do the class and pool sessions up here and the rest wherever you decide to go. Diving up here sucks.

I have crewed with dive liveaboard charters. We would take up to 20 people diving on week long trips from all over the states and the world. I have literally taken thousands of people diving and not one of them had anything good to say about taking a class in a quarry.

 

[beerfish]

I would not recommend taking the open water portion of the class in the north. Or any diving anywhere north of Florida until you are completely comfortable in the water. There are no good reasons and plenty of bad ones to start diving up here. Do this in the warm clear waters far to the south.

I have to disagree. With proper training, there is no reason for a beginner not to dive up here. I learned to dive locally and found myself much better prepared to handle any situation I could encounter underwater.

Do the class and pool sessions up here and the rest wherever you decide to go. Diving up here sucks.

This is a matter of opinion. I personally would rather dive an interesting shipwreck than a reef. Visibility is overrated. I've done about 90% of my diving locally.

I have crewed with dive liveaboard charters. We would take up to 20 people diving on week long trips from all over the states and the world. I have literally taken thousands of people diving and not one of them had anything good to say about taking a class in a quarry.

I have a lot of good things to say about taking classes in a quarry. The various depths, platforms, and vechicles through the lake enable you to prepare yourself for all different conditions. I actually did my 4 open water dives in one day (IANTD allows this) at Dutch Springs in 38 degree water. After that, diving under any other conditions is like wading in a kiddy pool.

Here's my disclaimer...

Under most circumstances, for the average vacation diver, you're right about most of what you said. If someone understands the risks of diving, sees it as a challenge, and wants to explore local shipwrecks, then getting your training and open water dives here is the best way to go.

Personally, I'll take a drysuit, a 28% mix, a set of doubles and wreck equipment over a wetsuit and a reef any day of the week.

 

[Imbarrie]

Personally, I'll take a drysuit, a 28% mix, a set of doubles and wreck equipment over a wetsuit and a reef any day of the week.

Take any dive condition and there are people that like them.
I like bounce diving walls during the day or night, long geological dives and most of the diving I prefer to do alone.

All of what you and I prefer is completely out of the realm of an open water course. And anything you can do in a quarry can be done in the open ocean. Speaking from the standpoint of safety and comfort for the student there is no comparison. With all the dives and working I have done underwater, I still would not dive a quarry.

 

[beerfish]

Take any dive condition and there are people that like them.
I like bounce diving walls during the day or night, long geological dives and most of the diving I prefer to do alone.

I'm a big fan of solo diving too. Don't get to do it as often as I'd like. Too many bad dive buddy experiences even when diving with another experienced diver.

All of what you and I prefer is completely out of the realm of an open water course. And anything you can do in a quarry can be done in the open ocean. Speaking from the standpoint of safety and comfort for the student there is no comparison. With all the dives and working I have done underwater, I still would not dive a quarry.

I still think that some skills are easier to learn in the quarry. There's no current, and dangerous objects have been removed from sunken wrecks, making some skills easier to master. Open water skills can be done easily in the ocean, but practicing penetration skills in an enviornment that won't silt out or snag you is a lot safer than on a real wreck. Things like using a lift bag as an ascent device or running a reel are much easier without a current. So yeah... Open water can be done anywhere, but I do like the quarry for skills beyond that.

 

[Imbarrie]

You are looking at things from a tech diver perspective.
Never taught in a quarry but I did teach a couple classes in a lake in Florida that had about 15' visibility.
My classes were in the Caribbean or Bahamas. Most of the vis was 50-75+, Cozumel was the only place with a slight but distinct current but we did OW 3 & 4 there so students had some experience going in.
I have seen so many divers prep for dives that I look for their mental states before a dive. I am pretty good at picking the Larrys and I had one diver start having severe PTSD flashbacks at the start of a night dive on a wreck in the Bahamas.
Since then I worked to remove as many environmental factors as I could from all my students. Visibility, cold and equipment being the primary stressors.

 

[richardhmc]

in nyc, I was able to find east village divers, empire divers, and pan aqua.
any recommendations?

east village didnt seem to get such great reviews

 

[Imbarrie]

I always had my gear serviced by Pan Aqua.
I found the staff to be professional and knowledgeable.
I would not hesitate to take a course with them.

Was not crazy about East Village Divers.

Are you thinking about the resort course option?

 

[garys reef]

when the wife and i were in atlantis u do a half day in the pool and then go diving it was incredible just dont take a flash picture of a baracuda trust me LOL

 

[Imbarrie]

I believe he is taking about taking the full open water course and not the resort course you took.