Just Don

I'm only 15 or so years from retirement. At the current rate, maybe as a retirement gift to myself I'll book on the first post-COVID sailing, which should be soon after retirement... 🙄

(Yes, a little grouchy about my latest cancellation... 😄 )

I am both a first-time cruiser (if ever cruise ships manage to sail again...) and a newly-certified scuba diver (got my OW certification in April). I am hoping to go on a scuba expedition on one of our cruise ports when we sail in (hopefully) July. Looking at the itinerary, it appears that the best of our ports for diving is Grand Turk, so I'm planning to sign up for a scuba excursion there. (My wife doesn't dive, but she's a saint so she said it's fine for me to take one of the ports for diving. 🙂 )

Though I'm brand new, I want to get the most out of my diving experience when I go. Therefore, I'm planning on doing another 8-10 dives in the local dive lake (The Scuba Ranch in north Texas) to get some practice in so hopefully I can at least practice my buoyancy control, trim, breathing, etc. There's nothing I can do between now and then to avoid being inexperienced - but hopefully I can avoid being *that* diver...

So, here are my questions, in no particular order:

1. Since my wife doesn't dive, I don't have a dive buddy. How hard is it to find a dive buddy on a ship excursion? Any cautions?
2. Any special considerations for diving as part of a cruise excursion? (What, for instance, do I need to take with me from the ship, and where do I store it while diving?)
3. How is Grand Turk as a dive location for me? (I understand it's a fabulous dive location - but how is it for a brand new, inexperienced diver?)
4. Although I'm new, I do have much of my own equipment - pretty much everything except a tank. (I decided pretty quickly I liked diving, so decided to gear up so I would have gear with which I am familiar - and maybe a little higher quality than rental gear?) I'm assuming that I'm able to take and use my own stuff rather than their gear, right?
5. I have a 3mm wetsuit. Am I right in assuming that I am likely to be too warm in a 3mm wetsuit in Grand Turk in July? What should I plan to wear?
6. Any other recommendations for what I should plan to work on between now and July in my practice dives in order to make my excursion (a) as safe, and (b) as enjoyable as possible?
7. As a new guy, what questions should I be asking that I didn't think to ask here?

Thanks!

Perhaps a dumb question from a newbie diver, but... in addition to being reef-safe, how about *eye* safe sunscreens? It seems to me like when diving I'm going to be washing a bunch of the stuff off of my face (and since I'm... follicly-challenged, off my giant bald noggin) and into my eyes. How much do your eyes wind up stinging from sunscreen winding up inside your mask and getting in your eyes? Are there any particular sunscreens that are better for that than others? 

On 2/4/2021 at 11:35 AM, trbarton said:

When trying to look at accessories the app stops. Anyone have this experience?  Is it because I haven’t made final payment?

 

Thanks!

 

Tom😀

As we are going to be first time cruisers, I know almost nothing. 😀

However, I know it's not because you haven't made final payment. I've made final payment, and I'm getting the same behavior.