Hartley's Helmet Dive

[lilcruzr]

We just booked this for late October. My DS, DH and myself. Any suggestions or tips? Do they offer snacks or drinks or do we need to buy them? Should we bring something to entertain us while we wait for the other divers? Should we give Greg a tip? If so how much? Does anyone know what the water temp might be at that time of year? Any info would be great!

[GinDon]

We did the Helmet Dive in mid-May. The water temps then were still cool (70's I think). So we all got to wear wet suits that are provided, free. Not sure what the temps will be in Oct., but, not to worry................. if it's chilly, there's always the wet suit! Greg provided hot chocolate for our tour, free of charge. I imagine whatever type of drink he provides will suit the season. The day we went, there were only six participants, so we just did the one dive. However, I think if we would of had to wait for other dives, we would have been quite happy sitting on the top deck soaking up the sun, and chatting with other passengers. We did not tip, but it was more of an oversight, had we to do it again, we would. Greg was very personable and amusing. This is a GREAT adventure, you will love it.

Tips?: Bring your own underwater camera, with a strap to hold it on your arm. You can still get some cool pictures down there, even if they don't compare to the professional ones Greg takes. But, DO buy the picture disc. It's pricey, but the pictures are wonderful.

[NextOne]

We did Hartley's in very early June. Only a few people used the wet suits, but once I got underwater, I wished I had worn one! DH, however, thought the water temp was just fine. I think one of the BDA tourist information websites has a chart with average water temps.

We were the first group underwater, so had a fair amount of time to wait until everyone was finished. We did exactly what GinDon suggested -- soaked up the sun and chatted with the other passengers. It was a lovely way to spend the time!

We DID tip Greg -- 20% of the cost. It was well worth it! And the photo disk is well worth the investment. Not only do you get photos of your group, but also pictures of the fish and coral, and some really cool B&W photos from when Greg's Dad ran the company. You can see where Greg gets his good looks!!

[pawags45]

We did this in 1993 on our 2nd cruise and it was great, we never forgot this excurtion. We now have 16 cruises that we have been on and I think this was the best excurtion we have ever done. It got me interested in diving and when I retured home in 1993 I got my Diving Certification. You will love it.