Making plans...

[TwoSue]

I'm excited to report that three out of four of our family members got certified on Sunday! My 12-year-old needs to get one more skill. She had trouble removing her mask and the conditions weren't very good for our shore dive last week. We're going to try again on a boat dive in a couple weeks and I think she'll be fine with better visibility and calmer water.

 

Anyway, I'm in the middle of making arrangements for two dives during our Southern Caribbean cruise. The first is a 2-tank dive with Grand Turk Diving. Their boat holds 10 but so far there are only six booked. The second is a 2-tank dive with Curious2Dive in Curacao where they will take just the four of us on a shore dive.

 

Both of these dive operators have gotten great reviews on CruiseCritic and TripAdvisor so I'm hoping all goes well. We're planning to bring our own masks and snorkels, and perhaps fins.

 

I'm excited about our upcoming adventure, and just thought I'd share!

[Middleager]

That's good. I've been to Grand Turk diving, but we didn't go to the wall. Hope you do get there.

 

When are you going, because this time when we go to G Turk, we might have 2-3 people not going diving/snorkeling, and would like to find out what they can do while I go diving.

[TwoSue]

When are you going, because this time when we go to G Turk, we might have 2-3 people not going diving/snorkeling, and would like to find out what they can do while I go diving.

 

We'll be there July 1.

[Capt_BJ]

I'd recommend you be sure your dive op knows you have a 12 yoa diver . . . PADI rules restrict them to 40 feet. If you don't let them know b4 they might have a wall dive planned!

 

As brand new divers, this isn't a bad idea for all .... let the DO know these are your first 'post certification' dives. Keep 'em easy.

[TwoSue]

I'd recommend you be sure your dive op knows you have a 12 yoa diver . . . PADI rules restrict them to 40 feet. If you don't let them know b4 they might have a wall dive planned!

 

As brand new divers, this isn't a bad idea for all .... let the DO know these are your first 'post certification' dives. Keep 'em easy.

 

 

Yes, they all know and they know that we've just finished our certification. Although from what one dive shop told me and what I've now researched on the PADI site, the 12-year-old can actually go deeper as long as she is with a certified parent or dive master. It looks like 10 or 11-year-olds are limited to 40 feet. She's not going to want to go deeper anyway... so it's splitting hairs.

 

I think they are going to take us to the wall for the first dive and we just won't go down very far.

[Dabaras]

Yes, at 12 it goes from 40 to 60 feet until they are 15. 60 feet is still shallower than many places do for the first dive. Dive shops have been known to fudge that limit.