Discover scuba diving questions

[ciderapple]

Hubby and my two boys want to do the Discover scuba diving excursion on St Martin, they are all good strong swimmers and can dive well into pools.

 

I really want to join them, as this is a family holiday (and I don't want to miss out!), but am just a little cautious due to the following reasons:

 

I am not a particularly strong swimmer, I can only do breast stroke and do not like going under water normally (it goes up my nose and I wear contacts!). Also I can't dive, never have been able to master it :o is this going to be a problem or do I just have to kind of swim downwards? I'm okay out of my depth etc and enjoy swimming a few lengths (we have a small pool in our yard).

 

Typical wimpy Mom really (that's me!) but I'm willing to give it a go if it's actually going to be worth my while. I'm unsure how all the equipment works and if I have to breath with my mouth etc. Is there anything I could practice in my pool this summer to make it easier?

 

I would be grateful for any advice from anyone, particularly if you were similar to me and actually did it!

 

Many thanks :)

[sea-jay]

Ciderapple - Where are you located? If you city has a scuba shop, stop in and chat with the salespeople there. They will be glad to help.

 

If you are going to be in St Thomas as well as St Martin, I suggest doing the scuba thing at Coki Beach in St Thomas. St Martin doesn't have very good diving sites and unless the water is really calm, can be quite scary for first timers. Here is a link to the Coki beach dive area. http://www.cokidive.com/ Additionally, If you don't want to go with the boys, you can visit coral world http://www.coralworld.com/cwvi/

which is right next door.

 

How old are the boys? They have to be at least 12 (I believe) before any reputable dive instructor will let them in the water with scuba gear.

 

It is not a good idea to wear contacts in the water even if you have a mask on. If the mask leaks or gets knocked off, you could easily lose them. If your sight isn't too bad, remember the water will magnify everything about 25% anyway so you should be able to see quite a bit.

 

As far as diving, don't worry. You don't really 'dive' You would be wearing a weight belt with weights that will take you to the bottom so you don't even have to swim. The vest you wear (called a BC - Buoyancy Compensator) is similar to a blow up life preserver and the air in your scuba tanks is used to inflate it when you want to rise to the surface.

 

Check with your ship's excursions to see if they offer the discover scuba trip. If so, you will get some training on ship I believe before you get into the ocean.

 

Hope this all helps.

 

 

Happy bubbles.

[ciderapple]

Thanks Sea-jay,

 

I will consider changing our plans to St Thomas then, that would mean we will have to change our snorkeling plans in St Thomas to St Martin. We are planning to do it through Royal Caribbean.

 

My boys are 12 and 14, We live in southern Maryland south of DC. I am pretty blind without my contacts! Not worried about losing them as I use monthly disposables and will take spares.

 

Thanks for the help, I probably will go for it, I really do want to try this!

[sportsterjohn]

Many scuba shops will have occasional free or very cheap pool sessions for people to try it out in a pool before committing to taking classes. You may want to try that just to see if you are comfortable putting on the gear and going under water.

[DiveCruiser]

Choose St Thomas over St Marteen. We found SM to have some what of a current which St Thomas has little.

 

Bob

[bruce-r]

Ciderapple - Where are you located? If you city has a scuba shop, stop in and chat with the salespeople there. They will be glad to help.

Great advice. Many dive shops offer discover scuba in a pool and that is where you want to try it for the first time.

[drew sailbum]

As others have suggested, I would suggest checking into a pool experience near home.

 

Yes, you will need to be able to:

1. Breath in via your mouth only

2. Exhale via your mouth and/or nose

 

The refraction of light going through the water and then through the lens of your mask does magnify things, but does NOT focus it. Without contacts or a prescription mask, things will only be 25% larger and blurry! Visual correction is important, for being able to see the fish and coral and also for reading your air gauge! Wear those contacts!

 

Accepted minimum age by many scuba agencies is 10. This is in accordance with guidelines set forth by and industry group, the RSTC.

 

DO NOT inflate the buoyancy jacket in order to ascend. This can lead to a runaway ascent and dramatically increase the risk of injury. In fact, air is released from the buoyancy jacket during a normal ascent.

 

An important factor is to be comfortable in the water, not necessarily doing a particular swimming stroke. Streamlined divers do not use their hand but rather their legs and fins to move around.

[ciderapple]

Okay, i think I will go ahead and book it and look into doing a pool experience somewhere first even if we have to day trip for it.

 

Thanks for the info about the breathing, I will have to practice that, it's the opposite of what I do during pilates so it may be a challenge for me! I may see if I can get hold of a nose clip to stop me from breathing in through my nose.

 

I am probably stressing and worry too much, but I just want to be able to enjoy the experience and eleviate any possible difficulties in advance.

 

Thanks for your posts everyone, I really do appreciate your help.

[cal2632]

Just to elaborate a little further on the contact lens issue - I dive with mine and have no fear of losing them. Have been without my mask underwater with eyes open and no problems. The important consideration is what type of lenses you have. You cannot dive with hard lenses or rigid gas permeable. If you have hard lenses you will need to get a disposable pair of soft lenses to dive.

[Genessa]

Okay, i think I will go ahead and book it and look into doing a pool experience somewhere first even if we have to day trip for it.

 

Thanks for the info about the breathing, I will have to practice that, it's the opposite of what I do during pilates so it may be a challenge for me! I may see if I can get hold of a nose clip to stop me from breathing in through my nose.

 

I am probably stressing and worry too much, but I just want to be able to enjoy the experience and eleviate any possible difficulties in advance.

 

Thanks for your posts everyone, I really do appreciate your help.

 

Remembering to breathe in through your mouth will not be that difficult, you will have a regulator in your mouth and the only way you are going to get air is to breathe in through the regulator. I absolutely HATE having water in my nose, but, can usually forget it is there when I am diving - it is worse when I am snorkeling (maybe because I am on the surface and know if I pick my head up I can get rid of the water?). I am also not a really strong swimmer and can't dive very far down from the surface (definitely need that weight belt).

 

You'll be very happy you decided to go - diving is fantastic.

[jetskier]

I am not a particularly strong swimmer, I can only do breast stroke and do not like going under water normally. Also I can't dive, never have been able to master it :o is this going to be a problem or do I just have to kind of swim downwards?

Typical wimpy Mom really (that's me!) but I'm willing to give it a go if it's actually going to be worth my while. I'm unsure how all the equipment works and if I have to breath with my mouth etc. Is there anything I could practice in my pool this summer to make it easier.

Hi ciderapple

This is jetskier's wife. I was nervous like you before I tried it. I found out I love diving. You don't have to use your arms to swim while under water, you use your legs. I am not a strong swimmer either, I can only dogpaddle. :) I guess I'm a typical wimpy mom also. I also don't know how to dive into a swimming pool. When you are scuba diving from a boat you either roll off backwards into the water or do a giant step off the back. I was scared the first time I did it, but then I found out it wasn't that bad. Hubby and I enjoyed our Discover Scuba so much that a few months later we went and got our diving certification. Now we dive almost every cruise.

You have to breathe through your mouth. That took me a while to get used to it. Try practicing swimming in your pool with a clip on your nose this summer, that might help you get use to breathing through your mouth. You have to remember to relax. If you get nervous you will start breathing faster and will use up your air a little quicker. If you notice yourself breathing fast remind yourself to calm down and relax, kinda like meditating. Also remember it is very important to never never hold your breath. By holding your breath you can hurt your lungs, just breathe in and out slowly through your mouth.

The main thing is to have fun. If it ain't fun, don't do it. :)

I am so glad I took the chance and did the Discover Scuba. I would have missed a lot of beautiful underwater sights.

 

Michelle

[cruzegirl]

Ciderapple,

I will echo what others have said... Try your local dive shop or sporting goods store that has dive classes. They usually do a discover scuba once a month for free....And almost any dive shop will do it too....I some of the same issues when I first started.. Scared to death of the swim test... But I passed... And now I'm Adv. Open water and just did my Photography class...

But I think you'll feel more comfortable to try it at home first...You'll use your pilates training for nice slow breathing and not getting scared.. When your scared, you might hyperventilate... So rely on that to remind you to not do that.. But once your mask is on and the regulator in your mouth, breathing in through your regulator and out, will come somewhat naturally.. You kind of don't have a choice.. Breathing our through your mask is used to clear water... You'll do well.... And the swimming part, it's your legs... your arms will come in there rarely out of habit of swimming.... But use your legs.. And to practice that, go up/down the stairs..... To build strength.. Because walking with scuba gear in sand is exhausting.....I don't have contacts but I would wear them when your first diving... So you can see your gauges and the underwater world around you..... Then if you become addicted like alot of us, you can get a prescription mask..... Enjoy.......:p

[CoNEY46]

Ciderapple,

just returned from st thomas 2 weeks ago. while there my wife and I did the discover scuba with the coki beach dive club. the water there was very clam and the dive instructor, really did a great job, both educationally and socially. he made the dive easy and enjoyable for both of us

 

I highly recommend them

[Sheal]

Cal2632,

 

Why can't hard/gas permable been worn? I have some soft lenses but the fit just isn't the same. Not to mention trying to put the soft in when you haven't worn them in 20 years! I don't know how to get those buggers in anymore.

 

Thanks!

[ciderapple]

Just checked back! Thanks for all the extra info guys & gals, it's very reassurring for me :)

[cal2632]

Cal2632,

 

Why can't hard/gas permable been worn? I have some soft lenses but the fit just isn't the same. Not to mention trying to put the soft in when you haven't worn them in 20 years! I don't know how to get those buggers in anymore.

 

Thanks!

 

See the following recommendations from DAN:

 

Divers who wish to wear contact lenses while diving should ask their ophthalmologists or optometrists to prescribe "soft" contact lenses. "Hard" lenses or rigid gas-permeable lenses, the other two commonly prescribed types of lenses, have been found to sometimes cause symptoms of eye pain and blurred vision during and after dives, in which the diver accumulates a significant inert gas load. These symptoms occur as a result of gas bubbles forming between the cornea and the contact lens.

 

Now you might not accumulate a "significant inert gas load", but why take the chance?

 

Diver's Alert Network is a great source of info for any type of scuba related medical questions

[Sheal]

Cal2632,

Thanks for the info. This is something I would have learned only after I booked my excursion. I had better practice with my soft lenses starting tomorrow.

 

Sheal