Stupid question of the week.

[macka]

I've never dived before (well 15 minutes tester in a hotel pool).

 

Put very simply, what exactly do you have to do to attain a qualification (e.g. PADI) in order to be able to rent equipment on your own anywhere in the world. (I appreciate that one should never dive on one's own). And can this all be achieved on a cruise ship course?

 

Also, do you have to dive regularly to keep your qualification/license?

[DiveMaster]

On your own - PADI Open Water certification. Can be done on some ships but suggest doing it at home, at a minimum the confined water and course part. Don't have to dive regularly to keep your c-card, but dive technology and your physiology change - a diver with a c-card who hasn't dived in over 5 years probably should have a physical and a refresher.

 

 

 

I've never dived before (well 15 minutes tester in a hotel pool).

 

Put very simply, what exactly do you have to do to attain a qualification (e.g. PADI) in order to be able to rent equipment on your own anywhere in the world. (I appreciate that one should never dive on one's own). And can this all be achieved on a cruise ship course?

 

Also, do you have to dive regularly to keep your qualification/license?

[bruce-r]

http://www.padi.com/padi/en/sd/whatsinvolved.aspx spells it all out for you.

[scubadiver888]

I've never dived before (well 15 minutes tester in a hotel pool).

 

Put very simply, what exactly do you have to do to attain a qualification (e.g. PADI) in order to be able to rent equipment on your own anywhere in the world. (I appreciate that one should never dive on one's own). And can this all be achieved on a cruise ship course?

 

Also, do you have to dive regularly to keep your qualification/license?

 

Someone once described scuba training as "How not to die while scuba diving" training. When I first heard that I thought she was being rather pessimistic but as I thought about it, that is essentially what certification is. You get trained to deal with situations that might arise. Some of those situations, if you panic or do the wrong thing, could kill you.

 

You'll learn things like how to put your mask on under water or how to put your regulator back if someone kicks it out of your mouth. How do maintain control of your bouyancy (going too deep is bad for you; go up too quick is bad for you).

 

Part of the training is classroom work with tests. Part of the training is practicing the exercises in a pool (or confined water training). Part of the training is repeating the pool exercises in open water.

 

Some cruise ships have a dive instructor on board who will give you all your classroom and confined water training on the ship. At each port that has a dive excursion, he/she will accompany you to do your open water training.

 

The timing for this is usually pretty tight. If you need more practice with a pool exercises there usually isn't any time.

 

Another option is to do the classroom work and the pool work at home then get a referral to do the open water portion at a resort. The upside is you can get more time in at a the pool and adjust your pace as needed. The downside is that you're instructor will probably not join you for the open water portion.

 

Some dive shops in my area have trips they do. In those you'd do the confined water here then join the dive shop on a trip to say Cozumel. In Cozumel you'd do the open water with your instructor.

 

You do not have to dive regularly to keep your certification. However, some dive shops will not rent you equipment if you have not been diving recently (last 1 or 2 years). Most dive shops have a refresher course for $75. You join the classroom and confined water portion of a regular class and practice the exercises.

 

 

Darrell

[tunseeker1]

While you do not need to do anything to keep your certification you may need to have recent dives to be able to go on a dive trip. At many dive operators if you do not have a certain level of experience of a currently logged dive they will either limit your dive or not let you go.

[macka]

Thanks for the advice folks.

 

Only in my dreams do dive schools in the uk organise trips to Cuzumel.:D

 

I am lucky, in that I have a large dive school a mile away from my home in leicestershire uk. The down side is that it is freezing cold all year round, and everyone seems to be in a dry suit, I'm not sure if the type of suit makes a difference. I'd hoped to do it all in the warm waters of the carribbean. Still, it sounds as if the local option is favourite, so thanks for all your advice.

 

Paul.

[scubaran]

Thanks for the advice folks.

 

Only in my dreams do dive schools in the uk organise trips to Cuzumel.:D

 

I am lucky, in that I have a large dive school a mile away from my home in leicestershire uk. The down side is that it is freezing cold all year round, and everyone seems to be in a dry suit, I'm not sure if the type of suit makes a difference. I'd hoped to do it all in the warm waters of the carribbean. Still, it sounds as if the local option is favourite, so thanks for all your advice.

 

Paul.

 

Hi,

 

Since this is a "cruise" board they tend to talk about warm Caribbean waters but living in New England, I have to say I enjoy cold water just as much (and YES you better believe dry suits make a difference in cold water :D ). A statistic I heard a while back said that 90% of all ocean life lives in cold water. I've dove in the Irish sea and western Norway (talk about cold water) and I can tell you the waters surrounding the UK are covered in giant anenomes, crabs, lobsters, wrecks, etc. And if you want warm water diving there's always the western side of Ireland where the gulf stream runs in the summer. Also my UK friends go to the Indian Maldives like we North Americans go to the Caribbean so while your local dive shop may not go to Cozumel, they probably go to the Red Sea or the Maldives, both much better than Cozumel IMHO. So get that certification and dive the world (Mars is a bit dry for diving).

 

Randall