First time scuba diving

[wopper81]

I'm gonna be traveling on the Valor in May, stopping at Nassau, St. Thomas , and St. Maarten. Me and my Dad want to try scuba diving, and I was looking for any suggestions or comments. Thanks alot!!!

[Wennfred]

I'm gonna be traveling on the Valor in May, stopping at Nassau, St. Thomas , and St. Maarten. Me and my Dad want to try scuba diving, and I was looking for any suggestions or comments. Thanks alot!!!

 

 

I do not recommend it. If you want to try it, I would head down to the nearest Scuba Shop and have them give you a quick course on the following things. These you have to learn there at Discover Scuba.

 

1. Remove and replace mask and Clear it while under water (hardest part of scuba)

 

2. Remove and recover and Clear Breathing Regulator (Mouth Piece)

 

3. Adjust your Buoyancy Compensator Device BCD (Air Floatation Vest) while underwater.

 

 

An example of a problem that occurs alot is the fogging of a mask while underwater... you do not have the time to go up to the surface to clean it, you have to flood the mask underwater and clear it, removing the water while underwater. This problem happens alot with new masks. Diving with a Foggy mask sucks.

 

 

Scuba diving is not a sport which you can learn in 15 minutes, it can be very dangerous if done incorrectly. Again, I recommend you head to a Local Scuba Shop and take lessons.

 

Wendy did the Discover Scuba course in Roatan and could not Clear her Mask underwater as water kept going into her nose and she couldnt figure it out, the instructor was willing to keep teaching her but she was taking up my time and the 2 other dive buddies dive time that were in the group. So she had to opt out of the lesson costing me 165.00 and hang out on the beach.

 

 

Fred

[smjanni]

Have you already been certified? If not, you may just have enough time to get certification before your cruise. Reputable dive shops won't let you dive without it.

[Socref124]

I'm gonna be traveling on the Valor in May, stopping at Nassau, St. Thomas , and St. Maarten. Me and my Dad want to try scuba diving, and I was looking for any suggestions or comments. Thanks alot!!!

 

The other side of the coin is to do it. You might like it. DW and I did the discover Scuba excursion in Cozumel last Feb and fell in love with the sport. There were six of us and DW was the weakest of the six. Our instructor taught us all the basics and stuck close to DW during the dive. He had us clear our masks underwater before we started. He also had everyone hang on to the tow line and continually throughout the excursion asked us, by signals, if everything was OK. It was a fabulous excursion, but, like the other poster stated, it can be dangerous. We were only in 20'-40' of water in Cozumel. Biggest thing to remember is to never hold your breath. Good luck and have fun.

[Wennfred]

We were only in 20'-40' of water in Cozumel. Biggest thing to remember is to never hold your breath. Good luck and have fun.

 

40 feet is still too deep for a beginner that is not certified. Another good reason to just go and learn from a Dive shop is that you will learn what types of clothing to wear for different conditions. Many places now do not allow you to wear gloves because with Gloves you can touch stuff you are not suppose to be touching. In many places corral is protected, and if you touch the wrong stuff like Fire Corral, you are not going to have a good week.

 

 

Fred

[cruzegirl]

I agree with Wennfred. It can be a dangerous sport but it's quite fun. But what you can do is go to your dive shop and do your classroom and pool work and then do your check out dives on your cruise. That way you learn properly, learn your skills in the pool but you don't have to try to get certified in your cold area of the U.S. lol.... That works out well with alot of folks....

And by the way, the Valor is a lovely ship.... You will enjoy it....

[falconfan]

As others have stated SCUBA is a risky sport. Depending on where you live there may be a Discover SCUBA program available at your local dive shop. If not you can take the classroom and pool portion of the classes at home and complete the open water section on the cruise. Last cruise I went on the dive excursion we went on had both Discover SCUBA and certified divers on the same boat. The Discover group stuck to 1atm (<32ft) and near the boat. We (certified) went to the deeper parts of the reef and wreck. This dive boat had anti-fog for everyone to use, of course you could always use to old reliable DIY method.

 

I will tell you that it will be considerably cheaper to do it on shore before your cruise and it will leave you more time for other activities during your cruise.

[MarylandLady]

When we were on the Valor we went to Coki Beach to do some snorkeling there. There was a group of about 6-7 folks from our ship doing the beginning scuba. There seemed to be quite of bit of instruction prior to going in the water. Two of the folks (man & wife, I think) had problems under water and had to be brought out by one of the instructors -- both of them looked like they were ready to pass out. I think I would opt for a real certification rather than think I could learn in an hour of so.

[soareyes]

I think that everyone has a good point. I was a NAUI dive instructor for many years. If you have ever pondered doing something like diving before, you and your father need to approach a dive instructor and get him to give both of you at least 1-2 hours of instruction. Also buy the Naui or PADI book, you will have plenty of time to read it and

 

The resort crash courses have not had many bad accidents that I am aware of. Besides the safety issues, you are there and it’s a great place to dive. Why not enjoy it? As many mentioned before they use a lot of stuff that may not fit you and that alone will could ruin the whole experience for you.

 

At the very least, buy a mask from a dive shop that was properly fitted to you.

[MISSSNOOPYGIRL]

What's the big deal with fire coral?

[VentureMan_2000]

I'm gonna be traveling on the Valor in May, stopping at Nassau, St. Thomas , and St. Maarten. Me and my Dad want to try scuba diving, and I was looking for any suggestions or comments. Thanks alot!!!

 

 

SCUBA is a very dangerous activity. That is why you need to be certified.

 

It's very important to take a course from a quality Dive school and take the time to practice and learn your scuba skills well in advance. Classes are only about $250 plus books and gear. Well worth your life.

 

Don't take SCUBA lightly... you can permanently hurt yourself or others... or even kill yourself or others. Only someone properly trained and certified in SCUBA should be considering a dive excursion from a cruise ship.

 

A lot of people totally freak our on a SCUBA dive.

 

Get certified first! I've been diving for over 31 years and have never taken the responsibilty of SCUBA anything less than serious... and neither should you.

[Wennfred]

What's the big deal with fire coral?

 

 

Fire Coral or Red Coral:

 

Fire corals have a bright yellow-green and brown skeletal covering and are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical waters. They appear in small brush-like growths on rocks and coral. Divers often mistake fire coral for seaweed, and accidental contact is common. The very small nematocysts on fire corals contain tentacles that protrude from numerous surface pores (similar to Jelly Fish stings). In addition, fire corals have a sharp, calcified external skeleton that can scrape the skin.

 

I have seen the blisters these leave on your hands or legs.

 

 

 

Go to this link and check out these Pictures: http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-501&va=fire+coral&sz=all

 

 

 

 

Fred

[Wennfred]

Get certified first! I've been diving for over 31 years and have never taken the responsibilty of SCUBA anything less than serious... and neither should you.

 

I have around 10 years as an Advance PADI diver and was almost finished with my Rescue Diver course. Like you I highly stress certification and training first. I have seen some really crappy equipment in mexico.

 

There are many aspects of proper training and one is being able to troubleshoot your equipment while in the water. This type of training you don't get at a resort or Discover Scuba.

 

 

 

Fred

[davecobra]

I was recently certified in Oct. in the cold waters of New England the water temp was 55 f. Everything that the other people have said is very true SCUBA diving is a lot of fun but should not be taken lightly. Try getting involved with a local dive shop. This is where you will meet new people and keep developing your diving skills when your at home and not on vacation. I have met alot of people and they can be very enthusicastic about diving SAFELY.

 

I also have some friends that have tried SNUBA while on vacation, and they had a great time. They have also begun their Scuba training classes.

 

SNUBA dives are usually about 20 ft deep and you breathe thru a regulator thats connected to an air supply kept on the boat. (think old salvage divers with the big heavy helmuts.) All you use is a mask, fins and a weight belt. which is all supplied to you by the people that take you on the excurtion. They will take you out to a reef and give a personal tour of the reef for about an hour. This is very safe and you are able to stop at any time without affecting anyone elses dive time. This will be a great beginning intr to scuba. Without all the costs, most cruiseship offer this as an excurtion.

 

Dave (please excuse spelling) LOL

[Wennfred]

I also have some friends that have tried SNUBA while on vacation, and they had a great time. They have also begun their Scuba training classes.

 

 

 

No way in heck would I try Snuba, with my luck, Wendy will be up on top pinching the air hose LOL.

 

 

 

Fred

[skylock]

I'm gonna be traveling on the Valor in May, stopping at Nassau, St. Thomas , and St. Maarten. Me and my Dad want to try scuba diving, and I was looking for any suggestions or comments. Thanks alot!!!

 

 

Don't let these people scare you off of a resort scuba dive on your cruise.

 

Open water diving can be dangerous, but as a resort dive, you will have a dive instructer right there at all times.

 

They will have you clear your mask. It is no big deal, really. You simply hold the top of your mask and blow through your nose to clear the water.

 

I think you SHOULD do a resort dive before you decide to go whole hog with certification. Diving is not for everyone and I would rather find out on a $100 dive than a $400+ certification class.

 

As for the mask fogging up, either buy some anti fog stuff, rainX is good, or just spit on the mask, wipe it around and rinse the mask out. The instructor will help you with it.

 

With the resort dive you will not go down very deep and you will not stay down that long, but hopefully it will be long enough to give you a good idea if it is something you would want to presue futher.

 

I did a resort dive in Roatan and immediately booked a land vacation to Cozumel to become certified. And I haven't looked back. I go to the caribbean 6 times a year to scuba now. Usually on a cruise ship as I can go cheaper than I can fly usually.

 

Check the port of call board for the ports you will visit and ask for suggestions of a good scuba company to go with. Do not do it as a ship excursion. You will get more one on one attention on your own.

[sh442olds]

you have time to go do a short training at a local dive shop in a pool to see if you like it and still have time to get certified

I wouldnt recomend doing anything on a ship too mant things can go wrong

we have cruised many times and I always wanted to try diving and finally I just went through the course and am loving it even more and you will understand the dangers if you go throught the trial diving program at a dive shop first

My wife went throught the course too and never finished she just couldnt take being under water to confined and out of control

atleast talk to a good dive shop see what they say too

all my best with your decision

scott

[CRUZBUDS]

My wive and I were both certifed about 25 years ago and haven't been diving for about 20 years. We decided to do a Snuba excursion to get our feet wet again. There was a lot of instruction. There were two divers with kyaks to carry the cylinders. (The main thing I remember about getting certifed was being told over and over again by the instructor "They're not tanks, they're clylinders - tanks go bang bang". One was rigged for two divers the other for four. We grabbed the one with two and had a great time. We were quite comfortable underwater. The point of my long story is it was fun to watch the other four people who had never been underwater. They kept going up and down like they were yo-yos.

 

Snuba is also a great intro to Scuba. It's probably a bit safer than the Resort Course for scuba. Around here scuba schools used to offer a free intro class. I remember my intro class. The cylinders were on the pool deck and we sat under about three feet of water breathing through the regualtors. I was enough to get hooked to take the full certification program.

 

Have fun!

[scuabacruiser]

I'm gonna be traveling on the Valor in May, stopping at Nassau, St. Thomas , and St. Maarten. Me and my Dad want to try scuba diving, and I was looking for any suggestions or comments. Thanks alot!!!

Resort courses are a great way to check out scuba diving. You have a personal instructor, close supervision on your dives and you don't have a lot of $$ invested into it.

 

Talk to your LDS (local dive shop) and tell them what your are planning. They know if you get the "bug" you will be back for lessons. I would suggest that you get your own mask and snorkel. Nothing is more annoying that a mask that leaks or fogs during a dive, and you don't know where that snorkel has been before you used it. Heck your LDS may have a good price on a mask,snorkel,fin set that can be used for diving or snorkeling. A good set will probably run around $125 to $175, but it will last for years.

 

Now the diving, of the 3 ports you are going to, I would do St Thomas. I know that cruise ships offer resort courses but I don't have any experience with them. We have used Blue Island Divers several times in St Thomas while on a cruise. They do a great job and will pick you up at the cruise ship dock. I don't know how or if they do resort courses so check it out.

 

If it all goes well and you continue with your dive training, don't cry to us about the damage to your bank account. It's just part of the addiction and an awesome sport to do. SOOOO go for it and have fun!!

[soareyes]

I think that a lot of people get a little excited about the safety issues and they know little about what they are talking about and only what they have been told when they got certified at the local dive shop. The cruise ships offer these excursions because they are pretty safe to begin with. These are not the same trips that someone that is certified could or would go on. I agree that the equipment is not the greatest but the dives they take you on will not be very deep and usually it’s more like 15 to 25 foot.

 

I had several people a year that attended this kind of activity that liked it enough to become certified during my teaching years. I really am against someone rushing to get certified and getting caught up spending lots of money on dive equipment that they may never use again. I have seen this happen all too many times. I would still recommend buying a dive book and a mask and reading that book first. You will get a good idea of the things you need to know before hand and the quick lesson will make more since. My advice is if something doesn’t fit or feel right tell the instructor right away.

 

Some of the more advanced divers are the most dangerous people to dive with in my opinion as they start forgetting the rules. I have lots of stories but that’s another topic. I don’t expect many divers to agree with me but when they reach 3000 hours logged in the water they can argue with me.

 

Flame away!

[VentureMan_2000]

Don't let these people scare you off of a resort scuba dive on your cruise.

 

Open water diving can be dangerous, but as a resort dive, you will have a dive instructer right there at all times.

 

 

 

I can't believe you are giving this advice... :eek:

 

 

The only thing those resort folks care about is your pocket book. Fly-by-night comes to mind.

 

SCUBA is something you learn and pratice in a controlled environment... like a swimming pool... before you take one step into the ocean, which is anything but controlled.

 

Sorry... your post and advice is substandard at best.

[VentureMan_2000]

Nope... sorry, don't agree with you at all.

 

Your advice is ill-concieved. :rolleyes:

[skylock]

I think that a lot of people get a little excited about the safety issues and they know little about what they are talking about and only what they have been told when they got certified at the local dive shop. The cruise ships offer these excursions because they are pretty safe to begin with. These are not the same trips that someone that is certified could or would go on. I agree that the equipment is not the greatest but the dives they take you on will not be very deep and usually it’s more like 15 to 25 foot.

 

I had several people a year that attended this kind of activity that liked it enough to become certified during my teaching years. I really am against someone rushing to get certified and getting caught up spending lots of money on dive equipment that they may never use again. I have seen this happen all too many times. I would still recommend buying a dive book and a mask and reading that book first. You will get a good idea of the things you need to know before hand and the quick lesson will make more since. My advice is if something doesn’t fit or feel right tell the instructor right away.

 

Some of the more advanced divers are the most dangerous people to dive with in my opinion as they start forgetting the rules. I have lots of stories but that’s another topic. I don’t expect many divers to agree with me but when they reach 3000 hours logged in the water they can argue with me.

 

Flame away!

 

Over time I have aquired my own BCD and regulator and other things simply because I liked the piece of equipment I rented on a dive trip so much.

 

I have a favorite dive shop in each port now. I have rented equipment that I had a problem with from time to time, but in every case as soon as I voiced my problem, that peice was replaced. A dive shop competing with other dive shops would stay in business no time if they had shoddy equipment. It may be well used and you may get a piece with a problem from time to time, but there are other pieces you can exchange it for.

[klm2]

Myself, my wife and two kids did this in St.Maarten last week and had a blast. The instructor stayed with us the whole time and would check on us quite regularly. I beilieve we went to about thirty feet and both the descent and asscent were very gradual. My daughter was too scared to do the dive (and that's ok) so after the training session in the pool area she returned to the boat. I felt very safe in the instructors hands and I think my son will pursue Scuba certification.

[skylock]

I can't believe you are giving this advice... :eek:

 

 

The only thing those resort folks care about is your pocket book. Fly-by-night comes to mind.

 

SCUBA is something you learn and pratice in a controlled environment... like a swimming pool... before you take one step into the ocean, which is anything but controlled.

 

Sorry... your post and advice is substandard at best.

 

I have no idea where you are getting your information from. There may be fly by night dive shops but I really doubt it. However, I do recommend going through an estabished dive shop which is why I suggested checking out the port of call board.

 

I have never had a dive master I felt was substandard. On many of my dive trips there is at least one person doing the discover dive. They have their own dive master and sometimes more than one. The go one direction and we go another.

 

This past trip my son's gf did the resort dive. She is a total idiot and she managed just fine. She did not love it like we do, and will probably never get certified, but she certainly had a positive experience.