Diving instructions

[uscgjoker]

Does anyone think that Carnival should offer diving lessions on board, and then you could get your open water cert diving in their various port of calls?

 

Joker

[Guest scfjjb]

Does anyone think that Carnival should offer diving lessions on board, and then you could get your open water cert diving in their various port of calls?

 

Joker

 

There really is not enough time unless you want to commit a lot of cruise time to just that activity. It includes classroom instruction and (written) testing to get a "real" open water certification and not just a resort course.

[DqALEX]

Does anyone think that Carnival should offer diving lessions on board, and then you could get your open water cert diving in their various port of calls?

 

Joker

I think that would be a bad idea. It takes time and everyone is different. It took me over 10 days, in Grand Cayman, just for open water. It took me another year for Adv, open water.

[uscgjoker]

I can see what your saying, I plan on doing all of my classroom portion here in Michigan, but the water temp is dropping quickly and I don't think I will be able to get my dives in by April when I go on my cruise.

[VentureMan_2000]

There really is not enough time unless you want to commit a lot of cruise time to just that activity. It includes classroom instruction and (written) testing to get a "real" open water certification and not just a resort course.

 

 

 

Never!

 

SCUBA can be very dangerous... and is not to be taken lightly.

 

People need all the schooling and practice they can get with an instructor before moving into the OCEAN for certification. There is a lot more to SCUBA than sucking air off a hose.

[uscgjoker]

With my job I fully understand that Scuba is dangerous, I have made a discover scuba dive in Playa Del Carmen in 2007 and loved it. But like I said before the cold water season is here and making my open water dive isn''t going to happen by April.

[DqALEX]

I have been diving for a few years now. there is a place calld Dutch springs where people go to practice. A lady had been diving for a few months and on her check out for her first night dive she panic. She held her breath form close to and 80ft dive to the surface. she died a few minutes later on the surface. People with hundreds of hours make mistakes. its not something that you can rush into.

[jimw]

uscgjoker, You would be able to do the 4 dives over 2 days from the ship by contacting dive shops at the ports on your cruise and arranging for the Certification dives.

 

I understand that you will do the classroom and pool work in Michigan. The shop or instructor in Mich. will write a referral for you to take with you and you will then be able to do the dives at locations of your choice.

 

Maybe go to Key Largo, FL and do the Certification dives before April. That's what I did 24 years ago--and still diving!!

 

If you haven't, take a look at the Snorkeling and Diving section here on CC.

[EastTex]

Does anyone think that Carnival should offer diving lessions on board, and then you could get your open water cert diving in their various port of calls?

 

Joker

 

Joker...are you a Coastie? If you are here's a deal. Do your classroom and pool work locally. Head to Hawaii and stay at either the Navy Lodge, the Hale KOA (a fabulous military hotel) or Barbers Point (USCG owned beach front cottages). Contact the Island Divers dive shop at Hickam AFB and make arrangements to do your open water cert with them. Get certified and take a great vacation at the same time.

[jetskier]

The pool on the ship is not deep enough to do the tasks. One is to similate a swim to the surface from 30' on a single breath. In a 15' pool they have you surface at an angle to get the 30' in.

 

For us, we did half of the book work on Friday. We then did all the pool work on Saturday morning and the rest of the book work that afternoon. We lucked up and had done a Discover Scuba (resort course) while in Cozumel. It made all the pool work go so much quicker as we were familar with the tasks.

 

The next weekend we went to Vortex Springs in FL. I was able to do three of the dives on the first day while my wife only got through two of the dives. 54 degrees air temp and 68 water temp was a bit chilly. The next morning I was still weak from food poisoning the night before so I ended up sleeping for two hours while my wife finished up her other two dives. I finally got to feeling better and finished up my last dive.

 

Practice as much as you can. Find a dive master where you plan to dive at. Let them know your skill level. It is not something to lie about. That way they can keep an eye on you.

 

Dave

[s & h]

I did my open water at an all inclusive in Puerto Viallarta sp? 15 years ago. It did consume all of my 7 day vacation. It did not prepare me for real diving. Too much left untaught. I found out upon returning home that dive shops/class locations are given ratings, much like hotels. I found out that my dive shop in Mexico was a 2 star, 5 star being the best. Very low when considering how much is at stake. Now as a dive master, I highly recommend that people do not take the easy way into diving. More time spent learning is more knowledge imbedded into your brain for the future.

[Dgonza]

I lived in Michigan for 5 yrs. Boy am I glad I am out of that crappy state...lol Like others have said just do a referral dive. Get all your classroom and pool time out of the way and do your "referral" open water dive while you are in port and voila you are open water certified provided you pass all the tasks.

[uscgjoker]

EastTex,

 

Yes I am a Coastie! I would love to go to Hawaii, just need to convince the wife.

[cruizer4662]

EastTex,

 

Yes I am a Coastie! I would love to go to Hawaii, just need to convince the wife.

I was stationed In Harbor Beach in 1959 in the old station. Are you at the Base or onboard a bouy tender? 10 year veteran.

[Dabaras]

There really is not enough time unless you want to commit a lot of cruise time to just that activity. It includes classroom instruction and (written) testing to get a "real" open water certification and not just a resort course.

 

There is a lot more time with the new PADI E-Learing system. Essentially, you do all the classroom work through the final exam before you even go into a shop. At that point you do the pool work and open water work with a dive shop (or cruise ship). I think the biggest problem is that a lot of the diving practice requires a deeper pool than I've seen on a ship.

 

This really isn't that different than the PADI system of the last five years where you did all the education work on your own, then reviewed it with the instructor before gettting in the water. Some instructors always teach more than is required, but that was the bare bones of the PADI system.

[uscgjoker]

I've been looking at the E-Learning portion of PADI and really want to do it. My only fear is that the dive stores or instructors won't honor it and then I just blew $120.

 

Joe

[leadout_kv]

NEVER through the ship. I concur with what most have said.

 

My DW and I benefited greatly by finding a reputable dive shop (doesn't have to be but we got ours in the Fl Keys) and taking the time to get certified.

[uscgjoker]

Now I am wishing I got my certificate when I was stationed in Key West

[mamasue]

No...I'm a PADI diving instructor.... I wouldn't advise doing it on a cruise.

Even if you do the confined water dives, skills and exams in a local dive shop.... you'll have to make the 4 open water dives over 2 days, which means 2 different dive centers in 2 days. BAD IDEA.... a good diving course involves consistency..... how would the first dive center know how or what you performed in your open water skills the day before??

PADI follows a structure... as do all good dive organisations.... but 2 instructors in 2 days is a bad idea.

It's not just a matter of logging a few dives... you have to learn skills, buoyancy, how to solve problems underwater, and safety.

 

SUE, PADI INSTRUCTOR.

[Wennfred]

The cruiselines used to have diving lessons back in the 80's but I guess did away with it.

 

Like others posted, its best to get your Cert done at home at a Scuba shop, Scuba is nothing like snorkling. You really need to know what you are doing down there. Clearing a mask while at 25 or 95 feet is one of the hardest thing to learn for most folks.

 

 

Certified Advanced Padi Diver.

 

 

Fred

[VentureMan_2000]

I've been SCUBA diving over 30 years, and have hear a lot of horror stories... luckily, none of them involved me or my Dive partners.

 

Even an experienced Diver can make mistakes if they don't dive or practice enough. Three years ago I even took a recertification refresher course just to make sure I haven't fallen behind in knowledge, technique, and equipment.

 

I took the recertification when I was in Maui... it was two dives. The sweet part of doing this there is that your recertification dive is a one-on-one with a Dive Master... and after the recertification portion, the Dive Master gives you a private dive tour of the Bay with the remaining air... and then gives you a second guided tour with a second tank. All for $100.

 

It was sweet!

 

By the way... I passed with flying colors and my knowledge and technique were current as well.

[mamasue]

I've been SCUBA diving over 30 years, and have hear a lot of horror stories... luckily, none of them involved me or my Dive partners.

 

Even an experienced Diver can make mistakes if they don't dive or practice enough. Three years ago I even took a recertification refresher course just to make sure I haven't fallen behind in knowledge, technique, and equipment.

 

I took the recertification when I was in Maui... it was two dives. The sweet part of doing this there is that your recertification dive is a one-on-one with a Dive Master... and after the recertification portion, the Dive Master gives you a private dive tour of the Bay with the remaining air... and then gives you a second guided tour with a second tank. All for $100.

 

It was sweet!

 

By the way... I passed with flying colors and my knowledge and technique were current as well.

 

 

Ventureman.... I wish everybody did what you did. It doesn't matter how experienced you are... we are human and can forget things.

But... it should have been with an instructor, not a divemaster.

Congrats for being a responsible diver.

[VentureMan_2000]

.

But... it should have been with an instructor, not a divemaster.

Congrats for being a responsible diver.

 

 

 

My Bad! Yes... it was with a Dive Instructor from a Dive School... not a Dive Master.

[DqALEX]

I've been SCUBA diving over 30 years, and have hear a lot of horror stories... luckily, none of them involved me or my Dive partners.

 

Even an experienced Diver can make mistakes if they don't dive or practice enough. Three years ago I even took a recertification refresher course just to make sure I haven't fallen behind in knowledge, technique, and equipment.

 

I took the recertification when I was in Maui... it was two dives. The sweet part of doing this there is that your recertification dive is a one-on-one with a Dive Master... and after the recertification portion, the Dive Master gives you a private dive tour of the Bay with the remaining air... and then gives you a second guided tour with a second tank. All for $100.

 

It was sweet!

 

By the way... I passed with flying colors and my knowledge and technique were current as well.

Thats a smart move

[oceanv]

Does anyone think that Carnival should offer diving lessions on board, and then you could get your open water cert diving in their various port of calls?

 

Joker

 

not sure if this was pointed out or not but you can do your padi open water cert on certain princess sailings... they have instructors, there were 3 of us in my class. you can either do the pool and reading before cruise at local dive shop then do your dives with princess or do the reading, tests, pool, exam and dives with princess. its a lot of work, it takes up a lot of time, i think the first time i got to pick up a fiction book was on the day before we got off the cruise. on the other hand i did get to do my certification dives (with the princess instructor and another dive master) in playa del carmen, cozumel... rather than my local waters....bc,canada. it was a 7 day cruise.