scuba advice?

[rnees]

Hey--I figured this group knows just about everything about anything, so I thought 'why not'?

After years of talking about it (after one of those resort quick dive courses in the USVI) I'm finally going to get schooled in scuba. Just booked my xmas vaca at the 'Fiesta Americana dive resort Cozumel'. Doing the padi course at dj's scuba in Lyons IL (probably--went to the shop today to get info, was favorably impressed) starting in September, done in October.

Anybody out there familiar with either outfit? Any thoughts on either?

Any advice you can lend a total newbie? Specifically: how much and what gear should I buy right away, if any, and ballpark $? How many dives can/should I expect to be able to do in a week? At the height of their season, no less. Going to be there over new years.

I'm so new at this, I don't even know the right questions to ask...

Thanks! ...let the fun begin...

 

[Ignacio]

Just make sure it's the PADI certification course like "Open Water Diver" and not a "resort" course. PADI and NAUI are the two big certification agencies and quality. Fiesta is a decent place and right in the middle of a popular reef....although a taxi ride to town.

I think the three things that are important to buy are mask, fins, and snorkel. Beyond that I'd get a flashlight next. Not because it's dark, but because color washes out the deeper you go and shining a light on a blue coral head at 60 feet suddenly turns it colors you had no idea. Maybe a wetsuit. And at least try those on a local dive shop. If you order online....Liesurepro.com is hard to beat for price.

You can get raped if you go whole hog before you try it and like it.

And if you don't like it....hey...those things largely come in handy for snorkeling too!

One could do up to 3 dives a day for 6 days straight, but I find 2 is probably more likely....morning dives and frees the day up to wander the island and see stuff.

Having done Coz three times....it's a decent place. Ernesto's Fajitas are great if they're still around.

 

[TriggerT]

DAMN, Iggy beat me to it. I have a PADI Divemaster rating, and Iggy pretty much covered all the high points I was going to mention. Good thing you are going somewhere to dive, because diving here in the midwest SUCKS!

 

[rnees]

Just make sure it's the PADI certification course like "Open Water Diver" and not a "resort" course. PADI and NAUI are the two big certification agencies and quality. Fiesta is a decent place and right in the middle of a popular reef....although a taxi ride to town.
I think the three things that are important to buy are mask, fins, and snorkel. Beyond that I'd get a flashlight next. Not because it's dark, but because color washes out the deeper you go and shining a light on a blue coral head at 60 feet suddenly turns it colors you had no idea. Maybe a wetsuit. And at least try those on a local dive shop. If you order online....Liesurepro.com is hard to beat for price.

You can get raped if you go whole hog before you try it and like it.

And if you don't like it....hey...those things largely come in handy for snorkeling too!

One could do up to 3 dives a day for 6 days straight, but I find 2 is probably more likely....morning dives and frees the day up to wander the island and see stuff.

Having done Coz three times....it's a decent place. Ernesto's Fajitas are great if they're still around.

I'm doing the PADI open water course here with DJ's. Am going to buy what you suggest. Thanks.

hadn't thought of the flashlight. Sounds like a plan.

And what, pray tell, is a dive computer and what does it do? Surf the web at 60 feet? I think not...saw it in the literature...

And I hadn't even thought of eats...thanks for the tip! Is there anything else on the island that needs to be seen? Or eaten?

I knew this was the place to ask...thank you!

 

[fjrchooser]

I'd add buy used on tank, BSD, regulator, dive comp,wetsuit and fins if you decide to own the same. Some folks go all out, get a taste and want no more. Brand new gear can be had at outrageous discount. Otherwise pop for your own mask ,snorkel and fins and let the lcal dive shops keep you up to date on the other components using their equipment. You just purchase a mouthpiece to stick on the regulator to make it your own.

If you do decide to purchase used have a reputable dive shop checkout the tank, BSD, regulator & second source air(backup) before you use it in anything other than a pool.

Iggy, Ernesto's was gone the last time I was there. Ernesto put a buddy and myself at a table at the bottom of the stairs leading to the nightclub above, miniskirts were the rage but underwear wasn't. It instantly became our favorite place for lunch and dinner only because they didn't serve breakfast.

Beetle rentals from Flash ! car rental just up the street were cheap enough to keep the whole week for island exploring and cool as hell with the half roof canvas tops. Coz is growing up and losing some of its charm but still the best deal in the Carib IMHO. 1st trip for my open water was done there in 1995 by Blue Bubble (no trouble!). Instructor was Tatianna Broman, the hottest, most capable Norwegian of any sex I've ever met, didn't hurt a bit she was blonde,beautiful and very experienced having taught scuba in the Dead Sea for several years prior despite being my junior. I have pictures...

Fiesta Americana is now an all exclusive, I can't vouch for their operation now due to no experience with them in that mode. Prior they were pay as you go and an excellent place to stay with their own beach you accessed via tunnel under the ring road.

 

[TriggerT]

You will learn about dive computers, but I would hold off on buying one for awhile. Learn the tables, hell memorize them. Once you get to the point where you are having to worry about decompression stops, and have a good number of dives under you belt, then maybe think about a dive computer.

 

[fjrchooser]

Rnees, a dive computer tracks your dive profile- depths, time at depths, total duration, inst. fuel avg. that sort of thing to help keep you out of a decompression chamber. Cozumel has 2 or 3 just n case you blow it. Dive insurance can help defray costs of airlifting to one if you end up somewhere much more remote and somehow blow the tables.

 

[3000psi]

I often suggest this to folks doing the training stateside for Caribbean diving: do the classroom and pool training here, get a referral from the instructor and do the 4 open water dives at your Caribbean destination. I did my open water 30 years ago in below freezing weather in upstate NY and that was just no fun. The local dive shop may try and talk you out of it but there really is no downside (for you) to do this and it is or at least used to be a very common practice. Just make sure you coordinate with your destination dive resort in advance. See Open Water Referral on this page. Also consider that a 2 tank dive is typically anywhere from $60 to $100, you basically are getting your open water training dives for free.

Good suggestion on mask, snorkel, fins.

Cozumel is a great dive destination - have a great time!

SS

Hey--I figured this group knows just about everything about anything, so I thought 'why not'?
After years of talking about it (after one of those resort quick dive courses in the USVI) I'm finally going to get schooled in scuba. Just booked my xmas vaca at the 'Fiesta Americana dive resort Cozumel'. Doing the padi course at dj's scuba in Lyons IL (probably--went to the shop today to get info, was favorably impressed) starting in September, done in October.

Anybody out there familiar with either outfit? Any thoughts on either?

Any advice you can lend a total newbie? Specifically: how much and what gear should I buy right away, if any, and ballpark $? How many dives can/should I expect to be able to do in a week? At the height of their season, no less. Going to be there over new years.

I'm so new at this, I don't even know the right questions to ask...

Thanks! ...let the fun begin...

 

[Fencer]

I may have missed it but get your own "personal" stuff. As mentioned, a mask snorkel, fins AND weight belt. that way you know how much weight you need for neutral buoyancy (but that will vary on the wetsuit.) gloves and booties if you are on a reef

YMCA also (or did) offer an open water course as well. I am open water II certified.

I never bought anything other than personal gear (maybe add a wetsuit after you decide if you like it) and never had any probs renting what I needed (but I don't go that often).

Oh, take a (stainless) pocket knife and tuck it in your glove for those just in case moments, or go to a flea market and get a $10 "dive"knife but consider it disposable

 

[fjrchooser]

Beware Carlos and Charlies for the beer & shot funnel live there ! Just the same a must see. I must've had 7 beers and 4 or 5 shots before I had to start paying for anything, got nabbed right off the stairs to go on stage with the funnel. Just remember to stay hydrated and skip eggs for breakfest if you do morning dives or you'll be feeding the fishies what you just had. :yahoo:

It is possible to barf through a second stage..at 80 ft.

 

[Ignacio]

Rnees, a dive computer tracks your dive profile- depths, time at depths, total duration, inst. fuel avg. that sort of thing to help keep you out of a decompression chamber.

However, most Cozumel operations do pre-planned dives computers don't care if you have one. 80 feet first dive....60 feet second dive. Follow their lead and you won't get into trouble. It's more predictable than a German train. Also known as a cattle boat....which is a good thing for a newbie diver.

Hold off on the computer unless you start your own diving, dive clubs, etc. Then they're great because you get an actual profile instead of having to run the conservative tables.

You get advanced certification and go back one day...think Aldora Divers. They require a computer, run big tanks, and expect higher levels of certs. Dove with them and I swear I was more like a bomber crew having to remember a waypoint mission.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Am just back from a dive with my 18-year old.

Just make sure it's the PADI certification course like "Open Water Diver" and not a "resort" course.

+1

I think the three things that are important to buy are mask, fins, and snorkel.

Scuba and snorkeling fins are different. Scuba fins require booties and you can use them to snorkel or freedive. It's hard to push tanks and wet-suits with little snorkel fins. Buy your booties cheap because they do get torn up pretty quick.

You can get raped if you go whole hog before you try it and like it.

+1 !!!

I've sold a lot of gear and that is what shops survive on, not selling lessons to nubies. Iggy's telling this one like it is!

As for Coz, rent scooters and head to the far side. (not for diving as a nubie)

As for other quesitons, register on ScubaBoard.com

It's a lifetime of family enjoyment!

Bob

 

[juniorfjr]

And never hold your breath :bigeyedsmiley:

 

[kulwen]

I am a PADI instructor, Master Scuba Diver Trainer. Here is my input.

Buy the following gear:

Mask (if, you have hair longer then 3 inches get a neoprene mask strap)

Cold Water Boots (spend a little more to get the boots with a boot type sole, not a slab of rubber on the bottom. cold water boots WILL work anywhere you dive, including Mexico)

Snorkel (Oceanic pocket snorkel. Not the best if you choose to snorkel, but won’t be in your face while diving. I wuld rate it as a 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10)

Fins (if, you budget allows get split fins from Oceanic or Tusa)

Warm Water Gloves (rent clod water if needed when in class)

Don’t buy any of the other primary gear till you complete class. If, you dig the sport you can get more gear then. If needed, I can give more input on other gear. There are however a few small items I suggest, such as an extra mask strap.

Call the shop you are set to dive with and ask them about the costs to rent gear. You want to plan ahead for this cost. If, you decide to dive five days and a BCD (buoyancy compensator device) costs $20 a day you might be able to buy a low end BCD for only a little more.

Low end diving gear does not mean bad, it means less features. No-one will release unsafe gear, to much liability.

If you have a little extra cash you could consider a wetsuit. If, you don't have extra cash get some sink-the-stink to clean the suit you will be using. It more then likely has been pissed in more then 100 times.

Get ready to eat!!! Diving will make you very hungry, bring a lot of snacks and water when diving.

 

[daviddowns2000]

I often suggest this to folks doing the training stateside for Caribbean diving: do the classroom and pool training here, get a referral from the instructor and do the 4 open water dives at your Caribbean destination. I did my open water 30 years ago in below freezing weather in upstate NY and that was just no fun.

This is really good advice. My wife and I did our open water dives in a quarry in Ohio in October, also almost 30 years ago. The water temp was brutally cold...the instructors were all wearing drysuits while we were wearing wetsuits. It was hard to concentrate because of the shivering. Viz was near zero because there were a lot of students from several schools and the silt bottom got badly stirred up. Two students, not with our school, had died in the same quarry the day before. It was a very unpleasant experience but we made it and went on to spend 7 years living on a sailboat and diving all over the the Bahamas and the Caribbean including a year in Bonaire.

As others have said, buy mask, fins, boots, snorkel, and rent the rest. I am pretty cold-intolerant and I almost always prefer a wetsuit rather than a skin even in the Caribbean...if you are too, might want to buy one. Definitely do NOT buy tanks or weights, you don't want to be traveling with them, the resort will have them and you can probably rent dive lights there as well.

You will be diving with a group so you will have to keep up with them to some extent, and it may be hard to go really slow if there is a lot of current, but it isn't a race and it isn't about how far you can go...learn good buoyancy control and try to spend time hovering and looking at what is going on around the corals...the little stuff is often much more interesting than the big fish but groups often seem to be racing through dives and people miss a lot of fascinating stuff.

 

[Capt. Bob]

And never hold your breath :bigeyedsmiley:

+1

It sounds silly but with all the stuff you need to remember, don't forget this one, especially on accent.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Rob]

here's my thoughts as a mere ADV Diver. Buy the basics now, mask, booties, fins, and snorkel. Buy the rest as you decide what gear you want. I have a few friends that when your ready will sell you great gear that they used once after buy cause it is a very time and money consuming sport. Did you think your bike cost allot to keep and use after initial purchase? At $75 per 2 tank each dive for you and the wife. Let's see that's $150 a day for diving and then there is the gear that must be maint every year. Also keep in mind for this trip you having coming up that you are going to get on a plane where they weigh your luggage. When I fly to dive I take only mask and maybe fins. If I think I am going to do allot of diving I may wrap my regs up and take them as a carry on. As a backup set of gear I look at ebay. I have been lucky that after haveing it checked out it was ok but you have to be careful your life may depend on some of the stuff you get and sure as hell non working gear will mess up your vacation.

Also, I would not do the classroom stuff then wait till I got on vacation to finish with a referral. Do you really want to spend the first two days of vacation not getting to do what you want? Just my thoughts.

 

[Rondo777]

While in Coz, make sure to ask about the Columbia dive and a drift dive, Columbia is at about 100feet but still very nice. The drift dive is at around 40 feet, you drop into a gordge and the current just drifts you along the wall. Just beautiful, and since your just hanging there drifting, you go long time on a tank. Have a great time, those where my very first 2 dives after certifying back in 2003. I was on a cruise and only got 1 day in Coz. we also dove Jamaica, and The Grand Caimens on that cruise. Welcome to the world of scuba! PS, DONT LET ANYBODY RUSH YOU, TAKE YOUR TIME.

 

[AFCJER]

All good advice so far on the equipment. Just be basics for the class then you can begin to collect the rest of the goodies. One thing to consider once you start shopping for BCD, wet suit, tank and weights is that there is a good chance you won't be taking them on you trips anyway. It's much easier rent the gear from a dive shop then to pack a huge bag of gear. If your going to do local dives it may make sence to have all the gear.

I took the class at underwater safari and would recommend them if you decide to look elsewhere. Their on the north side (lincoln park and on lincoln ave. IIRC) It was a two weekend coarse. First weekend was at their shop and the second was at Haiges quary near Kankakee. I'm guessing you'll end up there as well for the open water. I was a little nervous about being in the water in October but it ended up being a great day 70's and sunny. With the wet suit on the cooler temps are actully a welcome thing.

Good luck.