Trying out Scuba before I leave home?

[SingingPixie]

Hi everyone,

 

My boyfriend and I plan to do a "Discover Scuba" dive at Playa Palanar in Cozumel in February. Since I tend to be more relaxed and enjoy things more when I know what to expect, I've gone ahead and booked us into a "Taste of Scuba" two-hour class for $30 with a local dive shop.

 

Do any of you experienced divers have any suggestions of things that I should try to do and feel comfortable with since I have this opportunity before I leave home? I've heard great things about the shop at Playa Palancar in Cozumel, but being able to hear the important things twice and get some hands-on experience ahead of time makes me less nervous.

 

Thanks!

[rednose83]

Learn as much as you can about it. I did discover scuba and it was not very thorough or even a passable experience. The DM was like "Can you clear your ears?" okay lets go!

 

Make sure you are familiar with the gear. Since you will be using theirs look it over and find the location of everything. Where is your alternate air? Where do you check your air? (On discover dives the DM will typically do this but I'd like to check for myself). Make sure you know how to clear your mask of water.

 

You can do some of the academic portion at divessi.com for free if you'd like more knowledge.

 

If you have your own mask, bring it. Oh. and your own wetsuit if you have it- people pee in those things and the are generally only rinsed out :eek:

[themons]

Rinse out the wetsuit? Please. The only reason why anyone rinses it out is because they think they're going to have to use it again.

 

Seriously, I'd agree with the mask, snorkel, and wetsuit. You might even want to go for the fins as well. You can use the same for snorkeling.

 

I have a lot of fun telling students about using the communial snorkels in rental gear. Some don't even want to use the same regulator mouthpiece as other people.

 

You don't have to get expensive gear and you'll enjoy the process far better than if you have to use poorly fitting or excessively worn rental gear.

 

The other very important piece of gear is a lycra dive skin. You use this for sun protection as well as making it easier to get into the wet suit.

 

If you want to do something to make yourself more comfortable, you can practice filling your mask full of water in the shower and clearing it by blowing out your nose. That will get you used to not inhaling water through your nose which is the number one problem that I have seen students having.

[Bellfree Bat]

I did a resort course before I got certified and agree that they rush you through it. I knew the inherent dangers of diving so I when I was not ready to go out with the group I stayed behind and retook the course the next day. I was hooked and got certified when I got home.

 

Getting comfortable with the equiptment is important. Spend a little more $$ and get a good mask that fits you at the dive shop and learn how to flood and clear it while in the pool.

 

One other thing to remember is that your lungs can hold a lot of air and really contributes to your boyancy. Breathe slow and easy and do not hold your breath. It takes a while but you can learn to control your boyancy by breathing. Try it in the pool.

 

Most of all, be safe. And have fun. Diving is amazing!!!

[CaribQween]

Hi everyone,

 

My boyfriend and I plan to do a "Discover Scuba" dive at Playa Palanar in Cozumel in February. Since I tend to be more relaxed and enjoy things more when I know what to expect, I've gone ahead and booked us into a "Taste of Scuba" two-hour class for $30 with a local dive shop.

 

Do any of you experienced divers have any suggestions of things that I should try to do and feel comfortable with since I have this opportunity before I leave home? I've heard great things about the shop at Playa Palancar in Cozumel, but being able to hear the important things twice and get some hands-on experience ahead of time makes me less nervous.

 

Thanks!

 

We were thinking about doing a Discover Scuba on our up-coming cruise also. Then when we started reading stuff on here, we realized that there is no way to take a Discover Scuba course and really learn everything you need to know to be a safe diver. You're already thinking about doing a couple of Discover Scuba classes so you're going to be paying out some money already. My personal advice would be for you to consider just getting certified prior to your trip. Then you can feel very comfortable diving and you won't have to worry about wasting good diving time in the Caribbean trying to learn what you need to know. Diving just really isn't something you can learn in a few hours. But, an Open Water Diver Course is only 3 days consisting of both classroom time and pool time and then you have a two-day weekend to do your open water dives and get certified. If you do that all before getting to the Caribbean, then once you're there, you can just spend your time really just enjoying the wonders of diving. That's exactly the advice we got and what we did. Now, we're ready for our trip in February. We're planning on diving 3 out of 4 of our ports (Grand Cayman, Belize and Roatan). I just can't even imagine trying to do it as a Discover Scuba. But Good Luck with it, however you choose to do it. I'll tell you, once you experience it, you'll want to get certified and continue to dive every chance you get. It's one of the most wonderful parts of my life and something I really, really enjoy doing alongside my husband.

[SingingPixie]

We were thinking about doing a Discover Scuba on our up-coming cruise also. Then when we started reading stuff on here, we realized that there is no way to take a Discover Scuba course and really learn everything you need to know to be a safe diver. You're already thinking about doing a couple of Discover Scuba classes so you're going to be paying out some money already. My personal advice would be for you to consider just getting certified prior to your trip. Then you can feel very comfortable diving and you won't have to worry about wasting good diving time in the Caribbean trying to learn what you need to know. Diving just really isn't something you can learn in a few hours. But, an Open Water Diver Course is only 3 days consisting of both classroom time and pool time and then you have a two-day weekend to do your open water dives and get certified. If you do that all before getting to the Caribbean, then once you're there, you can just spend your time really just enjoying the wonders of diving. That's exactly the advice we got and what we did. Now, we're ready for our trip in February. We're planning on diving 3 out of 4 of our ports (Grand Cayman, Belize and Roatan). I just can't even imagine trying to do it as a Discover Scuba. But Good Luck with it, however you choose to do it. I'll tell you, once you experience it, you'll want to get certified and continue to dive every chance you get. It's one of the most wonderful parts of my life and something I really, really enjoy doing alongside my husband.

 

I honestly don't know if I will like it, which is why I want to do it this way. When my mom and I went to Disney two summers ago, we did a program they offered in their "Living Seas" (Basically a giant aquarium that the big ball thing could literally float inside) pavillion. It was "Scuba-assisted snorkeling-" which meant that we breathed through regulators and small tanks, we just didn't have weights in our BCs so we couldn't dive. I was surprised how uncomfortable I was with it. Basically, this trip is my last try to see if I can convince myself to relax/enjoy and not panic. I like the idea of diving, but in practice it hasn't worked out so well for me.

 

Plus, money is a concern. Our excursion cost is taken care of as a christmas gift, and the class we're taking here in town is only $30 each. I can't afford more than that right now, or for the foreseeable future- so the cost of gear, the class, and the referral dives (because I wouldn't do my certification dives in the quarry here- there's just no way I could force myself in there) is way out of reach.

[themons]

If its any consolation, using scuba gear on the surface to snorkel is kind of klutzy so its not surprising that you might have had difficulties. Its just not designed to be used that way.

 

If you have any apprehension, it is a good idea to do the Discover Scuba course before you go on the trip. If you do a Discover Scuba at home, it is likely to be a lot more comprehensive than one from an excursion off of the ship. PADI now requires instructors to give Discover Scuba students a quick quiz, so at least there's some way of determining that critical information has been retained by the student.

 

I did resort Discover Scuba courses several times myself before getting certified. Looking back at it, I am shocked that no one was hurt due to the substandard training that is present at many of these places that are geared toward tourists. They may also have you do things that shouldn't be done. This includes going below 40 feet and penetrating wrecks, both of which I didn't know any better at the time.

[SingingPixie]

If its any consolation, using scuba gear on the surface to snorkel is kind of klutzy so its not surprising that you might have had difficulties. Its just not designed to be used that way.

 

If you have any apprehension, it is a good idea to do the Discover Scuba course before you go on the trip. If you do a Discover Scuba at home, it is likely to be a lot more comprehensive than one from an excursion off of the ship. PADI now requires instructors to give Discover Scuba students a quick quiz, so at least there's some way of determining that critical information has been retained by the student.

 

I did resort Discover Scuba courses several times myself before getting certified. Looking back at it, I am shocked that no one was hurt due to the substandard training that is present at many of these places that are geared toward tourists. They may also have you do things that shouldn't be done. This includes going below 40 feet and penetrating wrecks, both of which I didn't know any better at the time.

 

That's good to know. The gear did feel awkward- the BC didn't strap under my crotch (some people's did) so without the weights, it kept riding up, making it hard for me to get full range of motion with my neck. I think it was that more than anything else that was a bit claustrophobic.

[ontheheap]

My BC rides up on me horribly (I've yet to attach a crotch-strap, but I really need to before my next dive) so I know exactly what you're talking about. Like others have said, you should really complete an open-water course first. I did a discover scuba in costa maya back in January, and while it was a lot of fun, now that I'm certified I realized that my good experience was mostly just a matter of good luck. You'll feel more comfortable and more confident if you do this and you'll get a lot more out of the dive.