Free snorkel lessons in ship's pool???

[mmsoko]

:confused:

The Adventures Ashore book we received indicates that the New Waves program runs free snorkeling lesson in the comfort of the ship's pool.

 

Has anyone ever done this?

 

Do you have to be signed up for New Waves tour to get the lessons?

 

Any input is appreciated.

[Bunkster]

They do give free lessons but only the first few days. I suggest you check at their pool office the first or second day...you do not have to be registered in one of their excursions to take part. We were going to do the free scuba lessons but found them too late in the week.

 

Good luck and have fun.

 

 

 

Tom

[mmsoko]

Thanks, Tom.

I was sure someone on this board would have the answer.

[dawne577]

What free scuba lessons? I thought the lessons that they offered were for certification and cost a couple hundred dollars? We're planning on booking the discover scuba excursion in St. Thomas but would like to book a certified required dive if possible.

[kryos]

What free scuba lessons? I thought the lessons that they offered were for certification and cost a couple hundred dollars? We're planning on booking the discover scuba excursion in St. Thomas but would like to book a certified required dive if possible.

The New Waves certification program is not free. In fact, the whole thing, I believe, is something like $500. What they might offer free is an "orientation" type class at the pool, giving you info as to what New Waves and SCUBA is all about. I doubt you do any actual diving with the tanks during this orientation.

 

Doing a certified dive is not that easy. You have to first do your classroom and pool work. The pool work consists of four dives. Then I believe they can give you what is called a SCUBA diver certification. This allows you to dive anywhere, but only under an instructor's direct supervision. The only advantage to this certification is that if you're gonna do a lot of "Discover SCUBA" type dives ... you can avoid taking and retaking that classroom portion each time you want to go out.

 

Or, you could go for open water certification, which would involve making four open water dives (you could do two of them in St. Thomas and two elsewhere). These dives would also be under an instructor's direct supervision, but after you complete them, you would get your open water certification that would allow you to dive anywhere just with a buddy ... no direct instructor supervision.

 

My advice to you would be to do your pool and classroom work at home ... before the cruise. Many dive shops could set you up for this over the course of a long weekend. Then just do the four open water dives during the cruise while in various ports with the New Waves staff. While you can do the whole ball of wax on the ship ... they will take you through the pool and classroom work as well ... you're gonna find yourself spending a good portion of your cruise doing this work. You have to take a test at the end of each of six chapters in the book, so you're gonna have to at least read them while onboard. Then you're gonna have to show up for the pool work and to take the tests and go over the knowledge reviews, and that's gonna take more time. It's always best to get this crap out of the way at home. I did it over the course of three weeks ... two nights a week (one pool and one classroom).

 

I did something similar on my recent Sun cruise this past January. I had completed my pool and classroom work here in Philadelphia last October. Unfortunately, the Sun didn't offer New Waves onboard (why, I have no idea since it is a ten-day cruise and would have had even more opportunities for doing the classroom work and the actual dives), so I had to set my open water dives up on my own at two of the ports. In this case, I just asked for guidance with the dive shop here in Philly where I did my classroom and pool work, and they pointed me in the direction of a couple of reputable dive outfits. I went with Blue Island Divers in St. Thomas for open water dives #1 and 2, and SCUBAFun in St. Maarten for dives #3 and #4. I got certified by SCUBAFun and have already received my card from PADI (the certification agency).

 

My purpose for doing this was not because I want to be a die-hard SCUBA junkie, but rather so that I could have the option of doing boat dives when I go on cruises. Usually Discover SCUBA dives are done from shore. There is a whole beautiful world under the sea ... an explosion of vivid color and variety. Can't see the sense of going on a cruise without sampling a bit of this aspect of God's beautiful world. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita