2 Tank Dive question- Bermuda

[caracbeara]

We’re sailing to Bermuda in June 2019 with Carnival and we were hoping to do the 2 tank dive through the ship’s excursion. I believe they go through FantaSea right at the Dockyard. 

 

We’re both certified but it’s been awhile since our last dive (at least 5 years). If we book directly through FantaSea, we wouldn’t qualify for the dive due to the time that’s passed. The ship excursion doesn’t say that you have had to been diving within so many years though. 

 

The refresher course through FantaSea stays at the dockyard and doesn’t work with the limited timing as we’ll only be there part of a day. 

 

Would you recommend booking the two tank dive or scrapping it all together? 

[Capt_BJ]

prudence says don't dive if it has been 5 years ..... IME any dive op is going to ask how long it has been since your last dive and 5 years is beyond the comfort zone ...

 

can you do a refresher with a local dive shop? Even if it is just in a pool it can meet minimums

[omeinv]

Most dive operators want to see a logged dive no more than 2 years prior to the dive date.  Since it's been five years for you, you'll need to do an update course.  PADI calls it a Scuba Review.  SSI a Scuba Skills Update.  This takes about 3 hours, and it consists of a small amount of class review, and then reviewing all your scuba skills in the pool.  It's typically something most dive shops have as a regularly scheduled activity, especially this time of year.  Completing a refresher will bring you into current status, and operators will then allow you to dive, just as if you had a dive within the two year period. 

 

If you do an update you'll get it documented in your log book, so please make sure to take that with you to your class.  You'll also get a digital card indicating the completion, and the date, so you'll be all set.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[caracbeara]

Thanks for the info everyone! I’ll look into a refresher course. 

[omeinv]

18 hours ago, cansas.piligrim said:

I lost my log book. What shall I do now?

Simply purchase a new one.  You can then start from now, or - if you have the data on line or somewhere, recreate the lost one.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[omeinv]

8 hours ago, cansas.piligrim said:

Thank you Harris! I will, but I don’t have any data on line. Not sure I will be able to recreate anything. Will a new log book work with dive shops?

Well, the log book will work; but with no dives logged in it, you'll be in the same position as the original poster.  If you have no dives in the last two years, you can bring yourself current by taking an update course, and entering that in your new log book.  Even if your most recent dives were within the past two years, since you have no data, an update would be the way to bring yourself current for the purposes of future diving. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[omeinv]

If you've been diving within the past two years, you can at least note the location and date in your new log book.  If you've not had dives in the past two years a Scuba Skills Update, or a dive with an instructor would be the usual ways to bring yourself current. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[omeinv]

Well, if you've been diving this year, you are "current".  I'd suggest you get your new log book, and enter this year's dives to the best of your recollection.  You may mot have specific depths and times, but perhaps from credit card receipts, photos, or your memory,  you can get dates and places you dove.  That would be sufficient.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[Capt_BJ]

let's face it

 

a dive shop has no way of verifying what's in your log (not that there is a standard format either).  actually I have NEVER been asked to produce my log book to prove what I said was my last dive ....

 

once you achieve 'open water' status and become autonomous it is the honor system. take your owned tank in for a fill and they'll check that you have a card but that's it.  When I rent equipment they ask for a card, never for my log ..... dive operators just want to to sat something and SIGN a release of liability, something which lawyers typically say are meaningless anyway. Same thing goes for the health questions .... do you tell the whole truth? All the operator can do is say NO, I won't take you out which is CERTAINLY their choice.

 

my log, which is about 40 years old now, is little more than a spiral bound notebook with one line, maybe two per dive listing date, location, type (shore/boat/drift/nite) time, max depth, and my gear configuration (weights, wetsuit .... buoyancy concerns) and maybe a short comment about a particular feature, the operator used (if there is one) and a rating of + or - for future reference .....  pretty damn easy to gundeck an entry if I wanted to ....

 

I'm not advocating these actions, but there are no 'dive cops' checking ....

Edited December 24, 2018 by Capt_BJ