Padi Certified? How to scuba dive in the Caribbean

[Cruzin&Snuzin]

Hi! We have just booked our next Caribbean cruise and this time we want to take advantage of the area and do some scuba diving. 

 

Is it as simple as getting Padi certified prior to the cruise and then finding the right scuba company to dive with while in port?

 

Ok... I'm not saying the Padi certification process is simple, I presume it is not with the learning, the closed water swim/dive, the open water dive, plus getting the right equipment, etc. 

 

Maybe the question I need to ask... is getting Padi certified the best first step? Any other pieces of advice or tidbits of knowledge are appreciated.

[omeinv]

1 hour ago, Cruzin&Snuzin said:

Hi! We have just booked our next Caribbean cruise and this time we want to take advantage of the area and do some scuba diving. 

 

Is it as simple as getting Padi certified prior to the cruise and then finding the right scuba company to dive with while in port?

 

Ok... I'm not saying the Padi certification process is simple, I presume it is not with the learning, the closed water swim/dive, the open water dive, plus getting the right equipment, etc. 

 

Maybe the question I need to ask... is getting Padi certified the best first step? Any other pieces of advice or tidbits of knowledge are appreciated.

Test

[omeinv]

@Cruzin&Snuzin  OK, you want tidbits, you'll probably be sorry you asked 🙂

 

I'm a dive instructor myself, and here are things I wish every potential student would do:

 

Do research of what shops are in your area.  You want someplace close enough that it's possible to have a relationship, but you don't need to select the closest place.  A huge factor is does the shop have their own pool.  If they do they can keep water temperatures at a level appropriate for dive training, and allow for trying different equipment during a class since all the shop gear is at the pool.

 

Ask what training agency they are affiliated with You've obviously already heard of PADI, you'll likely also see SSI, and perhaps NAUI.  All agency's certifications are accepted equally as each provide training in accordance with the standards of the World Recreational Scuba Training Council.  At the student level there's no difference that is significant enough to be the determining factor in your decision.  Full disclosure: I am an SSI Instructor. 

 

What equipment do they provide for class, and what do they insist the student purchase?  A very common - although wrong IMO - technique is to insist that all students purchase a mask, snorkel and fins prior to class.  Where I teach, we do the opposite,and discourage any purchases until the student has tried these items in the water, to make sure they have items (particularly masks) that fit properly and work well for them. 

 

Ideally, you'll visit the shop while a class is in the pool.  Look at the instructor and the students.  If you see a lot of kneeling/sitting on the bottom, they're not learning neutral buoyancy, which is the primary skill of scuba.  You want to see students horizontal and face down, floating, rather than resting on the bottom. 

 

What options does the shop offer for class type.  Where I teach we offer regular scheduled group classes, custom scheduled classes for families on their schedule, as well as semi-private and private (one-on-one) classes.  All of these have different costs, and all have advantages and disadvantages.  The cost difference is actually rather low, and may well be worth it if you do well with lots of individual attention.  As an example at the shop where I teach the total cost for Class/Pool in a group class is $375.00.  a semi-private class is $500.00 per person, and one-on-one is $575.00 per person.  Of course this will be different where you are, but the idea is, for a reasonable amount of money you can get instruction tailored to you and your schedule.   As for cost, ask what the price you're quoted includes, and what it doesn't.  Some shops break out the cost of materials separately.  They are required, so make sure you know the total.  Specifically get a total for your entire training to the point you're ready to complete your certification dives.  This includes your classroom and pool training, including any equipment needed, your on-line materials, and any miscellaneous fees (card printing fees, referral document fees, etc).  I'm suspicious of shops that don't provide a simple straightforward price. 

 

It's not usually possible for a shop to provide you a price that includes your certification dives in the off-season, since you'll have many options about how to accomplish those dives.

 

Now, on to what I think is the most important step, and it's one almost no one does. Shop for your instructor!

 

Once you've got your choice of dive shop narrowed down, it's time to get your instructor.  Most people don't even think about this step.  They show up for class and that's the first time they hear the instructor's name.  It's well worth making this an active rather than passive process.  Ask the shop who the instructor will be if you choose them, and ask to meet the instructor in advance.  This may take some schedule flexibility on your part.  Almost all instructors are not full time employees of the dive shop, so they'll be making an effort as well to do this.  If necessary, you could do this with a phone or Zoom call.

 

Questions you should ask:

 

How long have you been teaching scuba, and how many divers have you certified?  You shouldn't rule out a newer instructor, instead look for a number of certifications that's reasonable for the length of time they've been teaching.  If someone's been teaching 10 years and has only issued 50 certifications, they've got a hobby.  Understand, most instructors are certified to teach a variety of other courses besides open water, so there should be a pretty good number of certifications issued. 

 

How many scuba dives do you have and when and where was your last dive trip for fun?  It's not uncommon for instructors to get to where they're just teaching by rote.  If they're no longer diving for enjoyment this might be a red flag that they're not going to share the joy of the sport with students.  

 

How many students have you had that did not successfully complete training, and please tell me the reasons why?  If your instructor says this has never happened, that's a HUGE red flag.  You don't want an instructor that simply passes every student.  On the other hand, the instances should be rare.   Notice I didn't use the term How many "failed".  Most of the time a student who doesn't complete a class makes their own decision, because a good instructor will work with a student having difficulty, until/unless the student decides they want to do something differently. 

 

If you choose a group class ask, How many students will there be in my class, and how many instructors or assistants?  Standards allow for as many as 8 students to one instructor, and a lot of shops use this ratio, at least in the classroom and pool.  It's too many in my opinion, and results in either very little individual attention, or a very long class, with a lot of down time. 

 

The specific answers to questions aren't as important as gauging how you and the instructor interact.  Would you feel comfortable if this instructor was teaching you to drive a car or use large power tools?  While scuba is a safe activity, there are critically important things that make it safe.  This instructor will be the one deciding if you understand those things at a level that will keep you safe, and make the sport fun.  While my student's goal is often "to get certified", I will tell them that for me their certification is almost irrelevant, as my goal is for them to "become divers".  This means they take to the sport for life.  Of course the certification is necessary, but lots of people are certified to dive, but aren't divers.  They don't stick with it and really develop a love for the sport.   I trust you see the distinction.  

 

Once you have the class and pool portion completed, it's time for your four open water certification dives.  There are three basic ways these can be done: Local dives, On a trip with your instructor, or referral dives.

 

Local Dives are usually done at some site not far from your shop, and for those of us inland, that means a lake or quarry.  Usually the water's cold, and the visibility is poor.  This often dissuades new divers from really embracing the sport.  However, the plus side is you learn in conditions that make you more confident, since in the ocean you'll seldom see such poor viz.  Of course the other advantage is convenience and lower cost.  However, since we're now half way through November, this option doesn't exist for most of the US until Spring.

 

On a trip with your instructor happens when the shop you take classes with sponsors a trip somewhere, and their staff conducts certification dives as part of the trip.  These trips some times are solely for the purpose of getting certifications done, and other times may be combined with group trips the shop is running for other customers.  The advantage is you go someplace more desirable,and have instructional staff you're already familiar with. 

 

Referral dives happen by your completing your class and pool work with your shop, and then you take a "referral form" to a shop in your destination.  The form in essence verifies you've completed the class and pool work; and is then used by the instructor at the destination to document your completion of the open water dives.  You then return the completed form, signed off by the instructor who conducted the open water dives, to your shop, and they issue your certification.  If both shops use the same training agency (i.e. PADI to PADI or SSI to SSI) the process will be a little more streamlined since the second shop can simply issue the certification. 

 

Once you're certified, you can dive anywhere in the world.  There is no requirement that your certification be issued by the agency used by the dive shop.  This is because all the legitimate agencies adhere to the requirements of the World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC) and the ISO (International Standards Organization).  Thus certified is certified.  Again, there are differences in training methodologies, and I certainly think some agencies have advantages.  However, none of these would be more significant that the difference you will benefit from by choosing your instructor to meet your needs.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

http://www.divessi.com/pro/64612

 

Edited November 14, 2022 by omeinv

[Cruzin&Snuzin]

19 hours ago, omeinv said:

@Cruzin&Snuzin  OK, you want tidbits, you'll probably be sorry you asked 🙂

 

I'm a dive instructor myself, and here are things I wish every potential student would do:

 

Do research of what shops are in your area.  You want someplace close enough that it's possible to have a relationship, but you don't need to select the closest place.  A huge factor is does the shop have their own pool.  If they do they can keep water temperatures at a level appropriate for dive training, and allow for trying different equipment during a class since all the shop gear is at the pool.

 

Ask what training agency they are affiliated with You've obviously already heard of PADI, you'll likely also see SSI, and perhaps NAUI.  All agency's certifications are accepted equally as each provide training in accordance with the standards of the World Recreational Scuba Training Council.  At the student level there's no difference that is significant enough to be the determining factor in your decision.  Full disclosure: I am an SSI Instructor. 

 

What equipment do they provide for class, and what do they insist the student purchase?  A very common - although wrong IMO - technique is to insist that all students purchase a mask, snorkel and fins prior to class.  Where I teach, we do the opposite,and discourage any purchases until the student has tried these items in the water, to make sure they have items (particularly masks) that fit properly and work well for them. 

 

Ideally, you'll visit the shop while a class is in the pool.  Look at the instructor and the students.  If you see a lot of kneeling/sitting on the bottom, they're not learning neutral buoyancy, which is the primary skill of scuba.  You want to see students horizontal and face down, floating, rather than resting on the bottom. 

 

What options does the shop offer for class type.  Where I teach we offer regular scheduled group classes, custom scheduled classes for families on their schedule, as well as semi-private and private (one-on-one) classes.  All of these have different costs, and all have advantages and disadvantages.  The cost difference is actually rather low, and may well be worth it if you do well with lots of individual attention.  As an example at the shop where I teach the total cost for Class/Pool in a group class is $375.00.  a semi-private class is $500.00 per person, and one-on-one is $575.00 per person.  Of course this will be different where you are, but the idea is, for a reasonable amount of money you can get instruction tailored to you and your schedule.   As for cost, ask what the price you're quoted includes, and what it doesn't.  Some shops break out the cost of materials separately.  They are required, so make sure you know the total.  Specifically get a total for your entire training to the point you're ready to complete your certification dives.  This includes your classroom and pool training, including any equipment needed, your on-line materials, and any miscellaneous fees (card printing fees, referral document fees, etc).  I'm suspicious of shops that don't provide a simple straightforward price. 

 

It's not usually possible for a shop to provide you a price that includes your certification dives in the off-season, since you'll have many options about how to accomplish those dives.

 

Now, on to what I think is the most important step, and it's one almost no one does. Shop for your instructor!

 

Once you've got your choice of dive shop narrowed down, it's time to get your instructor.  Most people don't even think about this step.  They show up for class and that's the first time they hear the instructor's name.  It's well worth making this an active rather than passive process.  Ask the shop who the instructor will be if you choose them, and ask to meet the instructor in advance.  This may take some schedule flexibility on your part.  Almost all instructors are not full time employees of the dive shop, so they'll be making an effort as well to do this.  If necessary, you could do this with a phone or Zoom call.

 

Questions you should ask:

 

How long have you been teaching scuba, and how many divers have you certified?  You shouldn't rule out a newer instructor, instead look for a number of certifications that's reasonable for the length of time they've been teaching.  If someone's been teaching 10 years and has only issued 50 certifications, they've got a hobby.  Understand, most instructors are certified to teach a variety of other courses besides open water, so there should be a pretty good number of certifications issued. 

 

How many scuba dives do you have and when and where was your last dive trip for fun?  It's not uncommon for instructors to get to where they're just teaching by rote.  If they're no longer diving for enjoyment this might be a red flag that they're not going to share the joy of the sport with students.  

 

How many students have you had that did not successfully complete training, and please tell me the reasons why?  If your instructor says this has never happened, that's a HUGE red flag.  You don't want an instructor that simply passes every student.  On the other hand, the instances should be rare.   Notice I didn't use the term How many "failed".  Most of the time a student who doesn't complete a class makes their own decision, because a good instructor will work with a student having difficulty, until/unless the student decides they want to do something differently. 

 

If you choose a group class ask, How many students will there be in my class, and how many instructors or assistants?  Standards allow for as many as 8 students to one instructor, and a lot of shops use this ratio, at least in the classroom and pool.  It's too many in my opinion, and results in either very little individual attention, or a very long class, with a lot of down time. 

 

The specific answers to questions aren't as important as gauging how you and the instructor interact.  Would you feel comfortable if this instructor was teaching you to drive a car or use large power tools?  While scuba is a safe activity, there are critically important things that make it safe.  This instructor will be the one deciding if you understand those things at a level that will keep you safe, and make the sport fun.  While my student's goal is often "to get certified", I will tell them that for me their certification is almost irrelevant, as my goal is for them to "become divers".  This means they take to the sport for life.  Of course the certification is necessary, but lots of people are certified to dive, but aren't divers.  They don't stick with it and really develop a love for the sport.   I trust you see the distinction.  

 

Once you have the class and pool portion completed, it's time for your four open water certification dives.  There are three basic ways these can be done: Local dives, On a trip with your instructor, or referral dives.

 

Local Dives are usually done at some site not far from your shop, and for those of us inland, that means a lake or quarry.  Usually the water's cold, and the visibility is poor.  This often dissuades new divers from really embracing the sport.  However, the plus side is you learn in conditions that make you more confident, since in the ocean you'll seldom see such poor viz.  Of course the other advantage is convenience and lower cost.  However, since we're now half way through November, this option doesn't exist for most of the US until Spring.

 

On a trip with your instructor happens when the shop you take classes with sponsors a trip somewhere, and their staff conducts certification dives as part of the trip.  These trips some times are solely for the purpose of getting certifications done, and other times may be combined with group trips the shop is running for other customers.  The advantage is you go someplace more desirable,and have instructional staff you're already familiar with. 

 

Referral dives happen by your completing your class and pool work with your shop, and then you take a "referral form" to a shop in your destination.  The form in essence verifies you've completed the class and pool work; and is then used by the instructor at the destination to document your completion of the open water dives.  You then return the completed form, signed off by the instructor who conducted the open water dives, to your shop, and they issue your certification.  If both shops use the same training agency (i.e. PADI to PADI or SSI to SSI) the process will be a little more streamlined since the second shop can simply issue the certification. 

 

Once you're certified, you can dive anywhere in the world.  There is no requirement that your certification be issued by the agency used by the dive shop.  This is because all the legitimate agencies adhere to the requirements of the World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC) and the ISO (International Standards Organization).  Thus certified is certified.  Again, there are differences in training methodologies, and I certainly think some agencies have advantages.  However, none of these would be more significant that the difference you will benefit from by choosing your instructor to meet your needs.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

http://www.divessi.com/pro/64612

 

 

AMAZING INFORMATION! This was exactly what I was looking for - and much more. I appreciate your time in giving such an informative reply.

 

Cheers! 

Todd

Southern New England (MA)

[Team Stag]

Harris gave you incredible advice.  I will simply share my story as it's similar to what you are looking to do:

We scheduled a cruise for my wife's 40th Bday for March 2020.  While looking through excursions - she mentioned that she wanted to try Discovery Scuba bc no certification was required.  10 years earlier - we had discussed getting certified.  The shop we went in only did 10 person classes and you had to give 2 weekends in a row and some other policies.  With our travel schedule, it just didn't work for us & kind of went on the back burner then forgotten.  

Due to my work world revolving around safety, it stays at the forefront of my normal concerns.  So before committing to Discovery Scuba I want to talk to a professional about the safety of it.  We have a scuba shop close to our house (different than above) and so we stopped by and asked the instructor about Discovery Scuba.  He put us at ease about the safety aspect and exactly how it would work.  As we continue to talk he mentioned that we could consider getting open water certified with them then be eligible for 2 tank dives etc.  Not sure if they were running a special or not but the cost wasn't a whole lot more than Discovery Scuba through the boat was going to cost.  We expressed concerns about being done in time (this was about 1 month out).  This particular shop does small group training and worked with our schedule to get us certified (partial online, partial classroom, pool dives and then open water dives).  So we were able to get certified in time for our cruise & started planning spots to dive (most recommended shops provided by Harris above).

Now - our Cruise ended up getting canceled due to Covid.   Which probably turned out to be the best thing for us.  Eventually some dive sites opened here and we were able to go put our new skills to use.  Needless to say our first couple times diving by ourselves was interesting.  It wasn't bad; but it's different by yourself, getting comfortable assembling equipment, weighting etc.  In a couple months, we eventually went down to the Keys and did some boat trips there and continued to learn more.

My suggestion is : even after you are certified be sure to do some practice dives in your area and get comfortable with your equipment and skills before just jumping on a boat and diving with a group.  Or at least request a private divemaster to join you as you build that comfort level.  In hindsight, we would have been a mess going straight from certification to diving off a boat in the Caribbean.  When we went on her reschedule BDay cruise in March of 2022 - we much more confident divers and really enjoyed the total experience and all the Caribbean had to offer.  Everyone is a new diver at some point and the diving community is extremely helpful with others getting started in it.

Just my 2 cents.

Edited November 15, 2022 by Team Stag

[Capt_BJ]

I see OP is in Mass' so let me offer some food for thought.

 

I realize you're thinking of diving in conjunction with a cruise and this common altho the SCUBA offerings I'm seeing as cruising resumes are down a BUNCH.My next cruise is going to Curacao and Aruba and there are no diving excursions offered!!!!!  But that's not what I was gonna discuss.

 

Taking certification class 'up north' can give you a bad first impression cuz it is gonna be COLD ..... no matter when you do it if you do the open water dives up north it is gonna be COLD.  An option is to go to a dive resort where you can do the whole process where it's WARM!!!!

 

Here's an example at Sunset House in Grand Cayman:

PADI Open Water Course

You can get started immediately with the knowledge development portion of the course and work at your own pace using the PADI eLearning system. This convenient, interactive study option allows you to learn anytime and anywhere.

The eLearning portion of the course is payable direct to PADI - CLICK HERE

The in-water training portion of the course is conducted over 2 full days, this is where you complete the 5 confined sessions and 4 open water dives.  The cost for the 2 days is $450.00 (discount for in house guests).  Equipment rental is included during your open water course.  

Already completed your academics and pool skills with your local dive shop?  We also offer Open Water Referral courses.  Complete the final part of the Open Water Course with one of our Instructors in beautiful Caribbean conditions.  Our Instructors will complete the  4 open water dives, required to finish your open water course from shore right in front of the Resort.

 

This course is scheduled over 2 half days. Sunset Divers is able to offer PADI, SSI and Universal Referrals. The cost is $400 (discount for in house guests).  Equipment rental is included during your open water course.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>When daughter got certified a few years back we did this. She did the e-learning and then I arranged with a dive shop in the Keys for a 'referral'. Day one was a pool session followed by a 2 tank boat trip for dives 1 and 2 under instruction. Day two another 2 dives from the boat completing #3 & 4 and POOF Open Water Diver.  We followed this up with a week trip to Cayman to build experience. The following year she was an intern at CocoView Roatan!

 

We're warm weather divers!!!!!

 

[Bobroo]

There is a lot to be said of bringing your certification to the destination. Meaning: get certified at home, build that customer/ scuba shop relationship. Then use a part of your vacation (whether it's cruise, honeymoon, or spending the holidays at grandma's house) for doing some diving. Instead of spending your vacation learning the fundamentals, bring those skills to the place you want to use them. 

 

In the end you'll find it more rewarding. And, back home you'll have a relationship with a scuba shop. Behind every diver who scubas while on vacation is a scuba shop back home who is instrumental as a source for gear, a source for continued learning, and the place he/she goes back to AFTER the vacation to tell the stories of how their dives went; stories that only fellow divers truly understand.

[omeinv]

On 11/16/2022 at 2:24 AM, Bobroo said:

 

 

In the end you'll find it more rewarding. And, back home you'll have a relationship with a scuba shop. Behind every diver who scubas while on vacation is a scuba shop back home who is instrumental as a source for gear, a source for continued learning, and the place he/she goes back to AFTER the vacation to tell the stories of how their dives went; stories that only fellow divers truly understand.

I couldn't agree with this more.  You want a dive shop near home for training, equipment and advice.  Of course one could argue I'm biased, but I don't own a dive shop, but I do see the value of the local relationship. 

 

Even if you do all your certification training while on a trip, you should still have a dive shop at home that you consider "yours".

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[Capt_BJ]

some places don't have a variety of dive shops ... like places up north or not along the coast So your relationship could be a very limited choice hence not necessarily a good place .....

 

I've lived places (south Miami) where there was an abundance of dive shops, some MUCH better then others ..... not to mention choosing dive boat operators in the Keys (where we'd typically dive 2 weekends a month)

 

AND we've lived in Lafayette Indiana ... where I'm not even sure where the nearest dive shop might have been (PURDUE has/had a dive club) .... Indianapolis I suppose. Not much local diving anyway .....

 

But hey - just a suggestion.  We were cruisers until I convinced wife to try a discovery dive during a cruise. She started classes the weekend after we returned from the cruise and 3 weeks later we left on the first of MANY dive trips to Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman, Bonaire . . . and then we found cruises where we could blend the two. In the 80's and 90's in was not hard to find cruises with diving in every port - or most anyway. WINDSTAR ran the trips using their own zodiaks and fill station on board ... alas no more.

 

Yes building a relationship with a dive shop can be good as can doing same with a TA or a dive resort. I was on first name basis with a bunch of the staff at Sunset House for many years. Was able to get last minute rooms and 'special trips' in exchange for bringing them some hard to get items when I flew down .......

 

Relationships . . . 

 

final point that wraps around to my first .... I was first certified in 1973 by a PADI instructor with a single digit instructor number (wish I kept that card) in a cold lake in Wisconsin.  Two others who came to do checkouts bailed after the first 'dive' was over because of cold, zero vis and poorly fitting rented or borrowed wetsuits. Only because I knew I was going diving at a Carb' island weeks after this experience did I see better in the immediate future. So when Mrs and later dau were doing training and first dives I managed the situation ..... trying to ensure it was pleasant with reasonably warm water and good vis and and and .......

 

 

me and dau' on her first 'post OW cert' dive .... in the big fish tank at EPCOT . . . 

Edited November 17, 2022 by Capt_BJ

[mac66]

I've been on a lot of cruises and decided that I wanted to try diving on some of the islands. I had never dived before but we were going to Grand Cayman so I booked a Discovery dive through Eden Rock dive shop a short walk from the dock.  It was a lot of fun and pretty easy.

 

So I went home (I live in the north) and started looking for dive shops to do my pool certification whereas I intended to do my open water dives on a cruise.  Did the pool work in Nov of 2018 and went on a cruise in Feb of 2019 to the ABC islands where I arranged to do my open water tests in Aruba and Curacao. I was 66 at the time.

 

I did  another cruise that year and did a two tank dive. Then covid hit.  Was able to do another cruise in Dec of 2021, made up from 2020, and dived on that cruise. Did two make up cruises this year, one in Feb, one in March. Dived one 2 tank dive in St. Martin in Feb and then 2/2 tank dives in St. Croix & St. Kitts in March.  

 

Not counting my OW test dives I've done 10 dives, all on cruises.  All of my dives have been guided and my wife doesn't dive so I'm hooked up with other solo divers.  I've dived through the ship and have booked private dive shops on my own. Which ever way is easiest and cheapest.  I've found that either way they are pretty used to working with new, inexperienced divers. I've been looked after pretty well and I've not had a bad dive.

 

  I don't own any equipment but a full wet suit (i get cold in a shorty) and don't intend to ever dive in my home state  or anywhere but on a cruise. I'm happy to not make it more complicated than it needs to be. It's not a lifestyle with me, simply a recreational activity.  Frankly if I never dive again I would be happy to have done it.

 

Having said that,  it is something I enjoy doing. I'm going back to the ABCs the end of this month and have booked dives on Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Going on another cruise in Feb to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan and Belize.  Going to dive in Coz and Roatan.  Been to most of the islands in the Caribbean at one time or another so seeing them from under water is a new experience.

 

So my advice to the OP is to start by doing a discovery dive or two and see if you and/or your wife like it then go from there.

Edited November 18, 2022 by mac66

[Cruzin&Snuzin]

On 11/15/2022 at 11:09 AM, Team Stag said:

Harris gave you incredible advice.  I will simply share my story as it's similar to what you are looking to do:

We scheduled a cruise for my wife's 40th Bday for March 2020.  While looking through excursions - she mentioned that she wanted to try Discovery Scuba bc no certification was required.  10 years earlier - we had discussed getting certified.  The shop we went in only did 10 person classes and you had to give 2 weekends in a row and some other policies.  With our travel schedule, it just didn't work for us & kind of went on the back burner then forgotten.  

Due to my work world revolving around safety, it stays at the forefront of my normal concerns.  So before committing to Discovery Scuba I want to talk to a professional about the safety of it.  We have a scuba shop close to our house (different than above) and so we stopped by and asked the instructor about Discovery Scuba.  He put us at ease about the safety aspect and exactly how it would work.  As we continue to talk he mentioned that we could consider getting open water certified with them then be eligible for 2 tank dives etc.  Not sure if they were running a special or not but the cost wasn't a whole lot more than Discovery Scuba through the boat was going to cost.  We expressed concerns about being done in time (this was about 1 month out).  This particular shop does small group training and worked with our schedule to get us certified (partial online, partial classroom, pool dives and then open water dives).  So we were able to get certified in time for our cruise & started planning spots to dive (most recommended shops provided by Harris above).

Now - our Cruise ended up getting canceled due to Covid.   Which probably turned out to be the best thing for us.  Eventually some dive sites opened here and we were able to go put our new skills to use.  Needless to say our first couple times diving by ourselves was interesting.  It wasn't bad; but it's different by yourself, getting comfortable assembling equipment, weighting etc.  In a couple months, we eventually went down to the Keys and did some boat trips there and continued to learn more.

My suggestion is : even after you are certified be sure to do some practice dives in your area and get comfortable with your equipment and skills before just jumping on a boat and diving with a group.  Or at least request a private divemaster to join you as you build that comfort level.  In hindsight, we would have been a mess going straight from certification to diving off a boat in the Caribbean.  When we went on her reschedule BDay cruise in March of 2022 - we much more confident divers and really enjoyed the total experience and all the Caribbean had to offer.  Everyone is a new diver at some point and the diving community is extremely helpful with others getting started in it.

Just my 2 cents.

Appreciate the 2 cents! 

 

Cheers!

Todd

[Cruzin&Snuzin]

On 11/15/2022 at 1:25 PM, Capt_BJ said:

I see OP is in Mass' so let me offer some food for thought.

 

I realize you're thinking of diving in conjunction with a cruise and this common altho the SCUBA offerings I'm seeing as cruising resumes are down a BUNCH.My next cruise is going to Curacao and Aruba and there are no diving excursions offered!!!!!  But that's not what I was gonna discuss.

 

Taking certification class 'up north' can give you a bad first impression cuz it is gonna be COLD ..... no matter when you do it if you do the open water dives up north it is gonna be COLD.  An option is to go to a dive resort where you can do the whole process where it's WARM!!!!

 

Here's an example at Sunset House in Grand Cayman:

PADI Open Water Course

You can get started immediately with the knowledge development portion of the course and work at your own pace using the PADI eLearning system. This convenient, interactive study option allows you to learn anytime and anywhere.

 

The eLearning portion of the course is payable direct to PADI - CLICK HERE

 

The in-water training portion of the course is conducted over 2 full days, this is where you complete the 5 confined sessions and 4 open water dives.  The cost for the 2 days is $450.00 (discount for in house guests).  Equipment rental is included during your open water course.  

 

Already completed your academics and pool skills with your local dive shop?  We also offer Open Water Referral courses.  Complete the final part of the Open Water Course with one of our Instructors in beautiful Caribbean conditions.  Our Instructors will complete the  4 open water dives, required to finish your open water course from shore right in front of the Resort.

 

This course is scheduled over 2 half days. Sunset Divers is able to offer PADI, SSI and Universal Referrals. The cost is $400 (discount for in house guests).  Equipment rental is included during your open water course.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>When daughter got certified a few years back we did this. She did the e-learning and then I arranged with a dive shop in the Keys for a 'referral'. Day one was a pool session followed by a 2 tank boat trip for dives 1 and 2 under instruction. Day two another 2 dives from the boat completing #3 & 4 and POOF Open Water Diver.  We followed this up with a week trip to Cayman to build experience. The following year she was an intern at CocoView Roatan!

 

We're warm weather divers!!!!!

 

While I am used to the cold waters up here... you make some valid points. Appreciate your reply.

 

Cheers!

Todd

[Cruzin&Snuzin]

3 hours ago, mac66 said:

I've been on a lot of cruises and decided that I wanted to try diving on some of the islands. I had never dived before but we were going to Grand Cayman so I booked a Discovery dive through Eden Rock dive shop a short walk from the dock.  It was a lot of fun and pretty easy.

 

So I went home (I live in the north) and started looking for dive shops to do my pool certification whereas I intended to do my open water dives on a cruise.  Did the pool work in Nov of 2018 and went on a cruise in Feb of 2019 to the ABC islands where I arranged to do my open water tests in Aruba and Curacao. I was 66 at the time.

 

I did  another cruise that year and did a two tank dive. Then covid hit.  Was able to do another cruise in Dec of 2021, made up from 2020, and dived on that cruise. Did two make up cruises this year, one in Feb, one in March. Dived one 2 tank dive in St. Martin in Feb and then 2/2 tank dives in St. Croix & St. Kitts in March.  

 

Not counting my OW test dives I've done 10 dives, all on cruises.  All of my dives have been guided and my wife doesn't dive so I'm hooked up with other solo divers.  I've dived through the ship and have booked private dive shops on my own. Which ever way is easiest and cheapest.  I've found that either way they are pretty used to working with new, inexperienced divers. I've been looked after pretty well and I've not had a bad dive.

 

  I don't own any equipment but a full wet suit (i get cold in a shorty) and don't intend to ever dive in my home state  or anywhere but on a cruise. I'm happy to not make it more complicated than it needs to be. It's not a lifestyle with me, simply a recreational activity.  Frankly if I never dive again I would be happy to have done it.

 

Having said that,  it is something I enjoy doing. I'm going back to the ABCs the end of this month and have booked dives on Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Going on another cruise in Feb to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan and Belize.  Going to dive in Coz and Roatan.  Been to most of the islands in the Caribbean at one time or another so seeing them from under water is a new experience.

 

So my advice to the OP is to start by doing a discovery dive or two and see if you and/or your wife like it then go from there.

I have been "resort certified" and have dived before. I know this is something I will like and want to accomplish. The wife.... well she's still in the thinking about stage of my planning.

 

Cheers!

Todd

[Capt_BJ]

resort certified??????

 

that's a new one

 

or 

 

 some places, after you do a resort aka discovery dive will book another escorted dive at a reduced cost from the original discovery ..... not transferable typically . . . 

 

example from Sunset Divers

 

Discover SCUBA Diving $175 per person 

 

Repeat shore dive $150 per person

[omeinv]

3 hours ago, Capt_BJ said:

resort certified??????

 

that's a new one

 

or 

 

 some places, after you do a resort aka discovery dive will book another escorted dive at a reduced cost from the original discovery ..... not transferable typically . . . 

 

example from Sunset Divers

 

Discover SCUBA Diving $175 per person 

 

Repeat shore dive $150 per person

I suspect that the OP is talking about repeat Resort dives, but the “Scuba Diver” certification (as opposed to Open Water Diver) certifies someone to dive to a maximum depth of 40ft/12 meters, and only accompanied by an instructor.  These are the same limits as a Discover Scuba dive; so the person with that certification can dive resort dives without the classroom and confined water instruction that a resort dove is supposed to (although often doesn’t) include. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

 

[mac66]

17 hours ago, Cruzin&Snuzin said:

I have been "resort certified" and have dived before. I know this is something I will like and want to accomplish. The wife.... well she's still in the thinking about stage of my planning.

 

Cheers!

Todd

  When I dived in Roatan last year off a ship. I dived with a family that had been in Roatan all week and Mom, Dad, son and daughter all got certified in the first couple of days and then dived the rest of the week. They were on day  4 or 5.   That seemed like a good way to do it.  If I'd had someone (aka spouse) to dive with I would have considered doing that. Seems like it would be a good vacation.

 

I've run into that kind of thing before... people who went to an island to learn to dive and then dived every day while there.

 

When we went to the ABCs on a cruise in 2019 my adult kids were with us. All three did a discovery dive first and then dived with me on the second dive.  That was really fun. They still talk about it.

 

It's funny, we typically cruise twice a year usually between Thanksgiving and Christmas and late Jan/early Feb. That's when cruise fares are typically the cheapest. Don't really care what the itinerary is as long as it gets us out of cold weather (Live in Michigan).  Lately we've been looking at the cheapest fares with an itinerary to where I've not dived before or have dived before but liked it.

 

This upcoming cruise was dirt cheap in an inside and is an 8 day to the the ABCs. I've dived in Aruba and Curacao but not Bonaire before so why the heck not.  

 

Our Feb cruise goes to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize and Roatan. Been to Coz and CM a bunch of times but never dived there. Had a really good dive in Roatan before so why not again? Belize is kind of hard to dive off a ship, or so I've been told. So going to try to do either Coz or Costa Maya and Roatan.

Edited November 19, 2022 by mac66

[omeinv]

@mac66

 

 For Costa Maya, please set things up with my friend Catherine at Gypsea Divers.  I promise you’ll have great dives and a lot of fun. The shop is right on the beach in Mahahual, so your non-diving family can have a great day too, away from the hyper-commercial cruise port.  If you tell Catherine Harris sent you she’ll probably charge you extra 🤣

 

http://gypseadivers.com/

 

Harris

Denver, CO

Edited November 19, 2022 by omeinv

[Cruzin&Snuzin]

On 11/18/2022 at 7:11 PM, Capt_BJ said:

resort certified??????

 

that's a new one

 

or 

 

 some places, after you do a resort aka discovery dive will book another escorted dive at a reduced cost from the original discovery ..... not transferable typically . . . 

 

example from Sunset Divers

 

Discover SCUBA Diving $175 per person 

 

Repeat shore dive $150 per person

Going back 20+ years in Play Del Carmen... a group of us spent about 30 mins in a pool, got the thumbs up and then we did two open water dives. One of us ran out of air during the second dive. Other than one of us running out of air during the second dive, it was a pretty good experience.

[Cruzin&Snuzin]

On 11/19/2022 at 5:12 PM, omeinv said:

@mac66

 

 For Costa Maya, please set things up with my friend Catherine at Gypsea Divers.  I promise you’ll have great dives and a lot of fun. The shop is right on the beach in Mahahual, so your non-diving family can have a great day too, away from the hyper-commercial cruise port.  If you tell Catherine Harris sent you she’ll probably charge you extra 🤣

 

http://gypseadivers.com/

 

Harris

Denver, CO

Ha! Will keep this in mind.

[jbrinkm]

On 11/19/2022 at 5:12 PM, omeinv said:

@mac66

 

 For Costa Maya, please set things up with my friend Catherine at Gypsea Divers.  I promise you’ll have great dives and a lot of fun. The shop is right on the beach in Mahahual, so your non-diving family can have a great day too, away from the hyper-commercial cruise port.  If you tell Catherine Harris sent you she’ll probably charge you extra 🤣

 

http://gypseadivers.com/

 

Harris

Denver, CO

 

We chatted with them before our last stop at Costa Maya and they seemed great. We found WhatsApp to be the best way to communicate. Their shop is right next to Jamie's if someone in your party wants to hang there with an AI package.

[gmerick]

I've done 25 Cruise Ship dives in Grand Cayman, St Maarten, St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts, and Antigua.  Some have been RCI shore excursions, many have been independently arranged by myself from doing research on PADI.com or TripAdvisor.  I can absolutely recommend doing your Open Water Certification (Lake Dives) near home before your cruise.  I've seen too many folks waste days of vacation doing training dives instead of simply enjoying the relaxing serenity of a guided dive.  Yes, the water near home will be "cold" (I trained in Minnesota during a light snow storm!), but the dive center will have appropriately warm well fitting wet suits for rent.  If you never ever dive in cold water again, it will be a one-time expense.  If after your first dives in the Caribbean you again want to SCUBA near home, you will have some exposure to what is available, and a relationship with a Local Dive Shop.  As for whether to do a ship sponsored shore excursion or branch out independently:  The ship will not leave you stranded if the sponsored dive excursion runs late; a real possibility considering the eventualities common to diving.  The independent operators may offer more variety at a lower cost.  Consider the duration of the port call when deciding.  To be considerate of the dive operator and fellow divers, please communicate your past dive experience to the dive master.  On your first few open water dives, the DM can be attentive to your swimming ability, buoyancy control, and equipment familiarity to ensure your enjoyment.