Certification for Scuba in GCM??

[sparky&me]

This might have been covered but I'm taking a cruise in December and my boyfriend and I never scuba'd before so was wondering if you needed to be certified to scuba in Grand Cayman and if so do they do it on board or is there something we should do before the cruise.

 

 

Thanks

 

This is my firstpost

 

 

me

NCL '87 & '00, CCL '03, PRI '06, RCCL 12-9-06 :)

 

sparky

CCL '02, RCCL 12-9-06 :)

[sparky&me]

Ok so I read some threads and took some notes.

 

Some say dont use Foster's so I will look into divetech.com or neptunedivers or sunsetdivers or wall to wall. And Edens Rock if I can get to it, then that's the place to dive.

 

now I read that some places do not cover the mask and snorkel pieces. besides fins and a mask what else to you suggest purchasing for first time divers?

 

On CCL it looks like you get a 45 min instruction in a pool and then dive. Is it the same for RCCL?

 

Thanks for the suggestions on Jamaica. The cruise in december also goes to OCJ and since I already climbed the waterfall with an ex boyfriend I think the river tubing is something to check out.

[10X]

There is quite a difference between 45 minutes of instruction and a dive, compared with true certification.

 

The 45 minute instruction/dive appears to be a resort course where you have the opportunity to expereince diving with an instructor close at hand. It does not in any way make you "certified".

 

As an example, I'll use my certification class. One night per week for 5 weeks, 4 hours per night. Each week I had to study a manual, watch a video, take the tests in the manual, then take a written test in class. Diving consisted of learning skills in a pool, 4 dives, then going outside and diving in open water, 4 dives. You must demonstrate that you can perform certain skills required for certification.

 

There are many skills and knowledge you need to have or accomplish. Some of them are; gear assembly, hand signals, remove/replace BCD underwater, remove/replace weight belt underwater, clear a mask that has partially filled with water, remove/replace/clear mask underwater, emergency assent, buddy breathing, proper weighting, proper water entry (multiple methods), bouyancy, effects of water pressure, clearing your ears, decompression illness/sickness, etc., etc., etc.

 

There is no way anyone can teach, nor anyone can learn all this in 45 minutes.

 

If you really want to be certified for diving when you get to Grand Cayman, go to your local dive shop and get your certification before you leave. You can do everyting at the dive shop except your open water dives and get a letter of referral from them. Take the letter with you to the Caribbean and present it to the dive shop there and they will run you through your last 4 dives and skills tests for final certfication.

 

Personally, I would get everything done before you go. That way you can concentrate on diving on your vacation, rather than testing.

[sparky&me]

Thanks for the information! Seems like alot to endure. Maybe next year we'll have some time to take a 4 hour class one a week.

 

Turns out I went home last night for him to say you know we dont have to scuba if you dont want to.

 

I think we'll stick to snorkeling and maybe try kayaking.

[akia29]

This might have been covered but I'm taking a cruise in December and my boyfriend and I never scuba'd before so was wondering if you needed to be certified to scuba in Grand Cayman and if so do they do it on board or is there something we should do before the cruise.

 

 

Thanks

 

This is my firstpost

 

 

me

NCL '87 & '00, CCL '03, PRI '06, RCCL 12-9-06 :)

 

sparky

CCL '02, RCCL 12-9-06 :)

 

HI

You do have the option of taking a one hour resort course, which allows you to experience scuba with an instructor in a shallower depth. I did this in Aruba before I got certified. If you aren't interested in doing Scuba long term, don't go through the hassle of getting certified just do a one day resort course.