Scuba Diving

[rrt737]

My husband and friend would like to scuba dive in GC. Neither is certified, but they are also beyond an intro to scuba excursion (resort dive). We can't seem to find a company that will take them diving without certification unless they join a beginners diving excursion. Any info as to who to contact to take them diving?

[bruce-r]

My husband and friend would like to scuba dive in GC. Neither is certified, but they are also beyond an intro to scuba excursion (resort dive). We can't seem to find a company that will take them diving without certification unless they join a beginners diving excursion. Any info as to who to contact to take them diving?

Without actually being certified no dive operator will take them to do anything more than a discover scuba dive (resort course).

[Tweldon]

I took my son to Neptune Divers ( http://neptunesdivers.com/ ) . He had scuba experience in the pool before ( Boy Scout Discover Scuba night) and was comfortable with the idea of scuba. He worked with Casey and she did the "resort Course" safety talk. I am a certified diver, so I needed a place that would take me somewhere cool, and get him some good first time diving.

 

We went to about 50 ft, and it was spectacular. I would recoemend doing the resort dive with her. I can send you some video is you'd like.

 

In 1.5 weeks, I will be in GC on the Carnival Miracle, w/o my son, so I plan on doing some wall diving.

 

Cheers, Terry

[rrt737]

Terry, thanks for the info. My concern with sending the guys to another "resort course" would be that some other divers in the group are true beginners and a lot of time would be spent teaching them and making them comfortable in the water. Glad to hear that you were able to get a good dive in with your son. Were there many others in your group?

 

Maybe I'll send an e-mail to Neptune and see if there is just a small group scheduled for that day and what their skill level is.

Thanks again! Enjoy your next cruise.

 

Pat

[Dive Master]

Well, I hope this does not sound "ugly" but If they are not Certified--they are not beyond a resort scuba course!!!! No repectable dive operator is going to take a non-certifed person diving.Most operators will not take certified divers out unless they have dived in the last 12 months.Your husband and friend will need to take another resort course or a Discover scuba course.Most ships offer these excursions.Of course,they could also get certified before the cruise or if you are going on Princess,they offer full PADI open water certification on board.Scuba is very safe if you have the proper training and equipment--if not it could be your last dive!!! Please tell them to do it right and enjoy the underwater world.

[bruce-r]

Maybe I'll send an e-mail to Neptune and see if there is just a small group scheduled for that day and what their skill level is.

Neptune's Divers is a quality operation. The max they take on their boat is 8 divers, so I would say there is a very good chance that DH and his buddy will be the only discover scuba divers.

[Tweldon]

In our case, there were only three of us diving with the Divemaster. SHe kept close to them on the decent line, showing how to equalize, etc. (two overhands, then sqeeze the nose, two overhands...) making sure they went down slow, then it was all bottom time. She found some hidden rays, and pointed out lots of stuff.

 

On the boat, they has a couple of freinds, some dove, others didn't. But one dive instructor - Casey - and the two teens. She gave them enough room to really experience it.

 

A good trip.

[cruzegirl]

Ditto divemaster.... If they are not certified, they are not beyond the resort/discover scuba course. I've heard good things about Neptune divers but honestly, I'm surprised they took a non-certified diver down to 50 feet.... Not very smart in my opinion..... But I recommend also that they get certified before the trip... Then they can really enjoy all that diving has to offer.... :D

[scubaran]

Ditto divemaster.... If they are not certified, they are not beyond the resort/discover scuba course. I've heard good things about Neptune divers but honestly, I'm surprised they took a non-certified diver down to 50 feet.... Not very smart in my opinion..... But I recommend also that they get certified before the trip... Then they can really enjoy all that diving has to offer.... :D

 

I agree, certified or not, no in between. As far as 50 ft. I agree that's too deep but it happens. My dive instructor was relating how he went on a dive in the caribbean with a well known dive shop. On the dive he noticed that the dive master took a discover diver down on a wall around 80ft. When he got back on board, he went to the discover scuba diver and asked how the dive went. He said, "Great!". My instructor said, "It looked like you went down a long way." The guy replied, "Yeah, I logged 88ft." My instructor said, "Great, well hope you go on and get certified!" He then went on the top deck of the boat and saw the dive master talking to the captain and said, "I hear you had a great dive with the discover scuba person." The dive master looked over his shoulder and said, "Yeah" and kept on talking to the captain. My instructor said, "He said you went over the wall down to 88ft." The dive master turned and said, "Yeah, something like that, he was a good student." My instructor said, "So where does it say a "good student" can go down that far?" The dive master turned again and said, "Well he was doing very well". Where in my dive instructor said, "So where does it say a discover scuba diver who's "doing very well" can go down that far?" At this point the dive master asked who was he and why was he concerned about the dive he did? At that point my instructor informed him he's a PADI Regional Director. The dive master then said, "Oh s**t!" My instructor told him he had two alternatives, he would get off the boat and call PADI and the dive master would loose his license right then and there or he could talk to the owner of the dive shop and explained what happened. The dive master choose the later and when they met with the owner, and my instructor explained what had happened, the owner thanked him and asked him to leave. My instructor said he could hear the chewing out all the way down to the dock. Needless to say, that dive master didn't work for that dive shop any more. So be aware, standards put out by the certifying groups don't always meet what is experienced in the field by individuals who are supposed to enforce them. For the person looking for the dive, take a lesson in this, there are reasons why so many people like the folks who replied to this message spend the time and efforts to get certified. There is danger in thinking you can dive without the proper care. Afterall, you wouldn't jump in an airplane and fly it to the cruise port just because you'd taken a discover flying lesson and landed a plane (been there done that too).

 

Hope this helps,

Randall

[Dive Master]

Good info from Cruisegirl and Scubaran.A discover scuba student 88 feet on a wall--thats scarey!!!!! I did 3 PADI resort courses on the old Oceanic (Big Red Boat) before I ever got around to getting certifed (I know I was dumb).A PADI resort course was far more involved than what I see with today's discover scuba. I had to actually spend some class time and practice skills at the ship's pool or Unexso's pool--much like getting certified.The maximum depth I could dive was 40 feet (usually maxed out at 25 or so) and I always had a PADI instructor leading the class.I am under the impression that a DM is not qualified to teach these courses.I am an IDEA Dive Master and I know I am not allowed to teach--only assist with classes and lead certified divers.Most agencies put a maximum depth limit of 60 feet on Open Water divers--and yep, I know there is no scuba police waiting on you at 60 feet!IDEA recommends a special Deep Certification for dives deeper than 100 feet.Another factor to keep in mind is that depth is relative to the conditions.I dive a deep,cold mountain lake (Jocassee) most every weekend and I hear guys say "I went 100 feet in Cayman or Cozumel--How come you want take me deep here?"100 feet in Cayman with 80 degree water and 100 ft visability is a totally different dive than 100 feet in Jocassee with 55 degree water,30 feet of visability,dark water and surrounded by the underwater forrest!!!!Three weeks ago one of my Instructor buddies (SDI) was teaching an advanced open water class and had a student bolt on him at 95 feet--he had to chase the student to the surface and both went to the chamber--turns out the student lied about his experience and it was only his 5th dive--he just finished OW, falsified his log book and signed up for AOW.Both divers were lucky and suffered no permanent injuries.A week later I let a NUT who was SDI Solo certified (meaning he had at least 100 logged dives)talk me into taking him into the Forrest.I could tell he was pretty narced at 120 feet.I went on down in to the woods to about 135 feet so I could get my " Jocassee High" then turned around to go back to the other diver(This was our plan as we are both SOLO certified) When we got back to 95 feet on the decent line I checked his air--the nut had 800 pounds in a 80 cu-ft tank---I Had 1900 and my pony bottle.I tried to get him to make an emergency controlled ascent but he was determined to got back up that sloping line.At 50 feet he had 400 pounds left,at 30 feet down to 250.I wanted to do a nice long safety stop for 5-6 minutes but he was down to 150 pounds--dont know how the reg even breathed.He never would take my octupus and did not do much of a safety stop but since we came up in a controlled ascent we were OK. I still had 1500 pounds when we surfaced.This dude got me pretty excitied down there.He did not realize with the cold,dark, and narcosis what was going to happen with his air supply and failed to monitor it religiously. He was pretty humbled after the dive.I told him he learned a very valuable lesson and so did I.And people asked me why I dive solo into the forrest? If I blow it , it is all on me. I am not responsible for someone else's safety down there.There is a REASON for the RULES---TO keep you alive for the next dive!!! Please get the proper training and dive within your skill level.There is no shame in saying "That ain't for me". Some of my buiddies do 300 foot tech dives at Jocassee. I know if I tried to follow them that I would never surface alive.Those guys really are NUTS and they are also very,very GOOD!!!

 

Joe

[bruce-r]

A week later I let a NUT who was SDI Solo certified (meaning he had at least 100 logged dives)talk me into taking him into the Forrest.I could tell he was pretty narced at 120 feet.I went on down in to the woods to about 135 feet so I could get my " Jocassee High" then turned around to go back to the other diver(This was our plan as we are both SOLO certified) When we got back to 95 feet on the decent line I checked his air--the nut had 800 pounds in a 80 cu-ft tank---I Had 1900 and my pony bottle.

Doesn't the SDI solo certification require you dive with a redundant air source? If you are solo, that would have to be a pony. Didn't that guy have a pony too? I guess not. It is that kind of diver that makes a bad buddy. It is also that kind of diver that kills other divers and is the reason that I'd rather dive solo than dive with someone I just met that morning on the boat. Even if I end up being forced to dive with an unfamiliar buddy, I treat it like a solo dive.

 

You are also so right about the depth needed to get narc'd being variable. It really does depend a lot on water temperature. I get that pleasant feeling in less deep cold water than in the warm water.

[10X]

I agree that your husband and friend need to get their certification before ever diving beyond a Discover Scuba or a Resort Course. Without the proper training they risk serious injury or even death.

 

Earlier this year I was diving in St. Vincent. The dive master, for whatever reason, did reverse profiles dives, with the first being at 40 feet and the second being at 85 feet. The surface interval was only 45 minutes.

 

Knowing this I carefully monitored my computer for my max bottom time and we came within 10 minutes of it when I started up, and my two dive buddies followed. Meanwhile, the dive master showed no interest in surfacing. Since he wasn't wearing a computer I'm sure he did not have a clue as to how much bottom time we had left.

 

Without monitoring my computer I could have easily been put into a decompression situation, which wouldn't have been a big deal, except that I wouldn't have known about it without having been trained in what to monitor and having the proper equipment to do just that. The dive master certainly wasn't going to be of any help in this, and by taking charge of my own dives I was able to keep myself out of going to a chamber.

 

The point is that you need to be prepared to take care of yourself whenever you are underwater. You can't rely on a dive master to do the right thing, since some are there only because they know the area, not because they are necessarily excellent divers or are trained in how to take care of you.

 

Without the proper training and equipment, like Dive Master said, their first dive might be their last.

[Dive Master]

Bruce R,

 

You are right about the Solo certification. You are 'supposed" to dive with redundant everything---including air supply and reg, lights,cutting tools,signaling devices,etc.I had geared up to do a solo dive and actually met this guy in the water off the boat ramp.I knew his face and I knew he dived with the local SDI shop in the area. I thinkl he had a Spare Air but he did not have a light and was not wearing a hood.He told me he had been down into the woods on Saturday twice doing solo dives and he wanted me to show him a Cessna airplane wing and propeller someone has sunk in the lake.We actually were both doing a "solo'dive and I told him he was welcome to follow me down and I would take him to the wing,then I would continue on with my dive. That's why I made a MISTAKE too because I really did not know this guy's diving ability and once he was low on air I was obligated to stay with him just as the instructor had to take "the elevator ride to the surface' with the student. I really dont know if this guy had been down there before or not--so it was really my fault!!!

 

I guess that is why I got solo certified.If I decide to push the limits I am not endangering anyone else.I also dont like diving with someone I just met on a dive boat but that seems to be the norm in the Caribbean.I try to meet another diver on the ship with similar interest and skill levels and then buddy up with them. I have had the pleasure of diving with some real "pros' and a couple of "nuts" that had no business in the water. I have usually found the "pros' keep their mouths shut and give the crew thier full attention during the briefings.If some idiot is talking about their next dive on the Doria or knows everything there is know about diving--I dont want to team up with them--they are experts anyway--right?I dont mind teaming up with a new diver for a fun,shallow reef dive and I really enjoy giving some tips and just hanging out with them.It is great to see someone so excited about diving----Just let me know you are a "newbie". All of us were at one time and I sure appreciate the "pros' who showed me this fantastic underwater world."Big talkers"sometimes talk their way into "BIG TROUBLE"!

 

Bruce, I also notice the same effect with narcosis when diving cold and dark water.Jocasse is actually a very clear mountain lake with great vis as you go deeper but you do start losing most of the light at around 100 feet. The lake is so deep that they did not bother clearing the woods when they built the dam in the 70's.I am sure the trees alos block some of the light form penetrating. In theory most all divers suffer some form of narcosis below 100 feet but I never seem to really it in warm, clear water.Jocasse was still 57 degrees at 135 feet last Saturday and I admit I was pretty "narced'. I can tell becase I usually start fidgiting with everything."Where is my Light? Oh, it is that thing shining im my hand"

 

I guess that is enough of the "war stories' for now. I hope I have not put everyone to sleep.I just wanted to make the point to get the proper training and gear so as to not endanger yourself or someone esle down there!

 

Safe diving everyone, Joe