helmet diving questions

[denisegold]

I have a couple questions, if anyone has answers...

 

When you helmet dive, do they let you bring a disposable underwater camera with you?

 

The ship I will be on (NCL) uses Peppercorn for helmet diving. I've read it's just easier to pay a little extra and use the ships excursions. Hartley is $70/adult and $50/kids, the ship's excursion is $79/adult and $69/kids. Realizing the ship will get you to and from, and Hartley's would be on our own, does anyone have any opinions on which is the best way to go? I think doing things on your own is more adventurous, so the $ saved doing it on our own may be spent getting there. (I think the helmet diving will be 1 adult and 3 kids, my husband isn't interested). So price wise it's $286 (ship) vs. $220 (on our own).

 

TIA for any responses!

[rpetrillo]

HI Denise

Im a first time cruiser going out on RC's 9-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on 8/17 (counting down the days)

 

I'm not a swimmer so I ahve been researching Helmet Dives. Based on what I found out - Hartleys is better. You can bring your own camera. They will also take pics of you (for a nominal fee) with their digital camera and give you a CD at the end of the trip with your pics as well as other pics they have taken of marine life.

 

You do have to factor in taxi fare to your $220 - but it is still worth it in my opinion. That is whay I am planning on doing!

 

Have fun!

ROB

[iheartbda]

HI Denise

Im a first time cruiser going out on RC's 9-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on 8/17 (counting down the days)

 

I'm not a swimmer so I ahve been researching Helmet Dives. Based on what I found out - Hartleys is better. You can bring your own camera. They will also take pics of you (for a nominal fee) with their digital camera and give you a CD at the end of the trip with your pics as well as other pics they have taken of marine life.

 

You do have to factor in taxi fare to your $220 - but it is still worth it in my opinion. That is whay I am planning on doing!

 

Have fun!

ROB

 

Just so happens that one of the Bermuda based posters on this board

IS Hartley's Helmet Dive and I'm sure he'll appreciate your recommendations. He's not on here a whole lot because he's busy during the day taking care of all you people. :)

 

Hey, Pleiades, where are you?

[denisegold]

HI Denise

Im a first time cruiser going out on RC's 9-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on 8/17 (counting down the days)

 

I'm not a swimmer so I ahve been researching Helmet Dives. Based on what I found out - Hartleys is better. You can bring your own camera. They will also take pics of you (for a nominal fee) with their digital camera and give you a CD at the end of the trip with your pics as well as other pics they have taken of marine life.

 

You do have to factor in taxi fare to your $220 - but it is still worth it in my opinion. That is whay I am planning on doing!

 

Have fun!

ROB

 

Thanks for you input. I am feeling the same as you.

 

I've never been a huge fan of organized excursions (although I'm sure I will participate in a couple of them on the Majesty) but I am sure I can handle the helmet dive on my own.

[JayRod]

By all means bring an underwater camera..You can get a cheapy at Office Depot for 10 bucks and it works well at the depths that helmet dives go 10-15 feet. Even has a flash and high speed film

We are doing Hartley's in September and looking forward to it.

Jay

[Pleiades]

Hey, Pleiades, where are you?

Ok ok, I just got in the door at 7 pm.

I've never been able to do Peppercorn myself, but from what I hear from passengers who have done both, ours it better. You can bring any kind of underwater camera you want. If your only port is St. George, you will have quite a ways to go, as we are on the other end of the island, 20 miles away. We might be able to pick you up from Hamilton (10 miles) depending on the day.

[Sugar13]

We did Hartley's dive last month and thought it was very cool. We did book through the ship as we didn't want to miss out. And I liked that Greg picked us up right outside the cruise terminal in Hamilton and walked us a short distance to the boat.

 

Other family members cruising with us did the Peppercorn dive. From what they told me, a couple of differences are that Peppercorn lets you swim and float while waiting for your turn to dive, and that they were able to walk around underwater by themselves. They think our dive was more informative, that we learned more about the fish and sea creatures on the Hartley dive. We love the picture CD from the dive, not only does it have photos of us underwater, it has a library of sea life and old family photos of the Hartley's early helmet dives. Peppercorn was supposed to have a video you could purchase but their camera wasn't working that day.

 

We might try the Peppercorn dive on our next trip, but we are very glad we chose Hartley's for our first one. And do plan on diving with them again! :D

[denisegold]

Ok ok, I just got in the door at 7 pm.

I've never been able to do Peppercorn myself, but from what I hear from passengers who have done both, ours it better. You can bring any kind of underwater camera you want. If your only port is St. George, you will have quite a ways to go, as we are on the other end of the island, 20 miles away. We might be able to pick you up from Hamilton (10 miles) depending on the day.

 

Couldn't we hop on a bus? (from St. George, yes)

[bdaguy]

Couldn't we hop on a bus? (from St. George, yes)

unless you're renting scooters, it's silly not to get the transportation pass. hop on the ferry from st georges to dockyard. the money you save can go towards your next trip to bermuda

[pathubia]

Denisegold,

There isnt one bus, you would have to take one from St George to Hamilton, then switch....

We have done Hartley's twice from St George, we usually take the ferry to the Dockyard, hang out there for a while, then take the bus to Hartley's....

Have a great time!!

Patty

[sideways2]

Bring the camera! Not only can you get some great pictures but, when we went, the guide took a picture of my DH and I with our camera.

[pch]

we did the peppercorn dive this spring with Graham and Graham. They were good. They made my husband quite at ease and he was leary about doing this. They allowed you to use your own camera and would even take a pic of you together. They were trying to get it set-up at the time so that they could take pictures of you for a small fee with their own camera and print them on the boat. The water was still very cold in april and the wet suits came in handy for us southerners but we did not feel rushed about getting back back up out of the water. we were docked in st. george's and they picked us up at the dock next to the ship and brought us back to the same spot. we did the excursion through the ship as we booked it on our last day when the ship would be leaving around noon and did not want to risk doing something on our own and not getting back on time.

[cantwait2cruise926]

I have a couple questions, if anyone has answers...

 

When you helmet dive, do they let you bring a disposable underwater camera with you?

 

The ship I will be on (NCL) uses Peppercorn for helmet diving. I've read it's just easier to pay a little extra and use the ships excursions. Hartley is $70/adult and $50/kids, the ship's excursion is $79/adult and $69/kids. Realizing the ship will get you to and from, and Hartley's would be on our own, does anyone have any opinions on which is the best way to go? I think doing things on your own is more adventurous, so the $ saved doing it on our own may be spent getting there. (I think the helmet diving will be 1 adult and 3 kids, my husband isn't interested). So price wise it's $286 (ship) vs. $220 (on our own).

 

TIA for any responses!

 

we went with the ship excursion. It was fine but gettig around Bermuda on yrou own is farily easy.

Yes they let you brign an underwter camera

[SantanaTto]

We did Hartleys Helmut Dive 2 almost 2 yars ago and my husband still tells everyone that it was the highlight of his trip to Bermuda! I booked this online directly with Hartleys a few weeks before we cruised. We loved it and the CD they make for you (yes, you are in it !!) is a great keepsake. My daughter thought it was so funny that she put the picture of my husband and I, underwater in our helmuts, on her Myspace page!

 

I try to stay away from the ship excursions if possible...