Discover Scuba - Stingrays vs. Reef

[okie-dolphin]

DD & I wanting to do Discover Scuba on Western Caribbean cruise on Legend. Initially thinking Discover Scuba in Caymans w/ Stingrays, but thinking maybe reef Scuba might be a better option in Cozumel, Belize or Roatan. Any advise?

[Wennfred]

DD & I wanting to do Discover Scuba on Western Caribbean cruise on Legend. Initially thinking Discover Scuba in Caymans w/ Stingrays, but thinking maybe reef Scuba might be a better option in Cozumel, Belize or Roatan. Any advise?

 

Take her to a local dive shop in town that has a pool and give her some lessons. The 3 basic things she will need to learn there will take a long time while at the beach.

 

Flood & Clear Mask while under water

 

Remove and Replace regulator while under water

 

Remove and Recover buddy regulator as in buddy breathing

 

Wendy failed at 2 of these and she had problems with buoyancy, they would of stayed with her until she was able to get it but this was taking time from the rest of the group, myself and 2 other couples so she had to give it up and head to the beach.

 

Wendy also stated it was hard doing these while there were lots of people around her swimming by, this was at Roatan.

 

 

Fred

[Travelitis]

Good operations will work with you even if you have problems. I had a full-blown hyperventilating moment of panic, and my dh thought I was going to get kicked out. The instructor looked me in the eye and calmed me, got me to stop crying and got me underwater. After the dive I'd used even less air than he had, because I'd stayed calm and aware of my oxygen usage. Most new divers use extra oxygen.

 

I've done Discover Scuba in Cozumel from the shore, a snorkel with rays and nurse sharks in Belize and a Discover Scuba at a reef in Roatan. We also did a Discover Scuba to a shipwreck in Grand Cayman. HANDS DOWN ROATAN!!!! The reef was so unspoiled. There was so much more life, so much more to see. It was truly breathtaking. We booked our own through the Inn of Last Resort, and a master diver worked with just my dh and me, so it was also more expensive than other trips we've taken, but it was worth every penny.

 

The absolute worst instruction was the DS we booked via the cruiseline for Cozumel. Had it not been for doing DS (again via cruiseline) in Grand Cayman that same cruise previously, I would not have made it and would have been handed a snorkel. Those folks rushed through the material and had no patience with a lady in our group who needed a bit more time to acclimate. In Grand Cayman they helped me overcome a panic attack and got me into the water and really enjoying the dive. Still, the best quality dive experience was Roatan. What you should do is call local dive shops and see where they like to go. I did, and the shop owner had a group booked to his favorite spot, The Inn of Last Resort in Roatan.

[ron57nie]

You can see the stingrays better just snorkeling, i would choose Roatan, Cozumel has high currents which can cause problems with separations from the group. The best use of vacation time however would be to get certified prior to going.

[steveaaaaa]

DD & I wanting to do Discover Scuba on Western Caribbean cruise on Legend. Initially thinking Discover Scuba in Caymans w/ Stingrays, but thinking maybe reef Scuba might be a better option in Cozumel, Belize or Roatan. Any advise?

 

 

I would like to suggest you go to Chakanaab in Cozumel (we were there 3 weeks ago)

When you get there go in and all the way to the left to the last building in the group of 3.These are all snorkel /dive shops. The last one will take you on a private intro to scuba dive right there from the waters edge.I took my, back then,11 year old daughter there and we go back there every year for the last 5 now just so she can dive (my wife and I are certified).

Steve

[EastTex]

DD & I wanting to do Discover Scuba on Western Caribbean cruise on Legend. Initially thinking Discover Scuba in Caymans w/ Stingrays, but thinking maybe reef Scuba might be a better option in Cozumel, Belize or Roatan. Any advise?

 

How comfortable are you both in the water? The reason I ask is that if you are not practiced swimmers you may want to opt for a Discover scuba with Stingrays. You'll be in shallow water, sand bottom and the Stingrays will come to you. If you opt for reef diving, you may be in slightly deeper water, may have to do some pressure equalizing in your ears, there may be a current involved and you'll swim with a group. That said, the places you mention for reef diving are all excellent. You probably won't see the best reefs doing a Discover Scuba dive but you'll still be pleased.

 

Take care though, if you like it too much, you and your DD will get hooked on the sport and there goes any extra money you have. Wife and I dove Cozumel in February and are already planning our next dive trip.

[okie-dolphin]

DD and I did Snuba in USVI 3 years ago and handled the water pressure well down to the 20 feet. She is 16 now (as of today), so I don't think that reef diving at that level or beyond will be an issue. My preference at this point would be Cozumel, but I had heard the reef there had sustained damage in light of last year's storms. We were planning on going to Chankanaab anyway, so this would be a great option if introductory scuba is truly an option there.

[Wennfred]

These are pictures of my Discovery Scuba in Roatan, Since Wendy quit and headed to the beach instead and the rest of us were qualified divers already, the instructor took us around the reefs and the deepest we went was 45 Feet. I'm a certified Advance Padi Diver.

 

[DqALEX]

DD & I wanting to do Discover Scuba on Western Caribbean cruise on Legend. Initially thinking Discover Scuba in Caymans w/ Stingrays, but thinking maybe reef Scuba might be a better option in Cozumel, Belize or Roatan. Any advise?

For me nothing beats a wreck dive. You can still see marine life, and its like history frozen in time.

[okie-dolphin]

Is a wreck duve an option for Discover Scuba in any of the ports of call in question (Caymen, Cozumel, Belize or Roatan)?

[Wennfred]

Is a wreck duve an option for Discover Scuba in any of the ports of call in question (Caymen, Cozumel, Belize or Roatan)?

 

Heck no!!! do you want to die young LOL. Wreck dives are for advance certified divers, yes anyone can dive on one but you need proper training for those in order to survive any possible issues especially if you want to go inside one and explore.

 

I love Wreck dives also, infact I have a cool video of a wreck dive I did in Hawaii and at the bow of the ship I fed a massive eel some squid, I will need to transfer that VHS tape over to digital before it gets damaged.

 

 

 

Fred

[turtlegirl2]

Sounds like you have spent a lot of money on Discover Scuba! If you enjoy it you might want to get certified so you get more training and will be safer in the water. I very much appreciate my training (advanced PADI) and enjoy my dives better when I know there are other certified divers with us. Makes the experience much better for everyone! By the way, you don't use oxygen when you dive - it's just compressed air unless you are using nitrox ;)

 

Good operations will work with you even if you have problems. I had a full-blown hyperventilating moment of panic, and my dh thought I was going to get kicked out. The instructor looked me in the eye and calmed me, got me to stop crying and got me underwater. After the dive I'd used even less air than he had, because I'd stayed calm and aware of my oxygen usage. Most new divers use extra oxygen.

 

I've done Discover Scuba in Cozumel from the shore, a snorkel with rays and nurse sharks in Belize and a Discover Scuba at a reef in Roatan. We also did a Discover Scuba to a shipwreck in Grand Cayman. HANDS DOWN ROATAN!!!! The reef was so unspoiled. There was so much more life, so much more to see. It was truly breathtaking. We booked our own through the Inn of Last Resort, and a master diver worked with just my dh and me, so it was also more expensive than other trips we've taken, but it was worth every penny.

 

The absolute worst instruction was the DS we booked via the cruiseline for Cozumel. Had it not been for doing DS (again via cruiseline) in Grand Cayman that same cruise previously, I would not have made it and would have been handed a snorkel. Those folks rushed through the material and had no patience with a lady in our group who needed a bit more time to acclimate. In Grand Cayman they helped me overcome a panic attack and got me into the water and really enjoying the dive. Still, the best quality dive experience was Roatan. What you should do is call local dive shops and see where they like to go. I did, and the shop owner had a group booked to his favorite spot, The Inn of Last Resort in Roatan.

[Wennfred]

Wreck Diver Course

 

This 2-Day course with 4 dives will prepare you in the procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of wreck diving.

 

Course Overview

 

A. The purpose of the PADI Wreck Diver Specialty course is to familiarize divers with the skills, knowledge, planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems, hazards and excitement of diving on wrecks. The Wreck Diver Specialty course is intended as a safe, supervised introduction to wreck diving, with emphasis on fun and safety. The goals of PADI Wreck Diver training are:

 

1. Upon completing this program, the student should be able to demonstrate practical wreck diving knowledge, including recognizing and avoiding potential hazards, and planning procedures that make wreck diving fun.

 

2. Upon completing this program, the student should be able to explain the historical value of wrecks, social and legal issues surrounding that value, and describe some of wreck divings implications, including the pros and cons of removing artifacts from wrecks.

 

3. Upon completing this program, the student should be able to plan and organize dives to safely explore wrecks found within depths and conditions as good as or better than those he has been trained in.

 

4. Upon completing this program, the student should be able to identify the hazards of wreck penetration diving and demonstrate the techniques and procedures required to minimize those hazards.

 

B. The Elective Wreck Dive from the PADI Adventures in Diving program may be counted toward Wreck Training Dive One of this specialty at the instructors discretion. Similarly, Dive One of this specialty may be counted as the Elective Wreck Dive in the PADI Adventures in Diving program.

 

C . This standardized course outline was developed so that you may conduct it on a wide variety of wrecks. It is intended to familiarize beginning wreck divers with basic wreck diving procedures, and divers with some wreck experience with other issues and procedures, including historical resource concerns and penetration diving concerns.

 

1. Where appropriate, you are encouraged to update and/or expand topics to cover changes in shipwreck law, archaeology, and other wreck diving topics.

 

2. You are encouraged to elaborate beyond the detail in this outline to accommodate:

 

a. The needs/interests of your students, especially more experienced ones.

 

b. Specific equipment and/or local wreck diving requirements.

 

D. The knowledge development portion of this program can be covered during predive and post dive debriefings.

 

1. The presentation outline and the training dives are integrated and sequenced to assist you in distributing knowledge development appropriately over the briefings and debriefings.

 

2. If desired, you may move and/or combine presentations, or hold formal classroom sessions, to accommodate logistical needs.

 

3. Students can complete knowledge development independently by watching the PADI Wreck Diving video, reading the PADI Wreck Diver Manual, and completing the Knowledge Reviews. Have students complete the Knowledge Review Part I for your review prior to Wreck Training Dive One, and Part II prior to Wreck Training Dive Two. By having students complete knowledge development independently, you can eliminate long class sessions and allow your predive briefings to focus on elaboration, answering questions and actual dive planning.

[Wennfred]

Great video of the Mahi ship wreck in hawaii: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3620960621318770782&q=mahi+ship+wreck&ei=VcMdSO3FKZv0qgONoOzHAQ&hl=en

 

Whale Shark right next to the Mahi Ship wreck: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8545203315891776076&q=mahi+ship+wreck&ei=P8IdSILLJIGgqQOe9vmqAQ&hl=en

 

This Whale Shark is massive: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1823063131252795818&q=mahi%20ship%20wreck&hl=en

[DqALEX]

Is a wreck duve an option for Discover Scuba in any of the ports of call in question (Caymen, Cozumel, Belize or Roatan)?

I think you mis-understood me. You can do a wreck dive as and open water diver. DONT TRY TO GO INSIDE. My second dive ever was a wreck dive in Grand Cayman. As many dives as I have I would never go inside a wreck. Going inside is a whole new dive.

[Loves_Dogs]

OP - Wanted to give you a friendly warning. After I did Discover Scuba on my Valor cruise, I HAD to get certified. I SO enjoyed the Discover Scuba that I was bit by the 'scuba bug' and before my Destiny cruise I had completed all my book and pool work and used that cruise to do my certification dives. Can't wait for my June cruise, we are diving in 3 of the 4 ports . I just wanted to give you a 'heads up' as to what you may be getting in to cause to some people, scuba is addicting !

[DqALEX]

OP - Wanted to give you a friendly warning. After I did Discover Scuba on my Valor cruise, I HAD to get certified. I SO enjoyed the Discover Scuba that I was bit by the 'scuba bug' and before my Destiny cruise I had completed all my book and pool work and used that cruise to do my certification dives. Can't wait for my June cruise, we are diving in 3 of the 4 ports . I just wanted to give you a 'heads up' as to what you may be getting in to cause to some people, scuba is addicting !

And don't forget the price tag. A good regulator, Dive computer, Back up watch computer, mask, BC, Air two on the BC, wetsuit. I spent thousands. Oh yeah than after open water comes Adv. open water with night diving. I spent a lot on my dive light and my back up dive light. Night diving is something to see. You stuff that only comes out at night. A reef has a whole new look at night. I spent a lot of money to see a whole new world. Good luck to you

[Loves_Dogs]

And don't forget the price tag. A good regulator, Dive computer, Back up watch computer, mask, BC, Air two on the BC, wetsuit. I spent thousands. Oh yeah than after open water comes Adv. open water with night diving. I spent a lot on my dive light and my back up dive light. Night diving is something to see. You stuff that only comes out at night. A reef has a whole new look at night. I spent a lot of money to see a whole new world. Good luck to you

 

Oh geesh..no kidding. My son (and dive buddy) is advanced and has all his own equipment. I have up until now rented (as I am very new) but have been trying to decide whether to buy equipment before my cruise or just rent. Here in Ohio, there are so few places to dive it seems a waste, but maybe if I had my own equipment I would go quarry diving sometimes. The more I research, the more confused I get. Decision, decisions! Sorry for 'hijacking' this thread.