Caribbean dive requirements - several questions.

[redlef]

I'm a fairly experienced local diver, but have never dove on a cruise. I've got over 250 dives in the Northeast (NJ) over the past 8 years, in all sorts of conditions (near zero viz, cold, rough seas) and dive 11 months per year. (February's just a little too cold for me).

 

Going on NCL Jewel this month to the Caribbean.

 

My log book is on my PC (although dive computer has record of last 100 dives). Only certified Open Water (all they offered when I certified). We don't usually dive with buddies up here - although we use Pony bottles. As such, I haven't got an octopus.

 

Questions: Do Caribbean ops provide Pony bottles? Will I be matched up with a complete stranger as a buddy, or can I count on it being someone from my cruise? Will my C-Card saying "Open Water" prevent me from being able to participate in more fun stuff like wall dives?

 

Gear: I was going to bring my dive computer, my regs, gloves, snorkel and my mask. I guess if they don't have Pony's, I'll have to put an Octopus on my reg and plan on doing the buddy route.

 

It doesn't make sense to bring a dry suit or a 7mm wet suit to the Caribbean, and my BCD is way too bulky (although I could cross my fingers and hope it gets lost by the airlines so I can buy a new one).

 

Thanks for your answers.

[bruce-r]

Questions: Do Caribbean ops provide Pony bottles?

absolutely never. You'll never see a pony bottle in the Caribbean unless it has been brought by someone who brought it with them from home.

 

Will I be matched up with a complete stranger as a buddy,

Possibly, unless you dive with the ship's excursion which will likely be done as a group dive where everyone is expected to follow the DM.

 

Also, this is usually how dives are conducted in Cozumel as all diving there is drift diving.

 

or can I count on it being someone from my cruise?

Only if you dive with the ship's excursion, which I wouldn't do if I were you.

 

Will my C-Card saying "Open Water" prevent me from being able to participate in more fun stuff like wall dives?

No. The vast majority of cruise ship divers are more casual once a year kind of divers and haven't gone passed the basic "Open Water" cert.

 

Gear: I was going to bring my dive computer, my regs, gloves, snorkel and my mask.

That's all good, but you can definitely leave the gloves a home. The water isn't cold enough in the Caribbean to need them and they are against the rules in several places; Cozumel and Grand Cayman are two examples.

I guess if they don't have Pony's, I'll have to put an Octopus on my reg and plan on doing the buddy route.

Yep, you'll need an octo.

 

It doesn't make sense to bring a dry suit or a 7mm wet suit to the Caribbean,

You are correct, but you probably do want some form of thermal/physical protection anyway. My personal need is a 3 mm full suit minimum and I'm very comfortable in a 5/4 mm full suit in the winter.

[Pilot70D]

Let's take your questions in order.

 

No, most Caribbean dive operators do not have pony bottles.

 

Most dive operaotrs (but not all) will insist on all hands usingthe buddy system. Again in most but not all cases if you don't have a dive buddy the dive leader will be your dive buddy.

 

Your 'C' card will not preclude youu form any activities that dive operators are going to offer cruise ship divers. Thge dives they offer will be strictly recreational dives. If you're looking to go deeper with trimix forget it. Most dive shops in the Caribben don't have Nitrox let alone trimix. Some do but most have compressed air only. Also bear in minid that the overwhelming majority of dives offered to cruise ship passengers will be no more than medium difficulty. The depths will almost always range from 40' to 100' with a duration of 40-50 minutes. Many dive shop operators have an underlying assumption. That assumption is that most cruise ship divers are releatively inexperienced and are not the best divers in the world. This changes after you have been diving with a particular operator for a while but for that first go round don't be surprised if they double check everything you do.

 

In the Caribbean you won't need a thicker wet suit. Everyone is different but here is what we do and we have been diving all over the Caribbean usually in December. We are both quite comfortable in diveskins without wetsuits. We both have full 3/2 wetsuits but after the first couple of years we quit even bringing them along. Let me reiterate that everyone is different and there are those divers that wear 3MM wetsuits on all dives. To each his own and wetsuits are the easiest piece of equipment to rent if needed.

 

I would put an octopuss on my primary regulator. I have never had to use mine except in trianing classes but I wouldn't dive without it nor would I buddy with someone that doesn't have an octopuss. Just in case, you understand.

 

I hope this info is helpful and that you enjoy those Caribbean dives. :)

[redlef]

Do you bring a diveskin or 3/2 - or do the dive operators provide it? I assume tanks & weights are included, but do they charge extra for the BC? Or does the typical dive include ALL gear?

 

Dave

[Dabaras]

Do you bring a diveskin or 3/2 - or do the dive operators provide it? I assume tanks & weights are included, but do they charge extra for the BC? Or does the typical dive include ALL gear?

 

Dave

 

A lot of places have different prices (usually $10-$15 more) for using their gear versus bringing your own. Tanks and weights are always included. You can usually rent a wetsuit for about $5 or so for the day, but the size ranges they have can be problematic depending on the person.

[scubaran]

I'm a fairly experienced local diver, but have never dove on a cruise. I've got over 250 dives in the Northeast (NJ) over the past 8 years, in all sorts of conditions (near zero viz, cold, rough seas) and dive 11 months per year. (February's just a little too cold for me).

 

Going on NCL Jewel this month to the Caribbean.

 

My log book is on my PC (although dive computer has record of last 100 dives). Only certified Open Water (all they offered when I certified). We don't usually dive with buddies up here - although we use Pony bottles. As such, I haven't got an octopus.

 

Questions: Do Caribbean ops provide Pony bottles? Will I be matched up with a complete stranger as a buddy, or can I count on it being someone from my cruise? Will my C-Card saying "Open Water" prevent me from being able to participate in more fun stuff like wall dives?

 

Gear: I was going to bring my dive computer, my regs, gloves, snorkel and my mask. I guess if they don't have Pony's, I'll have to put an Octopus on my reg and plan on doing the buddy route.

 

It doesn't make sense to bring a dry suit or a 7mm wet suit to the Caribbean, and my BCD is way too bulky (although I could cross my fingers and hope it gets lost by the airlines so I can buy a new one).

 

Thanks for your answers.

 

Some additional details:

 

I usually don't bring my BCD (I dive in the northeast and it's too large for me out of my 7mm). I rent them from the dive shop (if you book on your own you'll need to let the operator know in advance, if you book with a ship's excurision they'll usually ask if you're missing any gear when you get on board). BCDs usually go between $5-10 per trip but save you having to lug one or buy another one just for occasional diving.

 

Add the Octo now. Since you dive so much, what I do is use my octo when I do my 3 min. saftey stop (or even when I do a shallow dive and my buddy agrees, dive a whole dive on it). Gets me used to taking it out and switching out my reg and makes sure it's working in case my buddy needs it (some of the buddies I've had in the Caribbean are really new, or don't dive more than 1-2 a year and can suck down air faster than they think so I like make sure I've got working equipment for them).

 

I use a 3mil but I'm old. :D A dive skin might be a better way for you to go, afterall you're used to 40-60 degree water and you'll be diving in water 70-80 degrees which will feel like hot tub water to your body. Also just to mention, the vis in the Caribbean is normally 50ft. + so watch your gauges. It's easy to get deep before you know it.

 

Caribbean dive ops usually go for show of hands who's dove in the last year. I don't ever remember having to break out my log book as proof. But you might print off your last two dives just to show you keep a log (and of course you can show your computer as well).

 

When you dive in the Caribbean you'll think you've gone to heaven. No heavy suits, ponys, flash lights, etc. You also won't need to depend as much on your compass as you can almost always just look up and see the bottom of the boat :) . For cold water divers, diving in the Caribbean is almost like diving naked thought most operators will frown on this practice.

 

Randall

[scubaran]

Oh, one more thing to think about, I know up here most cold water divers use din connectors on their regs, in the Caribbean I've only seen yoke connections. If you have a din, you might want to bring your own adaptor.

 

Randall

[redlef]

Oh, one more thing to think about, I know up here most cold water divers use din connectors on their regs, in the Caribbean I've only seen yoke connections. If you have a din, you might want to bring your own adaptor.

 

Randall

 

Thanks for that advice, Randall. I wouldn't have thought of it.

[bruce-r]

Your 'C' card will not preclude you from any activities that dive operators are going to offer cruise ship divers. ...... Also bear in minid that the overwhelming majority of dives offered to cruise ship passengers will be no more than medium difficulty. ......Let me reiterate that everyone is different and there are those divers that wear 3MM wetsuits on all dives. To each his own and wetsuits are the easiest piece of equipment to rent if needed.

All excellent points.

 

Oh, one more thing to think about, I know up here most cold water divers use din connectors on their regs, in the Caribbean I've only seen yoke connections. If you have a din, you might want to bring your own adaptor.

That must be an East Coast thing. Most of the divers on the West Coast that dive locally have yoke mount regs unless they are DIR or into tech. There are a few dive OP's in Cozumel who have DIN valves on their tanks, but they definitely are not the dive OP's the cruise ships use.

[redlef]

All excellent points.

 

That must be an East Coast thing. Most of the divers on the West Coast that dive locally have yoke mount regs unless they are DIR or into tech. There are a few dive OP's in Cozumel who have DIN valves on their tanks, but they definitely are not the dive OP's the cruise ships use.

 

DIN are better for HP 120 tanks. Or so, the owner of my dive shop sold, er - told me. :)

[scubaran]

DIN are better for HP 120 tanks. Or so, the owner of my dive shop sold, er - told me. :)

 

;) More common in the NorthEast (and Europe) than you think. I suspected you might be one of those DIN people. :D

 

Randall

[redlef]

;) More common in the NorthEast (and Europe) than you think. I suspected you might be one of those DIN people. :D

 

Randall

 

At least you didn't call me one of those DIM people :D