Scuba Divers - a little advice please
Discussion
I've never dived before but am heading to Cuba in a few days and thought I might learn, or at least have a taster dive or two.
Having read a little, they don't have PADI schools where I'll be and the diving is either through arrangement with the hotel or an SSI school. I'm not familiar with either concept, and not being a diver don't want to any additional risks. I'll definitely be outside my comfort zone doing this, but its something I'd like to try.
So, is the SSI school well thought of? Are the hotel dives generally safe? Is there anything I need to make sure they do/don't do before signing up for a/some dives?
Thanks in advance.
Having read a little, they don't have PADI schools where I'll be and the diving is either through arrangement with the hotel or an SSI school. I'm not familiar with either concept, and not being a diver don't want to any additional risks. I'll definitely be outside my comfort zone doing this, but its something I'd like to try.
So, is the SSI school well thought of? Are the hotel dives generally safe? Is there anything I need to make sure they do/don't do before signing up for a/some dives?
Thanks in advance.
PADI aren't in Cuba due to the whole Cuba/USA issue nothing more than that, but you should be absolutely fine with an SSI school. In general even a non diver can tell a good professional outfit from a cowboy but good pointers along with a general impression (i.e how they present themselves etc) are things like first aid kits, oxygen bottles (not air bottles but first aid oxygen being avaliable), safety briefs, vhf radio's (not just cell phones) but it's a gut feel more than anything. Don't be suprised if they are very laid back that's not unusal or a bad thing and shouldn't be confused with not caring, but you should get the impression that under the chilled out, laid back, holiday persona is an organisation that knows it's bannanas.
With PADI being a US orgainsiation they are not allowed to trade in Cuba which is one reason why Cuba is a pretty cool place! However there is PADI instructors in Cuba but these "kind of holiday" with their students and sort out the certs and what have you at your local office (PADI UK) so maybe something going on with the hotel.
SSI are alright and are recognised around the world.
If you just going to try a Discover Scuba thing it doesn't really matter who you try it with PADI or SSI
As for picking out a dive shop, I always have a chat with them first and kind of gauge what they are like from that. If they are passionate about their diving it shows through then they usually get my business. If their kit looks well maintained and not to shabby its usually a good sign.
Have fun, diving is awesome and once you get the hang of it, its really really relaxing.
SSI are alright and are recognised around the world.
If you just going to try a Discover Scuba thing it doesn't really matter who you try it with PADI or SSI
As for picking out a dive shop, I always have a chat with them first and kind of gauge what they are like from that. If they are passionate about their diving it shows through then they usually get my business. If their kit looks well maintained and not to shabby its usually a good sign.
Have fun, diving is awesome and once you get the hang of it, its really really relaxing.
Just looked on YD, many of the Cuba threads e.g. this one seem to recommend this dive centre: Scuba-en-cuba
Apparently it's run by the woman who (literally) "wrote the book" on diving in Cuba.
General advice seems to be:
Make sure you have insurance,
Make sure you have insurance,
and of course,
Make sure you have insurance.
Apparently it's run by the woman who (literally) "wrote the book" on diving in Cuba.
General advice seems to be:
Make sure you have insurance,
Make sure you have insurance,
and of course,
Make sure you have insurance.
aclivity said:
Just looked on YD, many of the Cuba threads e.g. this one seem to recommend this dive centre: Scuba-en-cuba
Apparently it's run by the woman who (literally) "wrote the book" on diving in Cuba.
General advice seems to be:
Make sure you have insurance,
Make sure you have insurance,
and of course,
Make sure you have insurance.
And breath out when you come up.Apparently it's run by the woman who (literally) "wrote the book" on diving in Cuba.
General advice seems to be:
Make sure you have insurance,
Make sure you have insurance,
and of course,
Make sure you have insurance.
Just to add - Tips for a good school.
- They ask about your medical history - sinus problems, hearing problems, last time you had a cold.
- You got talked at and demonstrated to on dry land a lot. They spend a lot of time explaining what to do if stuff goes wrong.
- You spend some time in a pool / very shallow sheltered bay getting used to having your head underwater
- You don't go much beyond about 5m on your first dive - certainly no more than 10m. Interestingly BSAC no longer list novice diver as one of their grades, but IIRC max deoth for that was 12m. Does this align it with PADI now?
- The instructor to pupil ratio is low.
Take your own first aid kit, make it a good one full of plasters, medi-wipes, a small sterile sharp blade, sutures stitches, etc etc. and take it with you on the boat in your dive bag.
They come in handy when you crash into the coral when trying to get out of the way of the big fat German doing his best u-boat impression and full speed.
Also you blood looks green when down about 20m.
oh & get a 3mm shorty wet suit from here before you go as well, I've noticed they have seemed to really come down in price lately.
They come in handy when you crash into the coral when trying to get out of the way of the big fat German doing his best u-boat impression and full speed.
Also you blood looks green when down about 20m.
oh & get a 3mm shorty wet suit from here before you go as well, I've noticed they have seemed to really come down in price lately.
Miguel Alvarez said:
I tried diving for the 1st time a couple of weeks ago and really liked it. It's a bit of a brain f
k when you first put you head under the water and have to rely on the rig but after the 1st few breaths it becomes pretty good fun.
It's bloomin' funny watching a pool full of beginners all submerge and then see how many of them leap back up again when their brain tells them they can't breathe under water.... k when you first put you head under the water and have to rely on the rig but after the 1st few breaths it becomes pretty good fun. I guess I am just too thick because that never bothered me at all, I just thought - how cool is this, I am sitting at the bottom of a pool...
The other thing I would add, having been involved in commercial diving for 30 + years, but never ventured into the sport diving world, (So I know a bit about diving), I would just say if you are to carry out open water dives, I would suggest ensure they have a Recompression Chamber available, within 4 hours of the dive site.
Also maybe ask who they use for advice on decompression illness, your local G.P. is not the guy to be asking.
Even with the best planning in the world, things can go wrong. And this is fact, even if you stick to the dive table to the letter, you may still suffer an incident of Decompression Illness, (Used to be called Decompression Sickness).
Then you will need recompression. Dont't want to put off, recreational diving is fun, more so with the warm and clear waters overseas, (Except GOM), so take care, have fun, and enjoy it.
Also maybe ask who they use for advice on decompression illness, your local G.P. is not the guy to be asking.
Even with the best planning in the world, things can go wrong. And this is fact, even if you stick to the dive table to the letter, you may still suffer an incident of Decompression Illness, (Used to be called Decompression Sickness).
Then you will need recompression. Dont't want to put off, recreational diving is fun, more so with the warm and clear waters overseas, (Except GOM), so take care, have fun, and enjoy it.
Maxf said:
I'll definitely be outside my comfort zone doing this, but its something I'd like to try.
Why not find a local club and do a try dive just so you don't waste time out there? My club do this quite often for people and it costs them a tenner for about an hour and a bit in the pool just helping people get used to the whole breathing underwater etc no doubt they'll be able to offer some advice on diving out there as well. http://www.bsac.com/findit.asp?section=1420
I presume you are going on holiday there anyway? If so, go to the Scuba guys and ask about it. As others have said, you will do a session in the pool for free anyway so this will give you a taster. If you like it then you can go out and do a proper dive. I have done all-inclusive holidays the last 2 years to Cuba and Dominican Republic, both resorts offered free training/tasters in the pool first. I did Scuba in Dominican, the team were fantastic and the dive was incredible.
As long as you are happy to be in water and can swim to a basic level, you will be fine. You will use up your air faster if you are a weaker swimmer and more of a panicker but you will still have a long time down there. I am a strong swimmer and generally very good in and under water and so I was very calm down there, my friend was obviously not quite as much and used twice the oxygen I did, but we still had around 35 minutes of diving. We got down to around 12.5 metres but you don't realise how deep you are because of how gradually you go down, its only when you come back to the surface that you realise.
As someone else said, it is really relaxing so far under the water and also very surreal. A fantastic experience that you can't explain to somebody else, you just need to do it for yourself and see how fantastic it is.
As long as you are happy to be in water and can swim to a basic level, you will be fine. You will use up your air faster if you are a weaker swimmer and more of a panicker but you will still have a long time down there. I am a strong swimmer and generally very good in and under water and so I was very calm down there, my friend was obviously not quite as much and used twice the oxygen I did, but we still had around 35 minutes of diving. We got down to around 12.5 metres but you don't realise how deep you are because of how gradually you go down, its only when you come back to the surface that you realise.
As someone else said, it is really relaxing so far under the water and also very surreal. A fantastic experience that you can't explain to somebody else, you just need to do it for yourself and see how fantastic it is.
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