new diver to be. questions please

Hi everyone!

So I have several questions and thought I'd come here to the boards to ask.

Here's a little background. I LOVE LOVE LOVE diving. I have only done 6 or 7 beginner dives, all from the cruiseline.

I'm ready to get certified and do some bigger/longer/deeper dives.

Here's my concerns.

1st. I have no one to dive with because dh cannot dive due to medical reasons. He's given me the thumbs up on diving without him because he knows I LOVE it. He's very supportive. :) Will I have a buddy? Will anyone care if I don't come up? Will they notice i'm missing if I were to be? Will I still get to dive if I don't have a buddy?

2. I own snorkel gear that I have used on my beginner dives. Do I need to buy more? Do I really need booties? A wetsuit?

3. The regulator (that's the button in my mouth right that provides air?) hurts! I have a small mouth....and that thing tears my mouth to pieces each time I have dived. Is this something I can buy on my own or request a smaller one? I have mentioned it in the past on beginner dives and I'm kinda brushed off regarding it. It truly is the only complaint I ever have (except that the dive is over). Can I just buy that regulator and pop it on a tank.

4. As of now, I'm fairly certain the only dives I will be doing will be while I'm on a cruise ship, therefore probably flying in to an embarkation port. What equipment on my own should I really need? Budget will be important to me. I'm fairly certain I can rent items. What is usually included with a dive? Renting vs. buying advice?

5. As a loner diver, am I better going with a ship's dive excursion?

I'm ready to take the plunge! It's the most amazing experience and I cannot wait to get started!!!

Thanks in advance for any tips, answers, advice etc.

Hi everyone!

So I have several questions and thought I'd come here to the boards to ask.

 

Here's a little background. I LOVE LOVE LOVE diving. I have only done 6 or 7 beginner dives, all from the cruiseline.

 

I'm ready to get certified and do some bigger/longer/deeper dives.

 

Here's my concerns.

 

1st. I have no one to dive with because dh cannot dive due to medical reasons. He's given me the thumbs up on diving without him because he knows I LOVE it. He's very supportive. :) Will I have a buddy? Will anyone care if I don't come up? Will they notice i'm missing if I were to be? Will I still get to dive if I don't have a buddy?

 

2. I own snorkel gear that I have used on my beginner dives. Do I need to buy more? Do I really need booties? A wetsuit?

 

3. The regulator (that's the button in my mouth right that provides air?) hurts! I have a small mouth....and that thing tears my mouth to pieces each time I have dived. Is this something I can buy on my own or request a smaller one? I have mentioned it in the past on beginner dives and I'm kinda brushed off regarding it. It truly is the only complaint I ever have (except that the dive is over). Can I just buy that regulator and pop it on a tank.

 

4. As of now, I'm fairly certain the only dives I will be doing will be while I'm on a cruise ship, therefore probably flying in to an embarkation port. What equipment on my own should I really need? Budget will be important to me. I'm fairly certain I can rent items. What is usually included with a dive? Renting vs. buying advice?

 

5. As a loner diver, am I better going with a ship's dive excursion?

 

I'm ready to take the plunge! It's the most amazing experience and I cannot wait to get started!!!

 

Thanks in advance for any tips, answers, advice etc.

1) any reputable dive master will make sure you have a buddy. Never dive alone!

2) snorkel gear us okay

. We have the kind of finds that you wear the little booties with. Great if you have to walk over rocks, etc. You can buy your own wet suit or rent.

3) They make kids regulators. Try those one for size. Lots if people bring their own integral regulators/dive computer. It's nice to have equipment you are familiar with.

4) totally up to you how much gear you want to buy/bring g. For the amount if diving we do, it makes much more sense to rent on site rather than pack and pay for heavy gear. My kids five a lot more, so they feel the opposite.

5) I prefer ships tours because of the convenience factor but nothing wrong with setting things up privately. You may find divers on your roll calls to chum with .

Always bring your dive certificate and log book, make sure you know how long it can be since your last dive before you need a check out dive. Make sure your insurance through DAN is UTD. And enjoy. It's an amazing world down there.

1) any reputable dive master will make sure you have a buddy. Never dive alone!

2) snorkel gear us okay

. We have the kind of finds that you wear the little booties with. Great if you have to walk over rocks, etc. You can buy your own wet suit or rent.

3) They make kids regulators. Try those one for size. Lots if people bring their own integral regulators/dive computer. It's nice to have equipment you are familiar with.

4) totally up to you how much gear you want to buy/bring g. For the amount if diving we do, it makes much more sense to rent on site rather than pack and pay for heavy gear. My kids five a lot more, so they feel the opposite.

5) I prefer ships tours because of the convenience factor but nothing wrong with setting things up privately. You may find divers on your roll calls to chum with .

 

Always bring your dive certificate and log book, make sure you know how long it can be since your last dive before you need a check out dive. Make sure your insurance through DAN is UTD. And enjoy. It's an amazing world down there.

Thanks for the info.

one other question...

Insurance UTD? what insurance?

Thanks for the info.

one other question...

Insurance UTD? what insurance?

DAN or http://www.diversalertnetwork.org is really great, cheap insurance for divers.

Hi everyone!

So I have several questions and thought I'd come here to the boards to ask.

 

Here's a little background. I LOVE LOVE LOVE diving. I have only done 6 or 7 beginner dives, all from the cruiseline.

 

I'm ready to get certified and do some bigger/longer/deeper dives.

 

Here's my concerns.

 

1st. I have no one to dive with because dh cannot dive due to medical reasons. He's given me the thumbs up on diving without him because he knows I LOVE it. He's very supportive. :) Will I have a buddy? Will anyone care if I don't come up? Will they notice i'm missing if I were to be? Will I still get to dive if I don't have a buddy?

 

2. I own snorkel gear that I have used on my beginner dives. Do I need to buy more? Do I really need booties? A wetsuit?

 

3. The regulator (that's the button in my mouth right that provides air?) hurts! I have a small mouth....and that thing tears my mouth to pieces each time I have dived. Is this something I can buy on my own or request a smaller one? I have mentioned it in the past on beginner dives and I'm kinda brushed off regarding it. It truly is the only complaint I ever have (except that the dive is over). Can I just buy that regulator and pop it on a tank.

 

4. As of now, I'm fairly certain the only dives I will be doing will be while I'm on a cruise ship, therefore probably flying in to an embarkation port. What equipment on my own should I really need? Budget will be important to me. I'm fairly certain I can rent items. What is usually included with a dive? Renting vs. buying advice?

 

5. As a loner diver, am I better going with a ship's dive excursion?

 

I'm ready to take the plunge! It's the most amazing experience and I cannot wait to get started!!!

 

Thanks in advance for any tips, answers, advice etc.

You're in a not very different position than many people.

First, a lot of your concerns will be addressed during your Open Water Diver course, so please don't get too concerned in advance of that.

As for dive buddies, yes you will absolutely always have one. What will happen when you go diving is that there will either be an odd or even number of divers. If even, that means someone else on the boat is also without a partner for that trip, and you'll be paired up with them. The term you'll hear is "Insta-Buddy", meaning you're paired up on the spot with someone you've never met before. Your instructor will cover this situation in your class, but it puts a little extra weight on your shoulder. You should spend some time talking with that person, and discussing their equipment and experience. By all means let them know if you're a new diver, and listen for what they tell you about their experience. If there's an even number of divers, you'll general buddy up with the dive master. This is a two edged sword. You'll get first crack at anything interesting they spot, and have the person with the most knowledge of the site as your buddy; but your buddy will have heightened responsibility for the entire group. A third option sometimes used is a three-diver buddy team. This can work quite well if you have people you've perhaps dove with in a prior port, and you're already comfortable with. In any event, as the prior post stated, you will always have a buddy. An Open Water Diver course certifies you as an "Autonomous Diver", but that does not mean you're certified to dive alone. A dive buddy is an absolute requirement every dive.

Most shops/instructors will require you own a "snorkeling system" of your own for your Open Water course. It sounds like you do. If this is a cheap set you bought at a big box store, you may be advised that you need to get gear suitable for scuba. As for booties, if you have closed-heel fins, you can't use booties. They only work with open-heel fins. Those are much more comfortable than the closed-heel, and the booties are awfully nice both when walking on the wet deck of the dive boat, and more so when shore diving. Finally, if you're ever diving in colder waters, the boots serve as part of your exposure protection, keeping your feet warmer. As for a wetsuit, if you were comfortable without on your Discover Scuba dives, you will also be comfortable elsewhere in the Caribbean. I own one for local diving, but never wear one in the tropics.

As far as buying more equipment, you really needn't right away. Diving with your own gear is more comfortable, both because it's fitted for you, and because you're familiar with it; however, taking some time and working with your instructor and staff at the dive shop where you take your course will allow you to see what you really like. I have all my own gear, and pack all of it when I go diving on cruises. It's something of a hassle to do so, but well worth it. Once you own your mask snorkel fins (and boots if applicable) the next piece of equipment I'd recommend is a dive computer. Properly used a dive computer enhances your safety, allows you to get more out of diving, and will help you track how your dives are going, so you'll see your progress; and makes logging your dives easier and more detailed. Best of all it takes no more room to pack than a wristwatch.

You can buy mouthpieces that will likely be far more comfortable than what's been on the rental gear you've been using. Your shop will help you for sure on this. Buying your own complete regulator is part of owning your total diving system, and represents a large portion of the investment in that gear. the discomfort you're having sounds like an issue with a "one-size-fits-nobody" piece of rental gear. A six or seven dollar mouthpiece will resolve it most likely.

When you book dives they will typically quote two prices. With rental gear and without. With gear means you're expected to show up with your certification card, your log book, and your money. They provide everything. Without means the operator will provide you only air cylinders and weights. You bring all the rest of the equipment. Even before I owned all my own gear, I'd bring my own mask, snorkel, fins and boots. The price wasn't lower, but the comfort factor made it worth it.

The ship's excursion versus booking independently has many factors to consider, only one of which is your level of experience and comfort. Generally the ship's excursions are geared toward relatively new divers, and they're going to be used to divers newly certified. However, they also tend to be larger groups. Since the cruise line has negotiated the price down considerably, a larger group creates an economy of scale to counter that. I almost always book independently, and usually that works well. If nothing else, you can make it clear during the booking process what your level of experience is, then the operator can do more to tailor the experience to you.

Finally, the UTD in the above post almost surely means "Up To Date". You can purchase an annual policy from DAN (Diver's Alert Network) that covers you world wide for diving accidents. This can be important as many regular travel insurance policies specifically exclude scuba, along with other recreational activities. The DAN policy won't replace travel insurance (although they also offer an annual travel policy), but you likely want to add it. Like all insurance, you don't need it at all until you need it very much. :)

If I can help any further, please feel free to click the link below and send an email.

Harris

Denver, CO

I see you're in Texas, you should come over to Santa Rosa New Mexico and dive in the blue hole. it's worldwide known for its clearness of the water. Diving all the time occurs here.

Thanks for the great info!

I'm super excited and have been wanting to do this for a long time. I figured it would never happen since my husband has a heart condition and cannot dive but he said go ahead...and i'm not giving him a moment to change his mind lol.

thank you....i hope to eventually dive all over the world!:D

I can see this now...you get one item, then you buy another, then you want something else, and so on and so on lol.

i hope to eventually dive all over the world!:D

 

I can see this now...you get one item, then you buy another, then you want something else, and so on and so on lol.

Cruising and diving make a good combination if your goal is to dive a lot of places. I've been able to dive all over the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, French Polynesia, the Middle East, and India. I can assure that cruise ships are the only way that was possible for someone of my means.

As for equipment, the "Total Diving System" is considered to be the snorkeling system (we've discussed), the air delivery system (first stage, second stage, and then either a redundant second stage or an Air2 type second regulator), the buoyancy compensator (BC) - which if you get your own will certainly have an integrated weight feature; and the information system - your pressure gauge, your depth gauge, a compass and likely your dive computer. Finally there's your exposure system - wetsuit, boots and possibly a hood and gloves.

The computer is easy to purchase as a stand-alone item, as the advantages of having it air integrated don't really justify the cost in my opinion.

The next three parts, the regulator, the gauges and the BC; you likely want to purchase together. The gauges are directly connected to the regulator, and a BC can have your second regulator as part of it (the Air2), but this requires a slightly different connection on the regulator-to-BC hose. In other words, that's where you're going to lay out a big chunk of money. Since it's the biggest portion, it's also where you want to spend some time evaluating your options, and making sure you choose what's best for you. Better to spend a little more to get it just right, than spend money twice. :)

For sure complete your OW course before investing beyond the snorkeling system, and probably get a few dives under your belt then decide what you want.

Harris

Denver, CO

Mouthpiece.... I too have a small mouth, and I found the confo-bite mouthpiece works so well, we bought one for my son (who had braces) and my husband. It works great, and you don't have to bite down on it to hold it in your mouth, it work by hooking around on your from teeth front and back. There is a little bit touching the roof of your mouth but you get used to it quickly..... best part, no jaw fatigue!

The comfo-bite mouthpiece comes standard on all Aqualung regulators, but you can buy it seperately.

Mouthpiece.... I too have a small mouth, and I found the confo-bite mouthpiece works so well, we bought one for my son (who had braces) and my husband. It works great, and you don't have to bite down on it to hold it in your mouth, it work by hooking around on your from teeth front and back. There is a little bit touching the roof of your mouth but you get used to it quickly..... best part, no jaw fatigue!

The comfo-bite mouthpiece comes standard on all Aqualung regulators, but you can buy it seperately.

Thanks for the info.