Back from Cozumel

[Kevbarnes11]

You guys are way too anal. You need to loosen up a little. I have now been on 4 resort dives and no one has died in the process. It is not like we are going 100 feet. You normally go 40 to 45 feet max. I guess the dive master felt comfortable enough to go a little deeper. I am sure this was not his first rodeo. I wanted to go deeper, but he would not go. I am not an idiot or use bad judgement. I like to push the envelope a little, but who doesn't? No one else was at risk because it was just he and I on the first dive. If I would have freaked out or felt uncomfortable, he would not have sent me on the drift dive. You are going to die somehow. If I die diving because I am uncertified, so be it. I would at least see come cool things on my way out. I do not need your little finger waving or your lectures. I think I am old enough to make my own decisions. I do want to go on a night dive, so I might be able to pay a resort diver enough money for him to take me. I am kidding about that. I will get certified so I can enjoy a night dive.

Love always,
Kevin

 

[Codeman00]

I stayed at Captain Don's in Bonaire...it's right next to Buddy Dive Resort. I tried to get in Buddy Dive Resort but they were booked that week. It worked out pretty well for us except they didn't have the drive thru tank refill station which would have been nice! I loved the diving but after awhile, I realized how much I missed the big stuff such as sharks, grouper, etc that I saw on dives in the Bahamas. In Bonaire, you really had to pay attention to detail...look in every fold of the corals for little shrimp and other critters. Different diving and it was beautiful.

I remember driving by Dive Flamingo on the way to the other dive sites...I think we stopped at the dive shop there one time.

Wow, 4 hours of training at a resort course....that's not so bad. That's enough to get the basics down and enough water action to make sure you aren't going to freak out underwater.

 

[Drifters Reef]

There are some dive boats that provide an intro dive for folks without a dive certification. That training lasts as long as the boat ride to the dive spot.

--Drifters reef
certified since 1975

 

[joubentwin]

How long does it take to get the right certification to go diving?

 

[Codeman00]

About a month on average. There are class sessions, pool sessions, and then a few open water dives at the end either in the ocean or in a lake or rock quarry. Usually the classes and pool sessions can be taken care of quick but it's the date of the open water session that might extend things a bit (depending on weather, timing, etc).

I would recommend going to a rock quarry for your check out dives. If you can handle a murky rock quarry, you can handle the ocean no problem. I'd like to see Kevin's reactions at about 30 feet in a murky rock quarry.

 

[neuroslicer]

I remember diving in the Chesapeake Bay in August for my master's research. At that time of year, visibility is about 4 feet due to the turbulence of the water and the loose sediment. And the sea nettles are extremely plentiful and big in late summer! We're talking tentacles of 2 - 4 feet long. It was as thick as swimming through a kelp forest, except for the stinging nematocysts! Even being an experience diver, it was pretty nerve racking. I would suck down a tank of air in less than 30 minutes!

 

[redhawk44cb]

I'd like to see Kevin and Cody box.

 

[gflat65]

My wife did several Saturday's at th shop for the class material and the basics in a pool. We decided to wait on the open water part of the cert until we went to a real dive location. The dive shop (Yucatek) in Playa del Carmen (south of Cancun) finished the open water cert for her. Just an excuse to work in a dive trip.

 

[gflat65]

And speaking of quarries (missed that the first time through), I got my open water in Pelham Alabama at Bluewater Quarry. I think quarries are a great way to start so you really appreciate the ocean. My wife did a quarry dive with me after being in the ocean (her first) and she wasn't to excited. I like the temp changes. I love to drop below the thermocline and bask in the cold water. I'm a weirdo...