SCUBA Input Needed

Melinda79

New member
Good Morning All -

Me and my husband are trying to figure out where to go scuba diving (it'll be our first time). We're thinking about the following places: Grand Cayman, St. Lucia, or St. Thomas. However I'm open to suggestions. Please let me know which place you think would be best of the three AND if you have other suggestions please let me know that as well. Thank you in advance for your input!
 
Grand Cayman (never been to the other two so il just advice on GC)

Not only is getting there easy, once your there its so simple to get around. We stay away from the popular area (7mile beach) but when we want to go into georgetown its only a 20min drive. The poeple are super friendly and there is almost no crime. It is also not TOO expensive...

The diving, Dont pack a wetsuit ;) Its super warm crystal clear water year round. (winter months a wetsuit is actually advised). You can shore dive, boat dive, snorkel, you name it.

Places for new divers to check out: GC is great for new divers, low currents, great vis, good weather)

-Eden rock(shore dive) you and your husband can hire a dive master for a one tank shore dive for like $60. He/she will show you all around an amazing 40ft, swim through filled maze of coral in Devils grotto or Eden rock.
-Stingray city: Not really a dive, but if your in GC you gotta do it. You "dive" down to 15ft and literally 20+ stingrays will be on your group in minutes looking for food. Dont worry they are so used to people its almost funny.
-Rum point: nice beach paradice for renting aquatic gear and having a drink or two, or three, no diving but a must visit.
-Compass point night dive: Yes your not cert. for night diving but this dive is a little different, its max 20ft deep and at some points even your tank is out of the water because its so shallow. Its basically for fun, get to see tons of lobster, parrot fish sleeping, ect. enjoyable yet safe for the new diver. It was my first night dive, and it got me comftroble with the idea.

If you want any more info on Grand Cayman please feel free to PM me.

Oh and with the three locations you listed your going to have a great time no matter where you pick.
 
Thank you for the input! I was hoping you'd say that - lol. We stopped in Grand Cayman during our honeymoon cruise and absolutely fell in love with the place. It was so clean, and the people all seemed so friendly! We did the Stingray City adventure and had a blast. I was hoping the scuba diving was great there as well. I will PM you for more info closer in - thanks again!
 
Good Morning All -

Me and my husband...

"My husband and I."

You wouldn't say, "Me is trying to figure out..." You'd say, "I am trying to figure out..." Therefore, "I" is the correct pronoun, not "me."

...And it's much more polite to include the other person first in the sentence.

If you think that I'm picking on you, then rest assured - I correct everyone who says, "Me and _____ are..." So no, I'm not picking on you.

Hearing "Me and _____" is offensive to me, in the same way that you might be offended if I said, "Melinda and Mr. Melinda is think about scoobie divie on a pretty places."

It doesn't make you look too sharp, either - kinda "ghetto" - but that's a secondary consequence to me.
 
Oh,oh, Jay's become the grammar police :lol:

Melinda,

I've made a number of trips to the Caymans, it's a great place with great diving. While there is nice diving on the South side, the East End and North walls are spectacular. For those spots, I dove with Ocean Frontiers and can recommend them. Another good shore dive is the Turtle Farm, easy access and dive shop right there.

St. Thomas is nice, but Caymans are much nicer IMO. Haven't been to St. Lucia, but I've heard the diving is excellent there.
 
Thank you so much, billsreef. It's great to know what areas of the Caymans would be the prime spots for diving. I really appreciate the heads up on Ocean Frontiers - thank you for taking the time to post :)
 
"My husband and I."

You wouldn't say, "Me is trying to figure out..." You'd say, "I am trying to figure out..." Therefore, "I" is the correct pronoun, not "me."

...And it's much more polite to include the other person first in the sentence.

If you think that I'm picking on you, then rest assured - I correct everyone who says, "Me and _____ are..." So no, I'm not picking on you.

Hearing "Me and _____" is offensive to me, in the same way that you might be offended if I said, "Melinda and Mr. Melinda is think about scoobie divie on a pretty places."

It doesn't make you look too sharp, either - kinda "ghetto" - but that's a secondary consequence to me.

My mom was a grade school teacher. When I was growing up, if I ever got the "I" or "me" thing wrong, I was told to stop and say it over, correctly. So, now when I hear someone else say it wrong, it's offensive to me, too. But I have come to learn that it's even more offensive (to everyone else) to correct someone. So now I try to not let it get to me.

Melinda, Have you considered Roatan? Beautiful warm water, no current - easy diving. I did my cert. dives there and now am forever hooked on scuba. But I agree that CG, or the virgin islands would be wonderful as well.
 
But I have come to learn that it's even more offensive (to everyone else) to correct someone.

Yeah, but when the first person has already done the offending, I'm not particularly interested in "not offending" back. :D

The "Me and ____" phrase has become so commonplace anymore that it's become a cultural stigma. It goes with, "Yo," "Sup," "Jus' chillin'," and, "Naw, officer, that's not my weed."

...Another pet peeve is the use of the word, "at" at the end of a sentence... As in, "Where are you at?" There's just no reason for it, as "Where are you" works just fine. Again, it's a cultural thing, to speak like a retard and give the impression that you're "ghetto" or "from da hood," when in reality you're actually a very pretty blonde girl from an upper middle class family.

Even worse are those people who drop the "are" in the above sentence and simply say, "Where you at?" This is not an accident - this is purposely speaking in a fashion that paints you as a member of a social group. The speaker usually knows not to end a sentence with a preposition, but chooses to do so anyway in order to pretend to be a part of something that they're not.

By the way, it's the same social group that failed the first grade, wears their pants around their knees (offensively showing their underwear) and wears their hats sideways and shirts fifteen sizes too large. Why anyone would actively attempt to identify themselves as a part of such a mentally challenged group of individuals, I have no idea.

As a side note, I am watching two of them right now on another episode of "World's Dumbest Criminals." It seems that when the cops showed up, they were unable to run because their untied shoes and extreme-sized pants prevented a fast getaway. Please explain to me why you would want to be affiliated with these kinds of people.

When a young man shows up looking for one of my daughters with his pants hanging off his butt, I take my favorite comedian's advice and bring out the staple gun. "Son," I say, "Obviously you're going to have a problem keeping your pants on tonight, so to ensure that somehow they don't come off during the course of the evening, I'm going to staple them to your hips for you." :D

If they ever come back a second time (and they rarely do), they're sure to wear a belt. :D
 
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Honestly if you are offended by someone replacing "we" with a structured list, then you have a lot of issues in your life.

(Me and X) are doing something.
We are doing something.

This is unclear how? What part of the sentence can you not understand? The idea that "X and I" is in anyway more proper or clear than "Me and X" a myth, and is used by either misguided people who had it drilled into them, or by small minded types who feel the need to find ways of making themselves feel superior to others.


As for diving I would strongly suggest 3 things.
1. If possible you may wish to start with a few training classes before you leave for your trip. I know diving in a pool isn't the most interesting way to spend your money, but it will leave you more time to explore interesting dive sites while on the trip itself.
2. Invest in either a high quality waterproof camera, or a set of cheap disposable waterproof cameras. Having your only set of photos from a trip ruined by bad equipment is very unpleasant.
3. Invest in a pair of dive knives for each diver. In general you can rarely have too many good knives on you when you're diving, and it is far better to have too many than none at all. One friend who now dives professionally wears a dive knife on both fore arms, one on his right leg, and another on his chest (hilt down). I'm sure some will say this is excessive, and you should not encounter anything that would require a knife early on in your diving career, but better to have them and never need them. And why carry one when you have lots of spaces to strap them? The last thing you want if you get caught in a net is to have your knife tangled and inaccessible.
 
Honestly if you are offended by someone replacing "we" with a structured list, then you have a lot of issues in your life.

It's not a personal thing... It's like if I told you that "Your bee-atch was fine." :) Nothing personal - no "issues" to speak of... It's just that you wouldn't appreciate hearing something like that, even if it were true.

The idea that "X and I" is in anyway more proper or clear than "Me and X" a myth..."

I think you meant, "The idea that "X and I" is in any way more proper or clear than "Me and X" is a myth..." But I read through it anyway. It's funny, though, the concept of you giving grammar advice while making your own mistakes...

...But your point is incorrect anyway. One of the two will be marked "wrong" on any paper by any English or grammar teacher in the land, starting around the second grade. The other will not.

My bet is that you weren't your class leader on the verbal part of your SATs. :D

...and is used by either misguided people who had it drilled into them, or by small minded types who feel the need to find ways of making themselves feel superior to others.

The fact that I'm superior to you has nothing to do with this argument. :D

By the way, you should have that self-esteem issue looked into by your local counselor. :D

In general you can rarely have too many good knives on you when you're diving, and it is far better to have too many than none at all.

Weirdo. :D

One friend who now dives professionally wears a dive knife on both fore arms, one on his right leg, and another on his chest (hilt down).

Lol... I dove with that guy once. We called him "Sticky." :D

I'm sure some will say this is excessive, and you should not encounter anything that would require a knife early on in your diving career, but better to have them and never need them.

While you're getting counseling, have him look into this one, too. :D

And why carry one when you have lots of spaces to strap them? The last thing you want if you get caught in a net is to have your knife tangled and inaccessible.

Odd. Very odd. :D

In my professional diving career, I've never heard this kind of advice. At. :D
 
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Thank you so much, billsreef. It's great to know what areas of the Caymans would be the prime spots for diving. I really appreciate the heads up on Ocean Frontiers - thank you for taking the time to post :)

Talking diving is always a pleasure :D One of the things I like about the Caymans is the strong economy there, and lack of poverty. You can safely go off the beaten track without worry. Can't say the same for many other Islands.

As for diving I would strongly suggest 3 things.
1. If possible you may wish to start with a few training classes before you leave for your trip. I know diving in a pool isn't the most interesting way to spend your money, but it will leave you more time to explore interesting dive sites while on the trip itself.

Yup, if you can get your certification done at home, much better. If time and weather don't cooperate, even just getting the classroom and pool sessions out of the way are good. Then you can get a referral to do the final checkout dives at your destination.

3. Invest in a pair of dive knives for each diver. In general you can rarely have too many good knives on you when you're diving, and it is far better to have too many than none at all. One friend who now dives professionally wears a dive knife on both fore arms, one on his right leg, and another on his chest (hilt down). I'm sure some will say this is excessive, and you should not encounter anything that would require a knife early on in your diving career, but better to have them and never need them. And why carry one when you have lots of spaces to strap them? The last thing you want if you get caught in a net is to have your knife tangled and inaccessible.

A lot of Island destinations will not allow you to carry a knife. Even if they do, I'd highly recommend a pair of EMT Shears to carry as the primary cutting tool for entanglement. Shears are much more effective at cutting line underwater than a knife. Anyone doubting this just needs to actually try doing both underwater ;) That said, I generally carry 1 big knife (more of a digging and prying tool than anything), a small back up knife, and a pair of shears. If I could only dive with one, it would be the shears ;)
 
I frequently dive where there are lots of abandoned fishing lines and net remnants. I generally carry a small blunt tip knife with a line cutter notch on each forearm, and line cutter shears in a small holster on the front of my BC. Caribbean vacation diving is another story, though. Scuba operations there often forbid knives (and gloves) to keep the dumbos (this means you) from messing up the reef. I always bring a small sharp knife anyway, attached to the inside of my BC in an easily accessible spot.

The linguistic error that makes me grit my teeth, and which brands the transgressor as an illiterate is the use of 'less', when 'fewer' is the correct word. Actual or potentially quantifiable numbers must be described as 'fewer' when appropriate, while indefinite or unquantifiable things can be described as 'less': "There were fewer divers on the boat after the gloved knife carriers were banished. The hope was that there would be less damage to the reef." "Fewer people use English correctly because there is less concern about such things among reality show watchers". "Fewer employed workers means less money circulating in the economy". "Expensive gas means fewer drivers on the road"

When I hear things like "less people" or "less cars", I want to reach for my gloves and shears.
 
Thank you to all of you who offered recommendations regarding diving locations, how to get started, what to bring, etc. All of the information is greatly appreciated.
 
even though im only 33 learning scuba and going to at least one good diving loaction in my life is on my bucket list.
so a few more questions.....
I'm wanting to get certified localy, how much does training usually cost? Are there different levels of certification?
Are there any good diving spots in HI?
If I were to go to GC, do yourent gear there or do you bring your own or what?
whats includedin the diving session you purchased for said price?
Thanks
 
Training costs will vary greatly from shop to shop and also based upon location where competition may or may not be a factor. I was certified last winter/spring and as I recall it cost me $200 + books ($50) and basic equipment (mask, fins, snorkel & booties = $300) for private classroom and pool sessions. We all then went to Vortex Spring in Florida for our open water dives and that was another $450 which also included meals and lodging for 3 nights. All in all I ended up paying $1000 for Open Water, which included the basic equipment that I continue to use on every dive.

Currently my local shop is offering a 2 for $99 special which includes classroom and pool sessions only. This rate is for groups only, with private or semi-private costing more.

My younger sister who lives on the Outer Banks in NC called me the other day to ask if $320 was a good price for full Open Water certification... I told her it depends on what that particular shops version of "full OW" is! It turns out that they provide all gear from their rental pool so that she doesn't need to buy anything, and the $320 includes everything from classroom & books to OW check dives and the C-Card. That was actually the best price I've heard of!

In regards to different certifications, there are tons with numerous agencies, but the "basic" is Open Water. From there it's advised that you take Advanced Open Water which as I understand used to be taught all as 1 class several years ago. It's been my understanding that "Open Water" was split into 2 different certs to make the basic much easier for pretty much anyone to become certified. Beyond OW and AOW, there are still numerous classes as your diving progresses. I currently hold 6 different certifications and am working on finishing 3 more before advancing to a new certifying agency for much higher level "technical" certifications.


BTW: My pet peeve in regards to the obliteration of the English language is the misspelling of "INPUT". I want to scream whenever I see IMPUT written, because it is not a word! You may as well be speaking or writing a variant dialect of Klingon and Swahili, because the end result would mean have the same meaning. :hmm4:

-Tim
 
even though im only 33 learning scuba and going to at least one good diving loaction in my life is on my bucket list.
so a few more questions.....
I'm wanting to get certified localy, how much does training usually cost? Are there different levels of certification?
Are there any good diving spots in HI?
If I were to go to GC, do yourent gear there or do you bring your own or what?
whats includedin the diving session you purchased for said price?
Thanks
Wow, alot of questions.
Training should run in the $250 to $350 range, maybe more, maybe less. Some training centers offer deals occasionally. There are many training levels, beginning with your basic Open Water certification, which is the minimum certification required to rent or fill tanks and to dive with a dive operation in places like HI and CG.
Good diving spots in HI? Well, when I was there years ago I was only snorkeling, so I can't speak from personal knowledge, but I have no doubt that there are awesome dive spots there.
In CG, as with just about any dive locale, you can rent everything you need or left behind. Typically people don't travel with their own tanks or weights - not air travel friendly. Other that that rent or bring your own - it's up to you.
When I was trained, I was asked to buy my own mask, fins, booties and snorkel for the training. They would have supplied them for the training but if you're really serious about getting in to the sport, these are essentials that you probably want to own, especially the mask, as the fit of your mask is critical for your diving enjoyment.
Hope that helps.
 
Ah, Tim, you beat me to the punch.

BTW, I had to preview my post carefully to correct any grammar and spelling errors now that we're held to a higher standard. :spin2:
 
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