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Any of you SCUBA?


WWVaBeach

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I've dived for about 12 years ... cold water only. Can't fit into my suit anymore, and I've seen about all there is to see in the Puget Sound. I'm going to Cancun next week, and am seriously thinking of getting recertified for the trip.

 

 

I actually enjoy diving very much, but don't get enough time to do it consistently. I was in Cancun in February, went diving twice, once off the coast of Cancun and once in Cozumel. The Cancun dive was nice to get my feet wet again, but the dive off Cozumel (about a 3 hour bus ride away) was absolutely fantastic. I would highly recommend it.

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I actually enjoy diving very much, but don't get enough time to do it consistently. I was in Cancun in February, went diving twice, once off the coast of Cancun and once in Cozumel. The Cancun dive was nice to get my feet wet again, but the dive off Cozumel (about a 3 hour bus ride away) was absolutely fantastic. I would highly recommend it.

 

Thanks :P

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I love to dive and go at least a few times a month. Right now I've got my rescue diver certification, and probably at the end of the year I'm going to get into a dive-master program. Anyone who hasn't done it should do it whenever you have the opportunity. One of the coolest things out there to do!

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Thanks :beer:

 

Cozumel is one is the truly great dive sites in the entire hemisphere. The Great Mayan Reef is the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and Cozumel sits right on it. I rented everything down there, and it was fine.

 

My dive in Cozumel was off San Francisco reef. Beautiful. 40-50' dive.

 

I do hear that Columbia Reef and Punta Sur are even better, but its a much deeper dive...90'. I have not gone that deep and didn't have the requisite time to decompress from that before my flight back.

 

Here's a map for you...

 

http://www.aquasafari.com/divesites.html

 

And a little airplane reading for you...

 

http://www.cozumeldiveguide.com/purchase.php

 

If you want to get recertified in Cancun, and have a good local dive before checking out Cozumel...

 

http://www.cancun-aquasports.com/scubadiving/scubadiving.htm

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OK, I realize this has gone off the original post, but I do have a SCUBA question for anyone out there. I got certified in 2005, but for various complications, my divemaster didn't sign my divebook and I didn't record the time, depth, etc. of my final 2 dives either. I have the card, and I did complete certification, though. Is this going to be an issue next time I dive? In essence, does owning and keeping a divebook really matter? Also, I'm not positive, but I think I need to take a recertification lesson or something before I go diving again since it's been nearly 3 years, correct?

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I've been diving since the 70's and thoroughly enjoy warm water as opposed to cold water. Would love to dive Truk lagoon or the waters of the Normandy Beachheads (I would cold water dive for that) but those are just pipe dreams.

By the way John, my masters thesis was regarding preventing shark attacks.

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I've been diving since the 70's and thoroughly enjoy warm water as opposed to cold water. Would love to dive Truk lagoon or the waters of the Normandy Beachheads (I would cold water dive for that) but those are just pipe dreams.

By the way John, my masters thesis was regarding preventing shark attacks.

 

Boats. Boats prevent shark attacks. That's the easiest way to stay safe. Also, staying on the damn plane is the easiest way to avoid a parachute accident. :beer:

 

In all seriousness, I've thought about doing this too. I live in a suburb of Atlanta, though. All we really have are mud-pits that they call lakes and small 'rivers' full of catfish. Is it something one can learn to do and get certified in in a couple days? Or is it a long process? Could I do the whole thing on vacation?

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I've been diving since the 70's and thoroughly enjoy warm water as opposed to cold water. Would love to dive Truk lagoon or the waters of the Normandy Beachheads (I would cold water dive for that) but those are just pipe dreams.

By the way John, my masters thesis was regarding preventing shark attacks.

 

I have a reocurring dream that my family is on a ship (and dont ask me why but it is a spanish gallion like in Pirates of the Carribean) and my 12 year old daughter falls into the water. Then everyone starts screaming because out of nowhere a shark with JAWS type proportions (bigger actually it is the size of a blue whale but its a great white) is slowly methodically coming towards her.

 

She is a goner and everyone is screaming. I reach over and grab a knife from the man standing next to me and dive into the water.......the Shark takes me and my daughter lives as they pull her to safety by a rope while I am fighting a losing battle with the monster.

 

I am facinated and terrified of them at the same time.

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OK, I realize this has gone off the original post, but I do have a SCUBA question for anyone out there. I got certified in 2005, but for various complications, my divemaster didn't sign my divebook and I didn't record the time, depth, etc. of my final 2 dives either. I have the card, and I did complete certification, though. Is this going to be an issue next time I dive? In essence, does owning and keeping a divebook really matter? Also, I'm not positive, but I think I need to take a recertification lesson or something before I go diving again since it's been nearly 3 years, correct?

Every dive shop had different rules, but by "regs":

 

You shouldn't need your dive log at all as long as you have your card. And really, if you only had your dive log they wouldn't let you dive unless they checked your status. The dive log is used more to find out how experienced you are to handle different types of dives. You'd be surprised how stupid people can be with diving, telling divemasters how great and experienced they are when they really don't know crap. Anyway, it's a good idea to keep track of your dives, but not mandatory.

 

You do not HAVE to complete a refresher before going out again, but it's not a bad idea. There is no expiration date on the cert. but jumping in the water again after 3 years could be disorienting, and that's not the place to be disoriented. Again, a specific dive shop may have their own rules about this one.

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Or is it a long process? Could I do the whole thing on vacation?

Basic Open Water certification can be done in 3 days in most places (standard class is a week, but they have 3 day accelerated courses), and on vacation is how most people end up getting certified. But keep in mind it's 3 FULL days, so it's not something to do if you're wanting to spend your nights out doing other things (very draining).

 

There's also a lot of places that will take you out one time without a certification. You usually go in for about 3 or 4 hours before the dive and learn the very basics that you'll need for an easy dive, and when you go out the instructor is with you the whole time. Overall a lot cheaper, one day, and you get a taste of it before getting into the full thing.

 

BTW, for this post and the one above, I'm talking PADI certification (which I recommend, look them up). There are different certs that I know nothing about.

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Every dive shop had different rules, but by "regs":

 

You shouldn't need your dive log at all as long as you have your card. And really, if you only had your dive log they wouldn't let you dive unless they checked your status. The dive log is used more to find out how experienced you are to handle different types of dives. You'd be surprised how stupid people can be with diving, telling divemasters how great and experienced they are when they really don't know crap. Anyway, it's a good idea to keep track of your dives, but not mandatory.

 

You do not HAVE to complete a refresher before going out again, but it's not a bad idea. There is no expiration date on the cert. but jumping in the water again after 3 years could be disorienting, and that's not the place to be disoriented. Again, a specific dive shop may have their own rules about this one.

Thanks for the info. My cert is PADI, and I figured you'd probably only need the card. And I'll definitely take a refresher course before diving again- I wouldn't feel safe if I didn't.

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Cozumel is one is the truly great dive sites in the entire hemisphere. The Great Mayan Reef is the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and Cozumel sits right on it. I rented everything down there, and it was fine.

 

My dive in Cozumel was off San Francisco reef. Beautiful. 40-50' dive.

 

I do hear that Columbia Reef and Punta Sur are even better, but its a much deeper dive...90'. I have not gone that deep and didn't have the requisite time to decompress from that before my flight back.

 

Here's a map for you...

 

http://www.aquasafari.com/divesites.html

 

And a little airplane reading for you...

 

http://www.cozumeldiveguide.com/purchase.php

 

If you want to get recertified in Cancun, and have a good local dive before checking out Cozumel...

 

http://www.cancun-aquasports.com/scubadiving/scubadiving.htm

 

You sir, Rock! Thanks much. :beer:

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