I/We Myself and 3 daughters 18-23 are looking for a good dive shop in Cozumel.

[Dave Dillehay]

Here is a suggestion: Go online to PADI.com and do the academic portion of the certification process then get some local instructor togive you the pool instruction where you live This is pretty easy and inexpensive. That will give you a referral letter, then if you choose Aldora Divers (or perhaps others), you will do two two tank days of diving from a boat on various, real reefs with your own private instructor. That will make you certified divers. The cost for the Aldora portion includes all dive gear and costs just $50 more than if you were already certified divers (that is if you list Aldora when you do the PADI academics).

Also Aldora has a salt water pool which you can use with your instructor before going out on the boat and you could back out then with no cost if it freaks you out.

There are other dive shops that may offer the same.


Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

www.aldora.com

 

[djanni]

There are shops that will take a diver who just completed a discovery dive out for a two tank boat trip provided you have a dive guide with you.

All of Aldora's guides are Instructor level. Not sure but thay may do that as well.

 

[nodakdive]

If you don't want to do the Referral, inquire with the shops as to where the further dives will be conducted. Depending on how much time you have before your trip, if you're willing to do 4 dives, you can get certified.

 

[KDAD]

When I got into the sport I did something similar. The ow discovery dives after the confined water were fairly shallow and didn't involve current. Dove again the next day with the same I instructor. Then I came home and got certified. I haven't been to Cozumel so I can't speak to what you will find there as far as dive conditions go.

You will end up spending more in the long run by doing the discover dive and then eventually getting certified in the future.

 

[DjDiverDan]

The "intro" as you call it is a Discover Scuba. It involves some pool training, then a shallow dive, I think no deeper than 30', under close supervision. No one in Cozumel is going to take an uncertified diver on a regular 2-tank dive trip. Most of the posters that you'll find here are experienced divers, some with hundreds of dives in Cozumel, and they won't know much about what Dive Ops offer in the way of Discover Scuba. For that, you'll need to contact dive shops.

 

[Jim Bobo]

Here is a suggestion: Go online to PADI.com and do the academic portion of the certification process then get some local instructor togive you the pool instruction where you live This is pretty easy and inexpensive. That will give you a referral letter, then if you choose Aldora Divers (or perhaps others), you will do two two tank days of diving from a boat on various, real reefs with your own private instructor. That will make you certified divers. The cost for the Aldora portion includes all dive gear and costs just $50 more than if you were already certified divers (that is if you list Aldora when you do the PADI academics).

Also Aldora has a salt water pool which you can use with your instructor before going out on the boat and you could back out then with no cost if it freaks you out.

There are other dive shops that may offer the same.


Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

www.aldora.com

I saw the epadi deal, but didn't want to spend the $$, if we didn't follow through. For this trip, I think that we're gonna have go the resort route and maybe do a local padi after. .maybe. To clarify (I know options are limited), can we do resort dives at different sites on different days?

 

[KenGordon]

I saw the epadi deal, but didn't want to spend the $$, if we didn't follow through. For this trip, I think that we're gonna have go the resort route and maybe do a local padi after. .maybe. To clarify (I know options are limited), can we do resort dives at different sites on different days?

If you cannot afford both the time and the money then do not do this. You will be under the water, breathing air supplied by mechanical means while trying to avoid popping up to the surface or sinking into coral. If you have no skills, which seems likely if you spend no time, then you are unlikely to enjoy it. Add the stress of worrying about your daughters and it seems like less fun than visiting ruins or snorkelling.

Also the world does not need any extra poor divers kicking the **** out of reefs, there are already more than enough.

Take it seriously or don't bother.

 

[Jim Bobo]

When I got into the sport I did something similar. The ow discovery dives after the confined water were fairly shallow and didn't involve current. Dove again the next day with the same I instructor. Then I came home and got certified. I haven't been to Cozumel so I can't speak to what you will find there as far as dive conditions go.

You will end up spending more in the long run by doing the discover dive and then eventually getting certified in the future.

That's for the feedback. The snorkeling is excellent in Cozumel and I'm sure not having to hold our breath will make it even more fun. I have another question. ..we can't do night dives even with a guide, is snorkeling from shore safe at night?

 

[ggunn]

Sorry. .I was reading from the bottom up and just got here. Question ?? If we do a resort course on sunday, and want to go out again..we have to go to the same reef/spot every time?

Could be."Discover SCUBA" diving locations are pretty limited, and such activities are designed to be one shot experiences. BTW, they are expensive, too, I believe, compared to regular diving. Also BTW, I don't think they are very safe.

You are not going to be able to dodge the requirement for certification by doing a Discover SCUBA trip, even multiple times. If you do go again, chances are very good you'll just be repeating what you have already done, which is to get shown how neat breathing underwater is and to see a few fish.

It's simple: If you want to dive, get certified.

 

[ggunn]

There are shops that will take a diver who just completed a discovery dive out for a two tank boat trip provided you have a dive guide with you.

Yeesh. Seriously? I hope you are mistaken.