Certified 10 yrs ago -- want to get current again -- best way??

[friscuba]

If you are really wanting to "get current", spend a bit of time and extra money and retake the class. If you haven't dove since taking the class, you could literally be back at square one in a relatively short time.

I've done refreshers with people who took the class and then waited 4 or 5 years to dive again who turned right around and admitted it felt as if they've never done any of it before. Some of them couldn't even complete the refresher because they had troubles with basic skills such as mask clearing.

Another thing few people ever think of is that 10 years also means you are 10 years older. If you were originally ceritified at the age of 12 or 13, things may be a little easier this time around...if you were 30, you may find it more difficult at 40 than you remembered it being.

Although you'll be way ahead of the game taking the class over, a decent refresher course will go a long way towards getting you current. At the very least you'll have a chance to practice crucial self-rescue skills before getting out on a dive. If you can get through the refresher, you'll have a better idea of what you personally need to watch out for and you should be able to do just fine on a guided recreational resort dive.

have fun,

Steve

 

[Rick Inman]

Even though you're running out of time, you need to make some real dives before you go. Otherwise (even with a refresher course) you'll be refreshing during your vacation.
I went 20 years between dives and started back up for a trip to Mexico. I took the SSI refresher (which was worth just about the 50 bucks I paid for it) . But then I made a dozen dives locally before my trip - and THAT is what made the difference. I got my weight, bouyance and trim dialed in and my comfort leval went way up. For this reason my SAC rate went down I could really enjoy some nice long dives in Mexico.
Even if you can only make a couple dives before you go, every dive you make first will help you enjoy your vacation dives more (IMHO).
Have fun!
Oh, and be careful. You may come back hooked again like I did...

 

[scubajim]

I went back into diving after 29 years. My friends got into diving about ten years ago and pestered me to start diving again. I went to Cozumel with them last June and started by taking a refresher course. I had gotten checked out and approved for diviing by my Doctor. I also boned up by reading the latest dive books. The refresher gave me a lot of confidence and the instructor filled me in on the new equipment and aspects of diving.He said I was ready. I feft very confident in the water and with the help of my dive buddies it was great getting back to diving again

Good Luck

 

[spthomas]

Wow, and I thought I was rusty aftery 17 years. But 29 years!

Anyway, I understand where you and everyone is coming frrom. I suggest a compromise that satisfies (1) the need for you to be safe and at least as knowledgeable as a current OW diver, and (2) your desire to utilize all the training you got, even if it was years ago and dive (after all, you ARE still a Certified diver!).

I went to a dive shop in Hawaii in 1995, after my last dive being a weekend after my cert in 1978. They looked at my C card, said "wow, you've been certified 17 years!" "yup" I said. "Wow, I bet you have a LOT of stories to tell. How many dives do you think you've done?". "5". Suddenly, it got very quiet, and they took me OFF the back wall of Molokini dive (a wall, sort of advanced), and put me ON the "snorkle and scuba" dive inside Molokini (30' or so), a basic dive with a lot of snorkelers too. And it was JUST what I needed, nice, easy, just the DM and me and two others.

So, the lesson here is make sure they know your skill level if you want to just go diving. I'll bet they let you, cause you do have a C-card.

That's one extreme, just go. The other extreme is an entire OW class. A lot of time, and a lot of work. And quite honestly, you do probably still know 50% - 75% of what you knew then, so lot of it will be VERY familiar.

I recommend something in between. Get out your OW book, or better yet get a new one (YMCAs book by Dennis Graber is available at Barnes and Noble, or buy one from the LDS). Anyway, READ the OW book COVER TO COVER. Get real familiar with everything again. Like I said, it'll come back to you.
THEN, after you've boned up again, take a Scuba Skills Update course or such (PADI, NAUI, SSI I know have such, and the others probably do too). That will get you in the water, in the pool, and brush up the skills. And if you can get an OW dive too, in a "safe" environment (maybe with the LDS), that'd be even better.

After 10 years you aren't current by any means. But, you're not completely a newbie either. You'll be surprised what you still know, and what will come back to you in the water.

=Steve=

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

NAUI's AOW involves a minimum of 6 open water dives (per the standards booklet).

You will see a fair number of stores that therefore include 7.

That would take two or three weekends.

Well worth it. Or at least get started now, and finish later.

 

[Northeastwrecks]

Welcome back:

After that much time off, and given your time constraints, I'd suggest a private or semi-private OW course that allows you to set your own schedule.

I suggest this because it is likely that you have forgotten some of the basic skills. Moreover, there have been some significant changes in gear since you dove last.

Doing an AOW might, or might not, be a sufficient refresher. For example, we don't cover basic table usage, gear assembly, gear options or other basic skills during AOW. Instead, we presume familiarity and build on existing knowledge.

Regardless, good luck.