Just starting to dive --- And on Info OVERLOAD

[want2dive17]

I am 31 years old and have watched my sister dive for the last 15 years. I went on a vacation with her to Cozumel recently and did a "Resort Course". I knew right then that i wanted to do a dive trip. Any dive trip I plan will need to be in a location that the non-divers in my group will be able to be occupied and that is proving to be a chore in planning. My husband wants to dive now as well, so I will need to bring along a "child sitter", and of course my sister since I don't want to dive with out her. My sister is currently in Indonesia diving, so I really cant wait for her to get home so we can plan this trip I have already started looking for a GOOD dive shop to get certified in the area as well as one that can work with my work schedule. Any tips will be GREATLY appreciated.

My first DREAM dive trip would be to somewhere that a JR Open Water Cert can still Participate, my 10 -will be 11 at trip time - yr old wants to dive so bad .... she calls herself a fish. I would also like it to have AMAZING sites that are easily accessible for shore dives. I also need it to have things I can still do with the 2 kids when I am not diving.

Priceing : There will be 2 Open Water divers, 1 Advanced Open Water diver and 1 JR Open Water Diver, as well as 2 Non divers 1 who knows how to snorkel and loves to do so, the other I'm not sure of skills or likes. For 6 People I dont want to spend more than $12,000 for Hotel, Food, Dives, and Air Fare from Chicago. I know I will be looking at quite a bit to buy 2 adult sets and 1 kid set of equipment, so any advice on equipment is REALLY appreciated.

Another question is in a All-inclusive Resort is it safe to leave a 15 almost 16 year old alone ( most of the time they will probably be sleeping) to do morning dives?
If it is OK .... I can cut the trip down to 5 People total.

 

[tstormdiver]

I am 31 years old and have watched my sister dive for the last 15 years. I went on a vacation with her to Cozumel recently and did a "Resort Course". I knew right then that i wanted to do a dive trip. Any dive trip I plan will need to be in a location that the non-divers in my group will be able to be occupied and that is proving to be a chore in planning. My husband wants to dive now as well, so I will need to bring along a "child sitter", and of course my sister since I don't want to dive with out her. My sister is currently in Indonesia diving, so I really cant wait for her to get home so we can plan this trip I have already started looking for a GOOD dive shop to get certified in the area as well as one that can work with my work schedule. Any tips will be GREATLY appreciated.

It is good you are looking for a good instructor. A very important thing to do. Interview several instructors, get a detailed idea of how the course will be conducted & what to expect from the course. Look for an instructor who's style of teaching meets your learning style. Keep in mind, that if your schedule is that crazy,that you may wind up needing to do a private or semi private class, if other students can not be found to help fill the class. Even though it may be a bit more $, remember you'll be getting one on one or nearly one on one attention.

My first DREAM dive trip would be to somewhere that a JR Open Water Cert can still Participate, my 10 -will be 11 at trip time - yr old wants to dive so bad .... she calls herself a fish. I would also like it to have AMAZING sites that are easily accessible for shore dives. I also need it to have things I can still do with the 2 kids when I am not diving.

I'm not real familiar with a lot of vacation places that fit your criteria. Perhaps others may be able to chime in on that.

Priceing : There will be 2 Open Water divers, 1 Advanced Open Water diver and 1 JR Open Water Diver, as well as 2 Non divers 1 who knows how to snorkel and loves to do so, the other I'm not sure of skills or likes. For 6 People I dont want to spend more than $12,000 for Hotel, Food, Dives, and Air Fare from Chicago. I know I will be looking at quite a bit to buy 2 adult sets and 1 kid set of equipment, so any advice on equipment is REALLY appreciated.

As you go through your course & maybe a little after, try as many different types of equipment as you can,.... see what you like. There's so much out there,.... what works for one person, may or may not work for another. Remember,.. one size may not fit all. See what your needs & preferences are, then make your decision.

Another question is in a All-inclusive Resort is it safe to leave a 15 almost 16 year old alone ( most of the time they will probably be sleeping) to do morning dives?
If it is OK .... I can cut the trip down to 5 People total.

Only you can decide that. What is their maturity level? Would you leave them at home by themselves? The maturity level of teens can vary soooo much.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

IF I were you I'd get in contact with Rod or Mike at Dive Right In Scuba in Plainfield for training not only do they have regular classes but they are independent instructor friendly and may have someone who can work around your schedule. Another Instructor near Chi town is Duane Johnson -ppo2diver here on scubaboard.

I'd also wait until you got everyone squared away before making any trip plans. You're putting the cart way before the horse here. Before booking a dive trip you need to know that the people who plan on going actually want to dive, can dive in the conditions you are likely to encounter, and are sufficiently comfortable and skilled in the water.

And in a purely shameless plug I'd suggest you get a copy of my book to help you decide on instruction, courses, gear, etc. Basic open water classes are not all the same and each agency has their own standards. Just PM or email me for ordering info.

As for trips that are friendly to non divers there are plenty. Plenty of places and plenty of activities. The problem is that just like with anything if you plan something for a teenager you will be wrong. As a dad I know. Face it, they will piss and moan about nothing to do, too hot, too cold, boring, you embarrass them, etc. Better to just send them to a military boarding school for that week or two weeks . Or threaten to.

What is fun for a non diver is not location dependant. It is how they perceive it. Just like diving I can see something on every dive. Others insist they need warm water, 100ft visibility, and pretty fish. Get their input and make an effort to meet it but don't compromise your vacation for it! Better to tell them to suck it up and enjoy or stay home.

And as far as a 15 or 16 yr old alone at a resort two words - Natalie Holloway.

 

[ctwreck]

Samantha of Si See Sea Fishing and Diving in Cozumel is from Chicago. I met her and her parents in Cozumel last year. She is real close with the locals in Cozumel and she and Fernando are invaluable resources/friends. I'm sure if you contact her, she can help out with Stateside as well as Abroad dive info.

---------- Post added April 20th, 2012 at 08:02 AM ----------

p.s. ask Sam about the giant Eagle Ray she spotted for us... and then about what I said, to everyone back on the boat, when we came up from our dive... lol Enjoy your diving! I do....
Steve

 

[Nitro91]

thats a lot of planning and organising on your plate lol.

 

[want2dive17]

still learning how to use the forum so Im not sure how to reply with quotes ...so I hope i am doing this right
Thanks to everyone for the Ideas I am a "planner" and am a bit OCD about it. I like to have all the ducks in a row then put the plan into action.
I have 3 Spreadsheets with pros and cons of different locations based on research. I am leaning towards Curacao, but final decision will be made by my sister since she has been to all the locations.
Taking into consideration Jim's comments planning is going to take a back burner to getting certified. And Yes that involves yet another Spreadsheet I feel like a "new" mom looking for a pediatrician .... but hey a learning from a good instructor could make the difference in a life or death situation. So I feel it is more important.

Any questions I should include to pick a good instuctor are welcome

As a dad I know. Face it, they will piss and moan about nothing to do, too hot, too cold, boring, you embarrass them, etc. Better to just send them to a military boarding school for that week or two weeks​

She would probably love for me to leave her home.... just telling her about our next BIG vacation she is bitching and moaning about it.

I'd also wait until you got everyone squared away before making any trip plans. You're putting the cart way before the horse here. Before booking a dive trip you need to know that the people who plan on going actually want to dive, can dive in the conditions you are likely to encounter, and are sufficiently comfortable and skilled in the water. ​

I didnt think of that.... I was in the mindset that doing the certification a few months before we went would have the info fresh in our head. I also thought knowing where we were going would let the instructor know a bit of the conditions we would be dealing with.

 

[diversteve]

Curacao would be a good option. There's things to do there for the non-divers and most of the resorts have dive operations on-site so you can get away for your morning dives and be back together by noon or so. Also for leaving the 16yr. old alone, most have security - often gated. Besides the diving, there's the Seaquarium complex, Ostrich farm, all the watersports, one of those semi-submersible sub rides for the non-divers. Famous shopping district downtown, about a dozen casinos etc. There's also a lot of very nice beaches - many west of town where you can shore dive while the others enjoy the beach. Playa Lagun, Porto Mari, Varsenbaai - all are good dives with beach facilities including tank/wt rentals. Playa Lagun and Porto Mari are two of the better dives on Curacao. You can also snorkel along the cliffs at Lagun - often see turtles there. There were also turtles in 6' off Varsenbaai just to the south of the divedock.

Some options to look at:

Lions Dive - can be an AI by adding the meal plan. Good resort, nice beach, spa and it's 50 yds. to the main Ocean Encounters dive shop, just past it is the Seaquarium/Dolphin Academy - something for the non-divers. It's 5min. from downtown Willemstad and they have a shuttle. They have 2 different 2BR Apt. or Suite options with sofabeds etc. I don't think they have the best shore dive there though but there's a breakwater so maybe good snorkeling. There's several on-site restaurants plus several more within walking distance around the Seaquarium complex. Also they're on Mambo Beach which is a nice one.

Breezes - full AI next door. Also has an OE diveshop on site. Never been there so IDK what it's like.

From either of them the Dive Bus is very convenient (across the street) for escorted shore diving. Your snorkeler(s) can also go on the same trip.

Marriott Emerald Beach Resort/Casino - nicer Marriott, Gated complex in a resort area. Good pool complex and a nice beach but it's about a 10min. drive to Willemstad or other activities. There's a few restaurants and one beach bar within walking distance besides theirs. It's a quieter area at night - just a few resorts or nearby condos. Caribbean Sea Sports is on-site, they do 2 tank boat dives for around $90 which includes unltd. shore diving. There's a dive off the Marriott also. And they do an escorted snorkel trip.

There's also the Hilton next door but it doesn't get the best reviews - someone who stayed there recently called it "a dump". IDK as I've only been to their restaurant and casino. OE has a dive shop there also. Grounds seemed pretty nice.

You can also do your O/W class locally and do your checkout/certification dives on Curacao. PADI is probably your best option for that - most shops we visited there were PADI - that's pretty typical throughout most of the places I've been in the Caribbean.

One other advantage about Curacao is that the diving is as good as on Bonaire - the undisputed shore diving capital of the area. The best dive I've done on either island was Playa Kalki in Westpunt - about a 45min. drive from downtown. Lodge Kura Hulanda is there and Go West Diving so it would be a good day trip. Also the majority of entries off Curacao are from sandy beaches - the majority off Bonaire are off ironshore/coral rubble. For new shore divers Bonaire entries can be a lot trickier. The flipside is that Curacao dives require more of a drive in to the specific sites - off Bonaire they run back to back in some areas. Many also require a slightly longer surface swim out. For us, Curacao was shorter flights/easier to get to also.

 

[FiremanIRFD]

You could just leave your daughter home, and take me along....

If you are from the Chicago area you might have heard of this little place called Lake Michigan. There is plenty of dive opportunities right in your ack yard. Especially if you have interest in doing wreck diving. Don't always have to go tropical to get some time in the water.

 

[kdsmithjr]

Hi. Never to old to start. I retired last year from the state university of new york (SUNY) and i moved from my home in ithaca, ny down here to mindanao in the philippines. I wasn't a water person at all before moving here, but i met another american here at philippine immigration (where i was extending my tourist visa and he was doing his annual "registation--he is married to a filipina). Dick and I started chatting while waiting for our respective paperwork and i found out that he co-owned the biggest dive shop in Davao (2nd largest city in the philippines). Long story short, at a little short of my 60th birthday, I went down to Carabao Dive Center in Davao, plunked down 10,500 pesos (about $250 USD) and began the 4 day "open water" course. A day-long pool session (about 8 hrs) is followed by three ocean dives..each taking about 6 hours including boat rides and lunch...and, in about a work week, I had my SDI Open Water "license."
It's been a year now, I did the SDI Advanced Adventure Diver program and just after New Year's this year completed my SDI "Advanced Open Water" license. I have about 115 dives in a little over a year. And....hard to even think of this....I've been elected to the Board of the Davao Reef Divers club.
It's never too late to start and you might do yourself good to investigate opportunities to dive here in the philippines. The Davao City region has great diving, particularly if you are interested in macro underwater photography. The prices can't be beat. A pair (2) of "regular" boat dives here cost (all assuming you have your own gear) 350 pesos for the boat (a dive boat that can carry up to 40 divers but usually far fewer), 400 pesos for two tanks of air. Dive Master is included, but the boat always has lots of long experienced divers who would love you to join them. The boat leaves the wharf 8:30 ish in the morning and returns to the wharf about 4 pm. There is a stop for lunch either on board between the morning and afternoon dives or on a white sand coral beach with a vendor that can provide a hot, home cooked, native-dish filipino meal for about 250-300 pesos. So two dives, including the boat and air run about 750 pesos. there are 43 peso to a dollar, so 750 p is less than $20! for fun from 8:30 am to about4 pm.
Davao is not the only diving in the philippines. in fact the "phils" is famous for diving. We are in the so-called "coral triangle", so i can pretty much guarantee a first class dive trip for (very probably) less than you are accustomed to paying. One last thing, because of its history, even though there are about 70 ethnic groups here and many local languages, the reality is that Pilipino (the national language based on Tagalog and the language used in elementary and high school) and a "regional" language(here in the Davao region it's Bisaya) are both common. But there is one language that actually unites all filipinos and its spoken (at some level...and always at the college level) everywhere at some level....English! The philippines is actually the 4th largest english speaking country in the world.

 

[weitodive]

One thing I would recommend is make sure your sister is taking your skill levels into consideration when she makes a suggestion on dive vacations.