Aquarium Diving

[diverdiane]

I did the Denver aquarium in October. Playing with the grandkids through the glass was fun but there really wasn't much diving involved. They put a ton of lead on you and tell you to "stay out of the water column"

 

[craracer]

Underwater Adventures Aquarium at the Mall of America (Minnesota) has diving.

Scuba certified divers: $195.75
Rescue divers (Trained service, military, or government divers: $175.75
Member diver: $175.75

 

[NudeDiver]

Those prices are insane!!!!

And I thought I was an idiot for paying the outrageous fee for the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb. Well, I was....but at least I didn't drop a few franklins to dive in a fish tank

 

[Road Guy]

the ga aquarium makes it pretty clear that is a "tour" and not a free dive, that would take some of the fun out of it for me, but I can understand their point, it is "their tank"

 

[fnfalman]

I'd do it. What the heck, it's still a dive and you get to see fish that you usually would have to go half way across the world to see. Yes, they're expensive but so's the upkeep cost of the aquarium.

 

[frogman159]

I posted this on another thread:

I dived Epcot Dive Quest last Spring on a business trip to Orlando. It was better than not diving but was disappointing. The sharks, rays, and turtles looked pretty good and were fun to dive with. Many of the reef fish lacked color and many looked mottled, had discolored areas and overall looked pretty sad. The fake reefs were pitiful. Lastly, there were several Disney divemasters in the water, and as you would expect, they were extremely controlling. The Dive Quest dive lasts for 40 minutes, you can take your own mask and wrist computer, nothing else. The cost is $140, I paid $75 on the DAN auction for my ticket. It was fun playing with the kids on the other side of the glass, they thought the divers were very entertaining.

Good diving, Craig

I paid like $130-$140 you get a discount if your NAUI certified.

Agree that the fish are a little lame, as the fake reef, almost looks like they are remodeling the place.

Whats cool is get to get up close and very personal with 2 9ft sharks. I didn't find the DM controlling at all. Basically its a 50 minute dive, unlimited air, if your an air hog, they'll give you a second tank free. The first 20 minutes they film a video of you and lead everyone through a chance to stick your head in a diving bell, after that, your on your own to do whatever. The DM's just watch to make sure your not in trouble or molesting the animals.

At the end of course they give you a chance to buy a DVD of your dive

 

[Hoyden]

It has been awhile since I lived in MD, but they used to make you volunteer for a certain amount of time in order to be allowed to dive in the tanks. It was a heck of a commitment. Worth looking into just the same. Mark

The National Aquarium in Baltimore does have a guest diver program which is run by one of the local dive shops - Atlantic Edge Aquarium Diver Program

Jackie

 

[BDSC]

I can't imagine paying money to do this - at least not any significant money. I might pay $10 or something, just for the opportunity to practice skills or something - but not whatever I'm guessing they actually charge. If I had to use their equipment instead of my own - well, screw that. No interest.

I asked the folks at the Baltimore aquarium about using my own gear and they explained that they have very tight controls over what gear goes into the aquarium. It's their way of making sure no contaminated gear with harmful products get in the water. Seems like they just allow a mask and maybe fins. Just don't remember. But they did say most all aquariums have this same rule.

 

[Hoyden]

I asked the folks at the Baltimore aquarium about using my own gear and they explained that they have very tight controls over what gear goes into the aquarium. It's their way of making sure no contaminated gear with harmful products get in the water. Seems like they just allow a mask and maybe fins. Just don't remember. But they did say most all aquariums have this same rule.

You use your own mask, wetsuit, booties and you may use your own fins.

Jackie

 

[askdjasd]

People close to NJ can come dive with our hammerhead too.

At Adventure Aquarium in NJ, you bring your mask and booties, and whatever you want to wear under your suit. The suits for guests are cleaned pretty well. You will use aquarium bcds and regulators, and that is an insurance deal. It is also to keep whatever you last dove in out of the exhibits, who knows how well you clean your gear?

You can pick your choice of exhibits, Shark Realm, 18 feet deep, 540K gallons, 68 degrees, 26 sharks of the sand tiger, brown, nurse variety and two crazy sawfish. Or you can dive Ocean Realm, 760K gallons,74 degrees, about 2000 fish, a hammerhead, a silky, some blacktip sharks, 3 crazy guitarfish, zebra shark, and some atlantic roughtail rays that are almost the size of mantas. Oh, I almost forgot 3 green turtles and a huge loggerhead.

We have some real exciting critters in quarantine but we aren't allowed to release that info yet. Hopefully they will be in the main exhibits by Spring.

Not sure what it costs to dive either one, but it is far warmer than diving here this time of year, gauranteed sightings, and cheaper than traveling.

Not for everybody, but if it is for you, it will be one of the cooler experiences you have. Everybody comes up smiling that I have seen.

That's really cool, i will check it out. but the biggest thing and gurantee see are the whale sharks and i think Georgia aquarium is the only one in North America that has them.