Is a refresher course required?

[littleguppie]

We have our AOW, but our last dive was a 4 day liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef in Sept 2008. We will be diving in Thailand in Nov 2009 so just over a year. Some places we've traveled to in the past have required us to take a refresher pool dive class before letting us dive..a total pain the butt to do on vacation time. I'd prefer to take the refresher here if necessary. Will we need to show proof of diving within the year? The class is $100/pp here in a pool. No fun if not needed!

thanks!

 

[thanksforallthefish]

I believe people will find it difficult to give you an answer as they have very little information to go on. Filling in your profile with number of dives and how long and where you have dived would be helpful.

For me that would depend on how many dives you have and how long you have been diving.

For some people a year out of the water is nothing, for others who knows. If you believe you need a refresher course then you should do it, otherwise cant you just fit in a couple of local dives before you go away?

 

[littleguppie]

We have 40 dives under our belt. We both have our AOW and are strong swimmers. I do not feel we need a refresher but that is irrelevant if dive operators in Thailand require us to have dove within the year. We live in Chicago, IL so there is no way to do any local dives (other than the pool) dive prior to the trip.

 

[thanksforallthefish]

Not having been to Thailand before it would be difficult to say ... my guess would be that they probably would not require you to do refresher.

Can you email the dive op and ask?

 

[hookedonwood]

As these regulations often vary from shop to shop the best thing to do would be to contact one of (probably the first) shops you will be diving with and ask what their specific requirements are. After the first dives you won't have to worry any more. As for local dives in Chicago, you do have some time (read about 2 weeks) to get in diving at the local sites if you are will to put on a wetsuit. Most local shops will only charge about $50 dollars for the dive itself and about $50 for a full rental package or just a charge for the wetsuit depending on what you need. This would at least be a little more fun. Haigh Quarry for example is still warm enough to be somewhat comfortable at the shallow depths required for a refresher.

 

[ReefHound]

A refresher is not "required" as a general standard but a resort/op can require anything they want. The thing is the only way they can know your dive history is for you to tell them.

$100 for a refresher sounds high, even for a private refresher.

 

[OnTheSpot]

You can complete a refresher at most Thai dive shops in about one hour normally for about 50 US $ inlcuding equipment. Its up to you if you do the refresher or not but most divers who have been out of the water for a while find it very worthwhile and enjoy their dives much more.

You could probably do one in Bangkok if you were really pressed for time as there is never enought time to complete the refresher before the dive trips head off in the morning.

 

[Batfish]

40 dives logged, AOW certified, I personally would not insist on a refresher. If you were looking to book a day trip package or a liveaboard, I would only suggest that you take a nice easy day trip to Racha Yai island first to brush the cobwebs off. Again, that would not be a requirement. I don't think any operators here would insist on a refresher given your dive history.

Sometimes people think they don't need a refresher.. I had some customers not so long ago who sent in their booking forms, logged 15 dives, last dive in 2001... In that case, I certainly did insist! They mailed back saying they did not want one.. I mailed back saying I would not book them on the trip they wanted unless they did one... So they did one

 

[tboxcar]

A refresher never hurts, make time to work it in!

 

[stevenl]

I would suggest you start with a nice and relaxed day of fundiving at an easy divesite with a private diveguide/instructor.