RonFrank
Contributor
If you feel you need a refresher, than schedule one. If you think that jumping in a pool for 30~60 minutes would do the trick, then do that, and review any materials that you feel necessary.
If the diving is not advanced (shallow reefs with reasonable vis), you may just want to review some material, and then treat your first dive as a refresher.
This is highly dependent on your skills, and comfort. You could also hire a DM for your first dive, and use the money you would have spent on a refresher on a DM. A good DM (generally an instructor, not just a DM) will spend some time going over basic skills, and buoyancy before you jump in the water. They can also provide a comfort factor, and make for great guides especially if they do a lot of diving in the area you plan to dive.
If the diving is not advanced (shallow reefs with reasonable vis), you may just want to review some material, and then treat your first dive as a refresher.
This is highly dependent on your skills, and comfort. You could also hire a DM for your first dive, and use the money you would have spent on a refresher on a DM. A good DM (generally an instructor, not just a DM) will spend some time going over basic skills, and buoyancy before you jump in the water. They can also provide a comfort factor, and make for great guides especially if they do a lot of diving in the area you plan to dive.