Tips on planning vacation diving

[brshooter]

I will be spending 2 weeks in November down on Tankah Bay in the Riviera Maya between Akumal and Tulum. I hope to get in at least a dozen or more dives. Mostly ocean dives. Possibly an cenote dive or two.

I got my open water certification in July here in the Pacific Northwest. My dive buddy for the vacation, Mia, just received her open water certification last week in Munich.
This will be the first post certification diving for both of us.

I don't have my own gear at this time other than my mask, fins, and snorkle. My thougth was that I would rent my bcd, regulator, and computer from my LDS so that I would have the same gear I certified in. It would also mean that I have the same gear every day. I don't want to worry about the quality of gear that is available for rental down there.

Also, I was thinking that rather than just going out with a group on a boat dive that Mia and I might just want to do a simple shore dive where we can get our weighting figured out. We both qualified in cold water with 7mm farmer john/jacket suits. We will be using full 3mm suits down there. I did my dives in salt water, Mia in fresh water. It just seams like a waste to me to go out on a boat dive and have to spend that time getting weighted. It would not be fair to others on the boat as well.

Any suggestions or comments?

 

[karenpadi]

I typically rent my equipment from the resort I'm staying at. I've not had a serious problem or a problem with my equipment that I would not have had if I had rented from a LDS. Overall, the equipment is good. If you dive with the same op during your vacation, you will most likely use the same equipment every dive. And you can fit all you need for a week vacation in a carry-on.

I like not having to pack it, haul it, unpack it, and at the end of the week, rinse it, dry it, pack it and haul it home. I love the looks one everyone's faces after that last dive of sheer jealously when I just rinse my gear off, hand it in, and sign a paper saying it's returned. Easy as pie. I even rent fins.

My only incident was a regulator that had a loose connection. Luckily, I was still on the dock and discovered it by attaching my regulator and turning on the air for about 15 minutes before getting in the water. The air started flowing freely and I took it back to the shop and got a new one . . . no questions, no repair costs.


That said, my dad rents his equipment from the LDS and hauls it through the airport, to the hotel, and then has to spend hours rinsing and drying it on our last vacation day. To him, it's worth it to know that the equipment he's using is serviced in his home town.

 

[dbulmer]

Brshooter,
My advice would be to buy a depth timer and bring your tables with you. Practice with the tables and your depth timer.

If you decide to buy a computer at a later stage you have a depth timer as a backup so it won't be wasted money.

Keep a note of the equipment you use in your dive log and make notes about what you liked and what you didn't like about the gear - this might help you later if you decide to buy your own gear.

Ask the dive op if you can do a weight check in a swimming pool and then add 4-6 pounds to the belt for the sea (explain why you want to do this ie you've used 7MM before and these are your first dives post certification)

And finally enjoy your dives !

 

[Spratman]

You may want to check with the dive op you are planning on diving with. Sometimes they have computers that you can rent.

If you haven't decided on a dive shop yet, check out these guys and talk to Min, H2O PRO DIVING - Training - Guiding and Xploration in the Cavern and Caves of the Yucatan Peninsula

Hope you have great weather!

 

[JimHar99]

If you can rent your gear early enough, maybe you can do a quick shore dive to check your weighting & buoyancy and still make the boat dive.
As far as renting from your LDS or at the resort, I would probably rent at my LDS. But thats just me. I have traveled with others who have rented at the resort and none of them had any problems.
I think you're going to love going from 7mm to 3mm and cold to warm water. I hope you have some good vis and a great vacation.

 

[Scuba.com]

If you are truly concerned about the gear you may be renting at your destination, don't be afraid to contact them and ask what they are using. They will generally be happy to tell you. Of course, some places may have a mish mash of gear, but over all you can get a good idea what you'll be using.

I also love the idea of keeping notes on the gear you used and what you did and didn't like about it in your log book. I'd forgotten I did that before I bought my first set of gear in 1980.

Using an inexpensive wrist computer can be a handy thing, though. Regardless of what many of the old timers here say (and yes... I fall into that category as well, so that isn't an old-timer flame) the dive computer is designed to give you longer, safer bottom times at all the recreational depths. They give you a true look at remaining bottom time based on recalculating your NDL every few seconds throughout your dive as well as showing your NDL for your next dives as you off gas between trips underwater.

I know how many responses I'm going to see about how well the tables work and all. And I don't disagree. They work fantastic within their limitations. But when I pay for a dive trip, I want all I can get out of that dive trip.

There is no need though to go out and spend a crazy amount of money. 2 of my favorite wrist computers for this kind of purpose are (and please excuse the links. I don't have a better way of showing the examples):
Buy Mares M2 RGBM Air Nitrox Computer 414113 and other scuba diving gear at scuba.com and
Buy Oceanic Veo 100 NX Air Nitrox Computer 04.2905.36 and other scuba diving gear at scuba.com

both are reletively inexpensive and easy to use. Both will do all the jobs of a bottom timer, as well as all the functions you wish out of a nice basic dive computer.

Most of all, relax and have fun. If you are unsure about anything once you get to your resort by all means, ASK. The instructors and staff know all the ins and outs of diving in their area and are used to having visitors of every experience level from brand new to folks with more experience than the entire staff combined. You are paying them to help you have the best trip you can, so don't be afraid to take advantage of that.

Enjoy!

 

[BTravlin]

I would recommend that you go with the boat dive rather than a shore dive since both of you are newly certified divers. Or hire a DM to take you on a shore dive. There's a lot going on for your first dives after training and you might like having a DM available to help answer questions and make suggestions on technique. I myself would not have been comfortable doing my first salt water dives on my own but maybe that's just me.

I think renting for the first time or two is fine as it gives you a chance to check out some different types of gear to see what you like and what you don't. I rented on my first 3 or 4 trips and generally found the rental gear to be in very good condition. I later bought my own gear and had a better of idea of what I was looking for and why.

Have a great trip!

 

[Cacia]

Negotiate late check out before you pay.

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

Don't forget your DAN insurance, and it's good to know where the nearest chamber is. Also check into the safety of your operator. If I was renting, I would rather rent from my LDS and work on the gear in the pool before my trip. Less wasted time on your vacation. Make sure the operator takes a ROLL CALL and know where all their safety equipment is. I am a bit over protective, but dang, I would like to be able to dive another day!

HAVE A GREAT TIME!
Carolyn:sharks:

 

[lmorin]

Personally, I think a check-out dive from shore is a good thing with whatever equipment you use. If it's your own or LDS brought from home, something could have become unglued during travel. If it's from a resort shop, who knows what might be amiss? Shore dives do not involve jumping in and hoping everything works. And, you can keep extra weights on the shore, or put excess weight back on the shore, if you are trying to figure that part out. Just easier and less worrisome for a newbie from the shore than from a boat, IMHO.