Useful Items for Certifi-vacation?

[Dogbowl]

What kind of beanie? I'm imagining like a regular cloth beanie and that just doesn't seem right lol. My hair drives me insane while diving.

They're usually made of 2-3mm neoprene. Although I agree the do rags mentioned above look "cooler", I have also heard that they might have a tendency to slip off, as they are not secured under the chin like the beanie. YMMV.

Something like this:

 

[TMHeimer]

I used a swimmers cap in Panama. Mostly for keeping water from going deep into my ears. Well, only for that...not much hair left.

 

[pf778c]

The swim cap is a great idea! I already have one of these - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027M90G4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1, which I use for swimming laps. My hair, regardless of how long or short it is ALWAYS ends up in my face!

I'm not sure how much equipment I want to buy at this point though. I like the idea of getting a mask; on my discovery dive I had some issues with the mask I was using on the last dive of the day (probably user error), but it did add unwelcome stress. I wear glasses, but am planning on getting LASIK. If I get a mask, can my ophthalmologist fit it with a prescription lens and swap it out later if I do get LASIK? I already have a snorkel that I'm pretty happy with. The dive shop supplies all equipment for the course, so I think I just want to use one of theirs and not have to worry about buying and schlepping one along. If I do get a suit, I think I want to wait to see how much diving I do closer to home where the water's closer to 60ºF.

Booties vs. lycra socks though - booties only work with open heel fins, correct? Do socks work with both? If not, I'll wait until I get there to pick up one or the other at their shop.

I started the PADI OW eLearning course of the weekend, with the plan that being knocked out from two days of travel, I can use the classroom time as a refresher and chance for Q&A on the material, as well as time to get acquainted with the instructor.

I really appreciate all of the advice!

Bechi

 

[Nicolas Pottier]

Mask for sure, as others have said just go try on as many as possible and buy whichever fits best.

Are you sure your rental includes computers? That is often left out. In our case it would have been an extra $10 a day or so to we just bought some Suunto Zoops and that was a great decision for us. That's one thing you really want to be personal anyways.

50 dives later we haven't bought much else yet but we're very happy we bought those two.

 

[pf778c]

Not 100% sure on the dive computer, but without any knowledge, I'm not really comfortable shelling out a few hundred bucks on something to find out with a little experience I would have purchased something different. I'll check with UDC to see if they include computers in their OW and AOW courses.

 

[Dogbowl]

The swim cap is a great idea! I already have one of these - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027M90G4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1, which I use for swimming laps. My hair, regardless of how long or short it is ALWAYS ends up in my face!

I'm not sure how much equipment I want to buy at this point though. I like the idea of getting a mask; on my discovery dive I had some issues with the mask I was using on the last dive of the day (probably user error), but it did add unwelcome stress. I wear glasses, but am planning on getting LASIK. If I get a mask, can my ophthalmologist fit it with a prescription lens and swap it out later if I do get LASIK? I already have a snorkel that I'm pretty happy with. The dive shop supplies all equipment for the course, so I think I just want to use one of theirs and not have to worry about buying and schlepping one along. If I do get a suit, I think I want to wait to see how much diving I do closer to home where the water's closer to 60ºF.

Booties vs. lycra socks though - booties only work with open heel fins, correct? Do socks work with both? If not, I'll wait until I get there to pick up one or the other at their shop.

I started the PADI OW eLearning course of the weekend, with the plan that being knocked out from two days of travel, I can use the classroom time as a refresher and chance for Q&A on the material, as well as time to get acquainted with the instructor.

I really appreciate all of the advice!

Bechi

Generally speaking, booties work with open heeled fins and socks work with full foot fins. The open heeled fins have a wider pocket to accompany the thickness of the bootie whereas the full foot fin contours to your foot, so only thin Lycra socks fit in them. That is generally the case.

I still suggest calling or emailing to ask about the type of fin that’s in the rental fleet as my limited experience in the Caribbean tells me they may or may not sell these items in their shop. Caribbean dive shops are generally not well stocked. Plus, the Lycra socks are cheap but extremely practical to prevent blisters.

Something like this:

XS Scuba Lycra Socks

 

[dmaziuk]

Not 100% sure on the dive computer, but without any knowledge, I'm not really comfortable shelling out a few hundred bucks on something to find out with a little experience I would have purchased something different. I'll check with UDC to see if they include computers in their OW and AOW courses.

It's simple: you may still find the last of "last year model" aqualung i300s (not "C") for ~$150, otherwise you can get some version of mares puck for that money. Otherwise you're looking at a thousand bucks for ostc/shearwater/eon-level device. Anything in between available at the moment is pretty much neither here nor there and so is hardly worth it, with a possible exception of seac guru -- IMO, YMMV, take with a grain of salt, and so on.

 

[Nicolas Pottier]

Not 100% sure on the dive computer, but without any knowledge, I'm not really comfortable shelling out a few hundred bucks on something to find out with a little experience I would have purchased something different. I'll check with UDC to see if they include computers in their OW and AOW courses.

That's a good intinct for sure. If they don't charge extra definitely use theirs. But if not then any entry level computer from a reputable company will be just fine for a first computer and better than renting imo.

 

[teonchagi]

I bought my Mares Puck Pro for about $150 on amazon before I went on vacation to get certified. I was happy I did because the shop I did my class with doesn't rent them, so I was just learning tables (which is fine, and I'm glad I did). I was happy I had my computer though because I was able to log my data without having to ask my instructor for his. I could see how it worked by watching it change during the day as I'd do my dives. The best part though is that when I went home, I already knew how to work it and when I went on my first dives in the local lake I was comfortable.

I do have to admit that I wish I'd had the budget to get a "better" computer. I keep drooling over the fancy ones that cost as much as the rest of my gear lol. A computer with a single button is nice and simple, but when I want to scroll through my logs or go through settings, it can be annoying. While diving, it doesn't matter at all. I'd recommend it to any beginner.