I think I would take a refresher if it's more than eight to nine months between dives. I might take a refresher (or hire a private DM) the next time I go diving due to my crappy performance in the strong currents in Coz this fall.
Vacation Diver Poll
- Thread starter TMHeimer
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Dish
Are you for Scuba?
Interesting question, TM, too which I would answer “it depends”. Coming up in January will be the first time in a long time where I haven’t splashed since the year before, due to a series of calamitous events. Am I concerned? No. Like always, I just get my head into the game. I do have a few things going for me, though. I’ll be diving with the same exposure gear, a locked in dive kit that I have dived a lot and fellow divers that I inherently trust with my life. Change much of anything to my set up... like diving a drysuit... I would not be comfortable and would look to doing a check out dive before the trip. I’ve also been a diver for over 40 years, so I’m quite comfortable in the environment. For a newer diver with long surface intervals between trips, it might be prudent to jump in the pool for a bit to remember how to kit up, do some drills and relax. Makes the sometimes expensive vacation trip much more enjoyable.
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Yes my thoughts exactly. We both have over 500 dives, thus even several years away probably would be of little concern. My guess is it would be a rarity for a "vacation" diver, if you will, to accumulate that many dives. Maybe if you did enough trips/live-aboards over a few years.
And as drrich2 says, 2-4 dives a year vs. 20 on one trip probably makes a difference as well.
jonhall
Contributor
Vacation diver vs diver who plans a dedicated trip for diving. Are they both "vacation" divers?
I take a couple of trips a year (now) to places where I am able to dive. I always research dive ops, make contact with those I think I'll use, and have on a few occasions booked dives ahead of time; but usually I just make sure I can book dives once I arrive - so I'm not monetarily committed. I do the same thing for other activities that we may want to do and we do plan other things.
Breakdown of trips:
2014-19: Averaged 18 dives/year - 2-3 trips a year, 2 weeks each
2012-14: averaged 10 dives/year - 2 trips a year, 1 week each
2008-11: averaged 8 dives/year - 1 trip a year, 1 week each (2010 we did two 1 week trips)
2007: 4 dives total
2005: 2 dives total
1998: 4 checkout dives
Trips we now take generally occur in winter, early spring, and/or late fall, so a possibility is I could dive in January and not again until November. I can skip the the refresher in the water - I just need to refresh my memory on weight for the type of wetsuit and tanks I'm using (that's where the logbook on my phone comes in handy.) Having been active in and around water, getting back in to scuba years after my checkout dives was not an issue. The one thing I felt inadequate about was setting up my own gear, but it became pretty easy for me in 2008 as I began to do more dives. My memory was working for me. I take my own gear on trips now but I will rent a wetsuit if we go where I think I need a 5/7mm, and will rent the full setup if I think I'm only going to dive 1 day - the only thing I don't like (but can live with it) is if I have to use a weight belt as I have no rear end and if I don't really tighten it, it wants to slide down! I do take my prescription mask on every trip.
I 'm a vacation diver!
I can't make a case that the diver who makes a dedicated dive trip planning a large number of dives isn't a vacation diver, because that trip is a vacation for them - but completely different from what I do.
I take a couple of trips a year (now) to places where I am able to dive. I always research dive ops, make contact with those I think I'll use, and have on a few occasions booked dives ahead of time; but usually I just make sure I can book dives once I arrive - so I'm not monetarily committed. I do the same thing for other activities that we may want to do and we do plan other things.
Breakdown of trips:
2014-19: Averaged 18 dives/year - 2-3 trips a year, 2 weeks each
2012-14: averaged 10 dives/year - 2 trips a year, 1 week each
2008-11: averaged 8 dives/year - 1 trip a year, 1 week each (2010 we did two 1 week trips)
2007: 4 dives total
2005: 2 dives total
1998: 4 checkout dives
Trips we now take generally occur in winter, early spring, and/or late fall, so a possibility is I could dive in January and not again until November. I can skip the the refresher in the water - I just need to refresh my memory on weight for the type of wetsuit and tanks I'm using (that's where the logbook on my phone comes in handy.) Having been active in and around water, getting back in to scuba years after my checkout dives was not an issue. The one thing I felt inadequate about was setting up my own gear, but it became pretty easy for me in 2008 as I began to do more dives. My memory was working for me. I take my own gear on trips now but I will rent a wetsuit if we go where I think I need a 5/7mm, and will rent the full setup if I think I'm only going to dive 1 day - the only thing I don't like (but can live with it) is if I have to use a weight belt as I have no rear end and if I don't really tighten it, it wants to slide down! I do take my prescription mask on every trip.
I 'm a vacation diver!
I can't make a case that the diver who makes a dedicated dive trip planning a large number of dives isn't a vacation diver, because that trip is a vacation for them - but completely different from what I do.
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johnhall, Have you considered "dive" suspenders for the belt or one of those harnesses? I use a pocket pouch belt and insert 2 pound wts. The suspenders are a godsend for 15 years now as I had the same problem with sliding belts. I hear the harness idea is even better.
Hoag
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Unfortunately, I only get on a dive trip about once per year or even every 18 months or so. As a result, when I do go on a trip, it can take a dive or two to "knock the rust off". That is the big reason why I do a pool session before a dive trip. It gives me a chance to set up all my gear and make sure it is working (and that I still have it all and didn't forget or misplace anything), but it also serves as that first dive to get used to being underwater again after an extended dry spell (pardon the pun). If the dive op at the destination asks when was your last dive, I can honestly say "I did a refresher in the local pool a couple weeks ago."
While the benefits to doing a pool session before a trip might be minimal, I see no downside to doing one.
While the benefits to doing a pool session before a trip might be minimal, I see no downside to doing one.
I picked the pool / benign dive option.
I do so prior to departing with time left for surprise fixes.
Of course it is not to check me (sure!). But to check gear and family members (if they join the trip).
I do so if either a piece of gear was not used recently or a participant (yeah including me) did not dive in a while.
I do so prior to departing with time left for surprise fixes.
Of course it is not to check me (sure!). But to check gear and family members (if they join the trip).
I do so if either a piece of gear was not used recently or a participant (yeah including me) did not dive in a while.
I dive 1-3 times a year and have done so for 28 years. I will get in the pool before I go sometimes. I also work on gear and go to check that out sometimes. But to refresh my gear-up and skills.....na, I`m good.
divinh
Contributor
Thankfully I have a local dive shop that lets me use their pool for free. My primary purpose is to do a gear check prior to the trip, not so much to work on skilsl, which comes back pretty quickly.
I consider myself a vacation diver, as I've only dove on vacation. When I do dive, it's in a large block, like 46 dives over 20 days.
I consider myself a vacation diver, as I've only dove on vacation. When I do dive, it's in a large block, like 46 dives over 20 days.
I think participating on SB changed how I would have answered this over the years.
Before I found SB I was a once or twice-a-year stereotypical "vacation diver." I recall once taking a refresher course when I was preparing for a dive vacation after a hiatus about 1-1/2 years, which I felt was too long. Even if I had known where to find a pool to use, I wouldn't have known what to practice.
Once I started reading here how everything is going to kill me, I made an effort to dive more frequently so as to maintain my skills. Although I lacked either the time, money or both for a week-long dive vacation more than once or twice a year, I managed to cram in a couple of shorter trips--say, a 3-day weekend, to south Florida--between the week-long vacations. Despite the high cost per dive due to travel overhead, I felt this was a good way to improve my safety and have a little fun at the same time. I don't think going to a pool for a quick warm-up dive before a vacation would have been as effective.
Eventually I really bought into the idea that diving frequently is the key to maintaining skills and thus safety. So instead of more of those expensive weekend trips I decided to dive locally and/or expand my range of seasons and locations. A drysuit soon followed. Then cave training. Now I have options! Caves, temperate waters, tropical destinations--it's all good, and I dive year-round.
Before I found SB I was a once or twice-a-year stereotypical "vacation diver." I recall once taking a refresher course when I was preparing for a dive vacation after a hiatus about 1-1/2 years, which I felt was too long. Even if I had known where to find a pool to use, I wouldn't have known what to practice.
Once I started reading here how everything is going to kill me, I made an effort to dive more frequently so as to maintain my skills. Although I lacked either the time, money or both for a week-long dive vacation more than once or twice a year, I managed to cram in a couple of shorter trips--say, a 3-day weekend, to south Florida--between the week-long vacations. Despite the high cost per dive due to travel overhead, I felt this was a good way to improve my safety and have a little fun at the same time. I don't think going to a pool for a quick warm-up dive before a vacation would have been as effective.
Eventually I really bought into the idea that diving frequently is the key to maintaining skills and thus safety. So instead of more of those expensive weekend trips I decided to dive locally and/or expand my range of seasons and locations. A drysuit soon followed. Then cave training. Now I have options! Caves, temperate waters, tropical destinations--it's all good, and I dive year-round.
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