Wife and I considering PADI Discovery in Cabo - Questions

[Ron Parker]

As with other comments, I would recommend you and your wife take the Open Water Class before your trip. That said, take the time to complete the work books, required confined pool sessions and open water training. Your Open Water certification would open the underwater world to both of you.

On a sad note, in the beginning of August members posted a tragic accident involving a son, Mom and Dad and Instructor completing a open water discover scuba. Recommend you go to that thread, read and learn. Incidents can happen even under a controlled environment, that is why there are standards for operators to comply with.

Welcome to our world of underwater adventure.

 

[Scubadam]

The dive shop you choosed looks good. You could even get opened water certified by them, but for discovery dives there are always inherit risks. When you arrive at the shop in Cabo, they will ask you to sign a waver, waving all rights to sue or come after their company should anything go wrong. Then, normally with discovery dives you spend a hour in a shallow pool going over basic skills like regulator removal, and mask flooding. Then, after the hour they take you by boat out to an area where the max. depth is 40 ft. You always stay with your instructor, S/He never leaves you, espetially when you descend, because you have to equalize properly so you don't have ear problems when you come up from the dive. The dive usually last for a half an hour, inwhich you are able to view sights, maybe even a wreck depending on where they take you. Your discovery dive will be logged as your first dive for certification. Usually the instructor will hand you a piece of paper that says you completed the dive, so if and when you do decide to get certified, you will not have to repeat the first dive because you did it already.

 

[RonFrank]

I am not a big fan of Discover Scuba classes because you are basically doing a trust me dive, and putting your life in the hands of someone else. You do the same when you get OW certified, but the major difference is that you are trained first, and understand the risks as well as spending time in a pool before getting in open water. Maybe the Discover class starts in the pool, I have no idea.

I however do think a discover class has value in that one can try diving without buying the farm.

If either of you believe you want to become certified, I would suggest buying the OW materials, and studying them before the trip. More knowledge = More better. If you believe one or both of you wants to learn to dive, then just take the OW class and be done with it.

If diving alone as a newbie makes you nervous, then hire a DM, or do a dive where a guide is provided.

Listen to your instructor, pay close attention to what they say, and by all means ask questions if something does not make sense to you.

The most important advice I can provide is: Clear early, clear often. Many (most?) new divers screw up their ears to some degree. Heck, most veterans will have ear issues at one time or another.

However you go about it, have fun, and be safe!

 

[usmcguy367]

I did one in Cancun and that was the start of it for me. You shoun't have to worry about you wife I the DM's stay pretty close to any one they think they need to keep an eye on.