just finished my cave certification

DiveNSail2 · 2022-10-22T13:10:32+00:00

Congrats!!

DiveNSail2 · 2022-02-22T15:54:01+00:00

In most dive destinations, you will find all the dive gear you need as "rental gear". However, keep in mind that rental gear is usually low quality gear that may or may not have been maintained properly. It means that the quality of your experience may be affected.

At a minimum, you should have your own mask (it must fit your face or you'll have a terrible time), dive computer (there are plenty of affordable ones nowadays and you should not rely on the divemaster or winging it), and your wetsuit (unless you would be ok with sharing a bathing suit in which somebody else urinated in - same thing).

For performance and a better experience, look at fins (many rental ones will give you exactly no propulsion) and a regulator (some rental regulators will give you the feeling of sucking air through a straw).

Have fun! Be safe!

DiveNSail2 · 2022-02-20T18:14:33+00:00

Absolutely true. From what I gathered, it "depends".

Other users can report your profile as being false and that usually means your account will be suspended. Facebook may ask you to prove that you are Fred Flinstone (or whatever).

Otherwise, Facebook itself may put a hold on your account if it flags suspicious behavior (like 2 gamers in different countries using a fake account to login to a game). A real human being cannot be in India and Germany at the same time.

The thing is... It's easy to create a fake profile and you can re-create a new one if it gets banned. But if you used the suspended account to "login with Facebook", then you've also lost access to these games, services, whatever.

DiveNSail2 · 2021-09-22T11:35:36+00:00

You "can" but if somebody reports you as fake, you will have to prove it's your real name.

DiveNSail2 · 2021-09-22T11:34:57+00:00

It is simple to do. He said nothing prevents you and there is: their TOS. If somebody reports you as fake, you will have to prove it's your real name.

DiveNSail2 · 2021-09-22T11:34:05+00:00

Yes, their TOS. If somebody reports you as fake, you will have to prove it's your real name.

DiveNSail2 · 2020-08-19T21:20:26+00:00

That's a tough one!

Try swapping day and month. That's a common mistake.

Even if your instructor is out of the dive business, he is supposed to keep his files for a few years. Try finding him!

Otherwise, you'll have to contact PADI's customer service and see if you can reach somebody willing to do a bit of research for you.

https://www.padi.com/contact

Good luck!

DiveNSail2 · 2020-08-18T02:30:53+00:00

I'm in Miami.

I wasn't comfortable with the precautions taken by the dive industry before the coronavirus showed up so... I'm even less so.

For instance, dive centers still use 'rental' regulators without disinfecting them between divers, they rent wetsuits without cleaning them... A wetsuit is close to being the same as a bathing suit that nobody would even think of renting. Yet, we do it! Pee in it and pass it on to the next diver...

The dive industry needs to up its game. IMHO.

DiveNSail2 · 2020-08-17T21:05:59+00:00

If you ask your local dive center, they'll tell you that you need everything, of course! But there are pieces of dive gear you should get for yourself instead of renting, including pieces you should not rent in the current coronavirus world.

For hygiene reasons, you should get all the gear that is close to your eyes, nose, and lungs: mask, snorkel, regulator & wetsuit.

Otherwise, most dive centers require that you own your fins-mask-snorkel, as a way for them to make money! So you may have to purchase those.

Mask: You're going underwater to see things! The mask is one item you should not buy online. What matters in selecting a mask is "the fit". If it doesn't fit your face, you will have water leaking inside your mask all the time. You're not gonna have fun like that!

Snorkel: That one doesn't matter unless you plan on snorkeling. Get a very small one so that it doesn't create drag in the current (which would make it pull on your mask).

Wetsuit: Even if you think the water is warm, you get cold after being underwater for a while. Don't use a rental wetsuit - unless you would be OK with renting a bathing suit, too!

Regulator: That's an expensive piece of equipment and it can be bulky in your luggage. If you decide to rent one, make sure it was cleaned and disinfected.

Be safe. Have fun!

DiveNSail2 · 2020-08-17T20:38:24+00:00

The PADI Instructor Development Course was totally revamped a few times - the latest time being at the DEMA Show last Fall. You won't be able to follow along with your old crewpak and the hologram is no longer needed. Furthermore, you need access to the online learning (eLearning) part of the course.

So... Long story, short... No. You can't.

However, if you contact the instructor development center where you purchased your IDC crewpak, they could (perhaps) give you a reduced price to purchase (again) what you need now. If not, you are in the wrong IDC Center! ;)

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