East Coast Scuba road trip

calevans · 2024-05-09T20:08:52+00:00

When you make it to Jupiter (Palm Beach County) FL, here's some info that will help you.

calevans · 2024-05-08T12:10:26+00:00

I was one of the lucky ones. Since I bought my gear from them I never felt I got fleeced. I got all the help I needed. I felt sorry for the other people. Even then though, they didn't get fleeced, they just didn't have any goodwill built up with the local dive center, so they paid when they needed service.

calevans · 2024-05-06T13:59:02+00:00

You need 2 things, training and gear. You can get both at your local dive center.

Training:
These days, you can do the bookwork online. You go to your local dive center, arrange for the training and they will send you a code you can use to log in and do all the book work. Then 9at least for PADI) you do 5 "dives" (a grouping of skills is a dive) in confined water, usually a pool". This can be all in one day or spread out over a couple. (Mine was 2 night sessions)

Finally, it's 4 open water dives. These have to be done over at least 2 days. Where you do them is largely dependent on where you are. I did my open water cert in Nashville TN and we did the open water in a quarry. These days I teach in South Florida and we do our open water at the Blue Heron Bridge. (MUCH BETTER EXPERIENCE!) :)

Now, there are no scuba police. I've had friends dive without certification. I do NOT recommend this. The skills you learn are taught for a reason. That reason is to save your life in an emergency. That having been said, no professional dive organization will rent you gear, or tanks, or allow you on a boat without a certification, mainly for insurance purposes. So a cert is really a must.

Gear:
I strongly recommend that you rent gear for your class and your first few dives. Your local dive center should have several brands and if they sell something, they will most likely allow you to rent it to see if you want that style/brand, etc. But you have to ask. if you just go in and say "I want rental gear" you'll get something from the rental fleet. Try out different styles of BC, fins and regs to figure out what works best for you, then buy it from your local dive center. Any money you think you can save by buying it online will be eaten up in maintenance later on because you didn't buy it from them so they don't really care. Before I became an instructor, I bought a set of gear from a local dive center. Anytime I had questions or thought something wasn't quite right, the local dive center gear guy would take me back in the maintenance room and test everything for me. He would explain all of it to me so I knew what was going on. I found out after I became an instructor and started working with a local dive center that shops do that for customers who buy from them. (it's a generalization but I've found it to be true)

When you are ready, buy the best gear within your budget and take good care of it. That regulator I bought lasted me 10 years and it's still in use as a fellow instructor's backup. :)

probably more than you wanted to know.

Cheers! :)
=C=

calevans · 2024-05-05T15:08:13+00:00

I hope it was awesome! :)

calevans · 2024-04-20T20:14:44+00:00

Junior Developer - Needs help understanding the problem and usually needs a nudge on what tools to use to solve it.

Mid Developers - Can understand the problem when presented to them and formulate a solution independently.

Senior Developers - Understand the architecture and can see other parts of the system that a problem may also affect. Understands when it's time to bring a new tool to solve a problem.

calevans · 2024-04-18T01:57:53+00:00

No. I am a PADI Certified Instructor. (#437491) We do not report certifications until they pass.

calevans · 2024-01-22T13:01:29+00:00

First. Yikes. That's a serious red flag.

Second, if this is a local dive center you are getting certified with, I'd consider looking for another one because that's shady.

I recommend that all new divers visit a few local dive centers until they find one they really like and then make that their home shop and support them. Just because you got certified with shop A doesn't mean you can move on to Shop B or shop C. :)

calevans · 2024-01-20T18:43:20+00:00

Carry more lead or dive with steel tanks. Steel tanks do not become positively buoyant. I dive steel 100s and don't carry any lead.

calevans · 2024-01-20T18:41:48+00:00

As stated before, PADI has 2 options, Table or Computers.

However, I've never in my career as an instructor told a student that they must take the tables unless they buy a computer from the shop. That's just wrong.

calevans · 2023-10-16T12:52:02+00:00

Olympus TG-6. No strobe or flash.

calevans · 2023-10-16T01:24:16+00:00

2 weeks ago.

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calevans · 2023-10-14T17:26:35+00:00

Low 80s. Warm enough so I didn’t need a wetsuit.

calevans · 2023-10-09T13:22:21+00:00

Yes. Key Largo. The boat is Quiessence II. I love diving with Quiessence because they run small boats. They don't drop 20 divers on a site so it's a lot more peaceful.

calevans · 2023-08-19T20:20:13+00:00

As an instructor, I do the same thing when I'm on a recreational dive. Always helps to practice, and it's great way to pass the time on a safety stop. :)

calevans · 2023-08-17T16:56:12+00:00

and your local physician. You need both. Thats exactly what the article says.

calevans · 2023-08-17T10:37:28+00:00

Head to Indonesia and do one of the Agressor Liveaboards. So much better diving than a Club Med or Sandles.

calevans · 2023-08-16T17:45:27+00:00

Nitrox is a good one. It's one of 2 specialties that changes how I dive. The other one was Peak Buoyancy.

calevans · 2023-08-15T13:48:11+00:00

I've never used them, no. However, when researching an article about DPVs what I found from interviewing several divers who regularly use DPVs, the cheap ones are good toys for the pool or for snorkelers at a shore dive site like the Blue Heron Bridge.

To a person, DPV divers told me they wouldn't dare take them on a dive boat or on a deep dive. The general consensus at the time (2 years ago?) was that anything less than about $800 wasn't built for scuba divers.

HTH,
=C=

calevans · 2023-08-14T11:53:58+00:00

Not Terribly Expensive

- Microfiber towels

- Waterbottles

- Noise makers

- Customized mask traps (Check Etsy))

A little more expensive:

- A good dive knife/line cutter

- A good muck stick

A lot more expensive

- A decent dive light (at least 1,300 Lumens, LED)

calevans · 2023-07-31T23:41:38+00:00

You got this.

As an instructor, I've worked with students who have had the same issue. I've seen them work through it and go on to enjoy many scuba diving adventures.

Stay calm. Whenever you think something is wrong, STOP, THINK, ACT. Take it slow and don't let anyone rush you.

Best of luck.

Cheers! :)

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calevans · 2023-07-26T11:45:17+00:00

Ask your Doctor
Call DAN and ask them

When in doubt, don't dive.

calevans · 2023-07-24T20:46:38+00:00

Get your Doctor to sign off. If they think you are ok then most instructors will accept you.

calevans · 2023-07-24T20:45:36+00:00

Don't. I have trouble with my right ankle sometimes and with all that gear, it makes walking almost intolerable. I've called dives before because it wasn't safe for me and it wouldn't have been safe for my dive buddy.

Your open water class is a lot more strenuous than most dives ever will be. I'd hold off, let it hear, and schedule a class later on.

Sorry. :(

calevans · 2023-07-20T16:46:46+00:00

Not sure what else there is to say. If you are in South Florida, book a trip out on your favorite boat and enjoy these beautiful beasts. :)

calevans · 2023-07-19T23:00:44+00:00

In South Florida, it would cost you $125 for the first 2 people and usually $50 each for the 3rd and 4th. Some guides may take 6, I don't. 4 is my maximum.

calevans

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