Advice for New Divers

[Terry]

Two of the folks in the current course are thinking about certifying in the south this winter, and were wondering about destinations. They're looking for somewhere relatively inexpensive, with good, reliable dive operations AND good diving within their limits.

What do y'all think?

[Tom Falardeau]

Roatan

The Bay Islands Beach Resort is a NAUI operation.

[Terry]

If they're going that far anyway, I'd have said Bonaire, mostly for all the wonderful and easy the shore diving. (It's not ALL Windjammer, you know.) ;)

But I think they were looking at something a bit more moderately priced.

Cuba is inexpensive, but I'm not sure about the quality of the certifying operations, and my impression is it's mostly boat.

[JimC]

Drive to the Carolines/Florida. There are boatloads of new diver diving in both areas and it doesn't get much cheaper. Ft Lauderdale/Miami area has something like 50 reefs and another 30 odd ship wrecks in the 60+ foot range. The keys have their share of easy stuff too.

[blee]

No personal experience, but I've been told by people who have dove in Cuba on multiple trips (there with a non-diving spouses) that the equipment is more often than not marginal. If true, maybe not the best thing for the newly certified, who may not recognise or be able to cope as easily with flaky gear. You'd want someone with firsthand knowledge that a particular op is reputable.

I wonder if there are even any NAUI ops in Cuba, because of the embargo.

[Terry]

Valerie and took our first ever scuba instruction in Cuba in 1993. It was in a hotel pool, it lasted 15 minutes, and it was completely in Spanish (which neither of us speak). The next day they took us out to shore dive at the Bay of Pigs. Had a wonderful time, but we could have died fifty different ways (as the Burtons carefully explained to us when we returned and introduced ourselves at their shop as "trained divers".

[scubagirl]

The Playa del Carmen (MX) area might work out. There are some good shops around there, though I'm not sure if any of them are NAUI. I did my discover scuba dives with an SSI shop there, and they were very thorough and safety-conscious.

[Terry]

That's a good thought. They had been thinking Cozumel, but I was dubious...not sure that kind of drift is the most comfortable dive experience for newer folks. What's the shore diving like?

[scubagirl]

No shore diving, unfortunately. But the reefs are only a 5-10 minute boat ride away. Lots of six-pack dive boats, some cattle boats.

[Tom Falardeau]

The next day they took us out to shore dive at the Bay of Pigs. Had a wonderful time, but we could have died fifty different ways (as the Burtons carefully explained to us when we returned and introduced ourselves at their shop as "trained divers".

And, of course, the Bay of Pigs is a bad omen in itself, having been the scene of a major debacle before. Consider yourself lucky to have survived :D

[owlbill]

That's a good thought. They had been thinking Cozumel, but I was dubious...not sure that kind of drift is the most comfortable dive experience for newer folks. What's the shore diving like?
For Cozumel, they could contact Papa Hogs (http://www.papahogs.com/site/index2.php) (also NAUI)

[rwhitbread]

No personal experience, but I've been told by people who have dove in Cuba on multiple trips (there with a non-diving spouses) that the equipment is more often than not marginal. If true, maybe not the best thing for the newly certified, who may not recognise or be able to cope as easily with flaky gear. You'd want someone with firsthand knowledge that a particular op is reputable.

I wonder if there are even any NAUI ops in Cuba, because of the embargo.


There are no Naui or Padi certifications given out in Cuba unless it is by a DI who is PADI or Naui certified taking a group of students down to Cuba for their OW check out dives. ACUC is the only globally recognized agency that operates domestically in Cuba.

I cannot speak for Varadero, or Cayo Coca as I have not been there, but in Hoguin (Playa Presquero) the DIs speak fairly good english and the gear, from what I saw (Judy and I took our own gear) while not the best gear available, was in good operating order, and well maintained. The tanlks were steel 95s with DIN valve that accomodated yoke adapters.

The only real failure point that their gear had that one could expect some minor troubles, was O rings. The BC's they used were well maintained, and while the wetsuits (3mm shorties) looked a bit over used, there were no holes or ripped seams etc. The regs were Sherwood and Mares, as were the BCs.

As to the conpetency of the DIs and DMs they it was on par with here in Canada, the only exception being that they tended to allowed students to dive a bit beyond their traning. However, from what I ahev been able to find out, most resort type outfits have a tendancy to allow students to puch the envelope. This was apparent with thier Discover Scuba students. It appears that they were willing to take their Discover student out on a fifty foot reef dive, somethig I personally think is pushing the envelope, but then again there were no incidents and the babies had more than enough supervison: 1 DM per 2 dive students.

If you want to see a more complete report on diving in Holgion Cuba, see my blog.

http://blog.myspace.com/thesilentrealm (http://blog.myspace.com/thesilentrealm)

I'll be happy to provide more deatils if you are interested.