learning to scuba dive
 

Hi,
Please advise a nice place to go to learn to scuba dive. I will be with a 20 year old and a 13 year old.
I understand that we can do a "resort dive."
Thanks for any suggestions!

There are plenty of reputable PADI certified dive operations around Key West who offer "resort dives." Make sure there is a hotel pool session, which last about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, to familiarize your sons with the equipment. The dive op should supply all equipment. Then, it should be followed by two separate open water dives in the ocean, in shallow depths of 30 feet or less. This is so your sons can ascend if there is a problem, and won't have to take a "safety stop" for several minutes at 15 feet below the surface to prevent narcosis or bends. For the two open water dives which your "resort course" should offer, both should be at these shallow depths, so they can ascend directly to the surface if anything happens. Obviously, the dive master should accompany both on the open water trip and stick with them during both open water dives. As far as a nice place to go, I would surf the internet and consult dive magazines such as "Sport Diver" and others to get names of reputable dive ops. Call them and ask questions and look at their websites. Robert

I forgot one other important item. Your other post said your excursion would be for only "several days" in order to take the "resort course." It is unwise to scuba dive the same day or at least for 24 hours after and before a jet plane trip. So, you can't fly down there by jet and take the course the same day. Robert

I recommend doing your classroom and pool work spread over weeks of time at home with a good qualified PADI instructor, where you will be credited with all phases of that instruction towards your certification. You will feel much more confident in your ability and the equiptment to do your open water dive for certification while on vacation. This can be done with two different dive operators.

I tried the full three day course in Key West and found that it was stressful and took too much time away from my vacation. Pool practice was only in four feet of water and did not provide enough experience similar to ocean waters. As a result, I was unable to perform the necessary tasks for my open water dive and did not receive my certification there. In fact it was a very scary and I was made to feel like a complete idiot by the instructor.

I did sucessfully complete my open water dive and receive my certification through the patience and encouragement of a wonderful instructor at Low Key Water Sports, St. John USVI.

A resort dive might be a good way to see if you like diving, but the course taken over time is the best way to receive confidence and proficiency.

I second DianeBridle's reco's. The best way to "learn to scuba dive" would be with the full course, not with a "resort dive." There is a chance because of the quickness of a short course to that you will have a very unpleasant experience in the ocean. The full course, sometimes lasting over a dozen workbook and indoor pool sessions, irons out all your fears and lets you read and then experience the potential hazards of scuba diving, then actually reinacting them in a pool and the open ocean with an instructor. Even if your children like scuba diving after the "resort dive" experience, which may be a great time, I'd still enroll them in a full PADI course topside. Even PADI certified divers take a refresher course if they haven't been diving for a while. Robert

If you're looking to delve deeper in the Caribbean, there are also reputable PADI certified dive shops on many islands. Two islands I know which have several great dive operations for first timers are Bonaire and St. Eustatius, just to name a couple.