I'm looking to take advantage of scuba diving offered at Sandals resorts for my honeymoon. Is the class to get certified worth the time and what dives would be recommended for anyone who has done this?
Thanks a bunch, Karen

Do not know about Sandals - but many places offer "resort" scuba classes. They will teach you only the very basics and most people will be safe. BUT - if you have time, please take a full certification course. The analogy I use is one of driving a car - after about 30 minutes behind the wheel of a car, one can drive it down the street and not kill themselves or anyone else - but that is far different than being a safe and knowledgeable driver.

And if you ever plan on diving anywhere in the real world, you will need to be certified to rent equipment, go out on a charter boat for a dive, etc.

(PS - I am not even a diver - husband has been for 30 years and I have heard/witnessed too many actual and near-tragedies from inexperienced and untrained divers)

Just a word of advice. My cousin came to my island to vacation and get certified. She spent her entire vacation either studying the book, in class, or doing open water skills. I hardly ever saw her in five days and she was beat each night.

If it were me, I'd stick to a resort course and get certified at a time when I'm not on my honeymoon, but that's just my opinion.

Whatever you decide, congrats on your upcoming wedding!

We just got back from Beaches Negril & my husband had to get a diving "tune-up" since it had been several years since his last dive. It was $50 & took about 1 1/2 hrs to do. Mainly it was a recertification. New divers are limited as to number of dives allowed & depths they can dive to. The regular diving course takes 3 hours, I think. Here is their policy.
http://www.sandals.com/general/scuba.cfm

He really enjoyed the diving even though the reef has suffered over the years.The watersports people were wonderful at our resort. I enjoyed the snorkeling & I am not a water person.

A great option is to take a PADI scuba diving course in your city, and take the required indoor pool sessions. You will have read the scuba textbook, passed the exam, learn all the details of scuba diving (which lessens the danger), and taken several indoor pool sessions with the instructor, who gives you "hands-on" experience with all the concepts learned in the textbook. Then, to be certified, you need two "open water" sessions, which means diving in a quarry or lake with your instructor. Here's the neat thing; the instructor can sign a special card signifying you took the course and passed the exam, and all you need is the "open water" dive to become a fully certified scuba diver. Your instructor's signed card will be accepted by any dive op. throughout the world, and they will qualify you with the open water dives with their divemasters, and give you the certification card. So, instead of the short resort course, which leaves you nowhere, you can dive at the resort AND become a certified scuba diver. It would also be safer for you, since you have the book knowledge, and already have worked with the wet suit, BCD, tank, weight belts, etc. By the way, the courses in the U.S. supply all the equipment as you go through the class and textbook sessions, and the indoor pool lessons, so you don't have to spend the money for equipment (many people don't realize this). And, of course, when you qualify at Sandals for the final "open water" dives with the divemaster, you're equipment is furnished as well. Just a thought. Robert

I would second the idea of either getting fully certified or just leaving your open dives to your honeymoon.

We went to Australia for our honeymoon and got certified prior to going on trip. It was well worth it. The resort course where we dove had pool lessons and then when you dove in the open water they had more skills and only 5-10 minutes of looking around while diving. B/c we got certified we dove and pretty much went where we wanted for the entire time we dove. Believe me it is alot better than doing fin pivots and mask clears.

The lessons do not take long either. # hour class plus, tpyically two-three hour pool sessions and then your open-water dive.

Good point, cguest88. And, since you've already learned buoyancy control in the pool sessions back in the states, your open water dive in the Caribbean, or whereever, will be more enjoyable. Robert

Thank you all for your thoughts and replies on this topic! I am going to try to get certified before going, but if not am I missing a ton if I just stick to snorkeling in St. Lucia? Thanks again and also I appreciate the congrats Statia -Karen

Hi Karen - There's a huge difference between SCUBA diving and snorkeling. Not that there's anything wrong with snorkeling... It's just that when you're snorkeling, you're only seeing the "tip of the iceberg". There's so much more to see. To make an analogy, suppose you flew to a tropical island, and saw the palm trees and viewed the beauty of the island, but only through the windows of the plane. You'd in all honesty be able to say the island was beautiful, but you'd never actually seen all the island. It's the same thing with snorkeling. While it's wonderful, you're never going to get the total picture of the wonder of the undersea world. So, yes, in my opinion, you'll be missing a ton.

When you're diving, you're in this vast, underwater world, where everything is completely different from our world up here. The absolute beauty. The soft coral, the hard coral: like underwater gardens. The differences in the fish: Their colors are extraordinary. Reef fish are small and flat sided (easier to get in and out of the reefs) open water fish are largerand shaped completely different. The pure serenity of it all. It's glorious.

So, please go get certified before you go. It will make a big difference.

As someone who took their first dive at a resort course in St Lucia, I'll give you my input.

Most of the people who signed up to take the resort course freaked out when they donned the equipment and went under water (in the pool) for the first time. Of the 5 couples who signed up to take it, only my husband and I and two of the other guys were able to complete it and go on the dive.

We spent a few hours in the pool and in a class, and then did a one tank dive to 30 to 35 feet. It was truly amazing. Just phenomenal. Saw everything from a sea snake to a nurse shark - and this was our FIRST dive ever. The other people in the class were fine, and so we all had about 45 minutes of bottom time. Great!

We were hooked, so we came back home and got our open water, and then advanced open water certification.

We have been diving and snorkeling all over the Caribbean to many of what are considered the best places in the world to do so.

I agree TOTALLY with the posters who suggest getting certifed before you go. I personally would go one step further and suggest you do your check outs before you go so you don't need to be worried about that on vacation.

In St Lucia - as in many other great snorkeling locations - you ABSOLUTELY can see amazing sights and experience the same level of beauty and wonder snorkeling as you can diving. In fact, when I want to really relax and enjoy a shallow reef, I much prefer to snorkel it. I can wade out right from shore with no boat ride and a minimum of equipment, at my leisure, don't have to worry about how long I can stay out, or how deep I am, decompression tables, or air consumption, or where my buddy is, or staying with group, etc., etc.

As silly as this may sound, I have on more than one occasion felt so happy and serene and peaceful snorkeling and floating over a gorgeous reef that I have nearly fallen asleep.

Diana...not silly at all. I've nearly fallen asleep while snorkeling, too!

Oh, thank goodness Statia! (I thought I was the only one and that it was a little odd.)
Some of us just must have more salt water in our blood than others! I am at my absolute happiest when in or very near the ocean.
Our goal is to do as you do and live in the Caribbean. (But starting out, it will only be for a few months each year.) It's narrowed down to Carriacou or Nevis. Going down in a few months to make the final decision

Well, good luck Diana! We're in our eleventh year down here and still loving it.

Thanks! I'm glad to hear that. We don't need lots of "entertaining," but it will be nice to have larger islands to go to for day trips or for shopping needs beyond the basics.
There's nothing I'm addicted to - no Starbucks or anything like that - so as long as I can get fresh seafood and veggies, I'll be happy!