Scuba Diving

[kevin34]

I am thinking about possibly getting into scuba diving and was wondering if there are any certified divers or dive instructors that could share some info with me. Any info is great such as what age you have to be to be certified, what kind of gear you need, what gear is best, what lessons consist of and anything else in between. Thanks in advance.

 

[stormd]

well i naui cert and it is not hard you have to be over 16 to get the basic or open water cert and then you move up from there it consited of 5hours classroom test then you start poolwork after that is said and done you then go to open water and demo the skill they showed you in a course of five dives and then you are certified

 

[clownfish11]

im 15 and ive got my jun. license the only difference is you cant go under 45feet.....

 

[stormd]

right after 16 you can down to 60ft then you fo get your advanced open water with deep diver and can go to 130ft

 

[clownfish11]

ya.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by Kevin34
http:///forum/post/2519543
I am thinking about possibly getting into scuba diving and was wondering if there are any certified divers or dive instructors that could share some info with me. Any info is great such as what age you have to be to be certified, what kind of gear you need, what gear is best, what lessons consist of and anything else in between. Thanks in advance.

Gear:
You'll need mask, snorkel and fins for the class. Don't buy anything else until you get in the class and learn about the differences. I'm a huge fan of the Split fins, but others are not.
Lessons (PADI) consist of class times, pool times, and a checkout dive in open water.
The first time you hit the open ocean and see a reef you'll be amazed.

 

[kevin34]

You think they have open water dives up here in New England? There cant be much to see in the cold Atlantic.

 

[clownfish11]

well then you get to go on vacation and do it or you could go to a local quarry or pond...and ya dont let the PADI director trick you into buying like 200$ masks and fins...i bought my fins at walmart and they work just as good as the amazing finss...i know this cuz ive used both...and i bought a good mask from a scuba store...umm and like journey said when you hit hte water all the "work" and money pays OFF BIG TIME!!!!
good luck..

 

[tjone752000]

Originally Posted by Kevin34
http:///forum/post/2519746
You think they have open water dives up here in New England? There cant be much to see in the cold Atlantic.
A friend of mine is a navy diver,he goes up to lake winnipesaukee N.H. with some other divers, cut a hole thru the ice with a chainsaw, and go ice diving.
BRRRRRRRR !

 

[clownfish11]

thats kinda stupid of him, but its not that cold...at least thats what my PADI instructor told me, but i dont hink i would ever do it

 

[dragonzim]

I'm PADI certified. Got my certs here in NY about 12 or so years ago. Your Open Water certification allows you to dive to 60 feet and will consist of classroom, pool sessions and then a check out dive in open water. After that you can get your Advanced Open Water which lets you dive to 120 feet. I think that this is where most people stop their official training since with these 2 certs you can pretty much do any type of recreational diving that you want. I am also Wreck Diver certified and there are tons of other certs you can take like Underwater Naturalist, Photography, Search and Rescue, etc.
Like was already said, you will need at least a mask, fins and snorkel for the classes. After that, if you really like it and think you will go often you can get into buying the other gear like regulators and a BCD (the vest you wear that your tank attaches to). I think I spent about $200 or so on my original mask, fins and snorkel. After that I dropped close to $600 on regulators and about $500 on a BCD. Add onto that a wetsuit or drysuit and you can easily spend upwards of $2000 or more on your gear.

 

[clownfish11]

or you could rent...which is waht im gonna do for a while

 

[firerescue]

There is plenty to see in cold water. Here in michigan i dive on shipwrecks and i am sure there is some over there. I was certified when i was 12 and never did any other classes but have dove deep just about my whole life. well worth it to get the classes because if you go somewhere warm like florida or hawaii then you can have tons of fun.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by ClownFiSH11
http:///forum/post/2520752
or you could rent...which is waht im gonna do for a while
Absolutely. You definitely want to rent at first to get a feel for what you like.
No rental gear, however, compares with good quality gear you buy and get to know. I dive with a couple of guys who are in much better shape than I am, yet they rent gear and I consistantly end a dive with more air than any of them.

 

[wattsupdoc]

I am certified, my son got his Jr. the week after his 10th birthday. You cant certify unless your 10, then only with a parent. No substitutions. He'll get his jr. lifted this year when he turns 12. Most all of our gear is used rental equipment. This is a great way to go, as most dive shops sell gear off every couple years or so. You can get some good deals on some good gear this way. But you have to know what your looking at also, or you can easily get RIPPED!

If your not going to be diving much, then rental is probably the best way to go for you. DONT BUY ANY GEAR DURING THE CLASSES! Except your necessary mask fins and snorkel. They'll try to sell you the whole shop if they can. You'll find out also that theres gear you HAVE to have, gear that makes life nicer, and gear you just dont need or want. BTW we spearfish for catfish around here.

 

[phelpz]

Holy hell. I'm glad I never went to the rivers when I lived in the Ozarks.

 

[ophiura]

Actually, being certified in cold water is, IMO, a blessing. Sure being certified in a rock quarry where everyone else was in a dry suit was unpleasant, but I think learning to dive in a cold water wetsuit, lobster gloves and hood is a challenge that makes you just any itty bitty bit more experienced than warm water diving. JMO though

 

[dragonzim]

Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/2522386
Actually, being certified in cold water is, IMO, a blessing. Sure being certified in a rock quarry where everyone else was in a dry suit was unpleasant, but I think learning to dive in a cold water wetsuit, lobster gloves and hood is a challenge that makes you just any itty bitty bit more experienced than warm water diving. JMO though

Same goes for getting certified here in NY. More than one of my instructors told me that if you can learn to dive with the conditions we have here, namely cold and bad visibility, you can dive anywhere.

 

[primescuba]

I was certified 17. Recently I bought a New Scuba gear Package from Prime scuba shop.........

 

[primescuba]

We know there are many websites for you to choose from when making your purchase of SCUBA gear and important scuba gear packages. Prime Scuba only sell brand new merchandise purchased directly from the manufacturer. If you purchase such products you may pay slightly less, but you will be sacrificing quality and safety as they will not be warranted or even serviceable by the manufacturer.