Cozumel: Resort Course or Open Water Certification?

I've checked the archives and found some good info on Cozumel dive shops,
but I could use a bit of help in thinking about whether or not to do the
resort course and then a couple more shallow reef dives or try to do the 3-4
day open water certification.

How much of the certification programs are actual reef diving and how much
is classroom and other structured instruction? In other words, is the
course a way to do a few mornings or afternoons of reef diving and get
certified in the process? Or is it more focused on instruction?

It would be nice to get certified down there, but not at the expense of
actually getting to spend time exploring the reefs.

I should add that I did scuba for a number of years as a kid (without
certification ;) and have done quite a bit of reef snorkeling on sailing
vacations, so I'm not starting completely from scratch.

TIA,

Mark

Mark Weaver retorted :
> I've checked the archives and found some good info on Cozumel dive
> shops, but I could use a bit of help in thinking about whether or not
> to do the resort course and then a couple more shallow reef dives or
> try to do the 3-4 day open water certification.
>
> How much of the certification programs are actual reef diving and how
> much is classroom and other structured instruction? In other words,
> is the course a way to do a few mornings or afternoons of reef diving
> and get certified in the process? Or is it more focused on
> instruction?
>
> It would be nice to get certified down there, but not at the expense
> of actually getting to spend time exploring the reefs.
>
> I should add that I did scuba for a number of years as a kid (without
> certification ;) and have done quite a bit of reef snorkeling on
> sailing vacations, so I'm not starting completely from scratch.
>
> TIA,
>
> Mark

Idea: get certified from your local dive shop at home, before you go, and
then you'll be ready to go when you hit the reefs.

penny s

In article <2I-dnc2NCbZW_K_dRVn-vw@comcast.com>, "Mark Weaver" <weaver@nospam-corvusdev.com> writes:
>I've checked the archives and found some good info on Cozumel dive shops,
>but I could use a bit of help in thinking about whether or not to do the
>resort course and then a couple more shallow reef dives or try to do the 3-4
>day open water certification.

An Open Water Certification is divided into three parts: Classroom,
Confined Water practice, and Open Water checkout.

The Classroom and Confined Water work are usually done "together".
They take about 2 very full days, or 6 evenings. (Six evenings
make for better, more relaxed learning!)

The Open Water checkout consist of [at least] four dives over
[at least] two days. These are the only dives that would be "actual
reef diving", and even then, part of your time will be spend in drills.

One thing you can do -- and which is often recommended -- is to do the
Classroom and Confined Water work at home, before your trip. You can
get a referral to do your Open Water checkout in Cozumel. Then, after
the frist two days, you'll be fully certified and can dive as you wish.

>I should add that I did scuba for a number of years as a kid (without
>certification ;)

Get certified.
You'll likely be surprised at all the things you didn't know.

However, you'll also probably find youself [re]learnig some of the
skills faster than your inexperienced classmates.

> and have done quite a bit of reef snorkeling on sailing
>vacations, so I'm not starting completely from scratch.

Other than being comfortable in the water -- which does help! -- there
is not much carry-over from snorkeling to SCUBA.


About "Resort Courses": This is not a certification. It will allow you
to dive under controlled and supervised conditions ONLY with the shop
where you take the course, and ONLY during that visit. If you go to
any other shop, or if you come back next year, you have to take the
Resort Course over again.

There is also a difference in opinions regarding how safe Resort Courses
are. My wife and I did one and later became certified. I thik we got
a good insructor and a safe program. Others have reported different
experiences. Certainly you will be a better, safer diver if you take
the full Open Water certification.

I hope this helps -- I also hope I haven't overloaded you with info.

--
Charlie Hammond -- Hewlett-Packard Company -- Ft Lauderdale FL USA
(hammond@not@peek.ssr.hp.com -- remove "@not" when replying)
All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's.

"Penny S" <pennysinvalid@cetinvalid.com> wrote in message
>
> Idea: get certified from your local dive shop at home, before you go, and
> then you'll be ready to go when you hit the reefs.
>

That's not an option at this point -- we're leaving at the end of the week.

Mark Weaver <weaver@nospam-corvusdev.com> wrote:
>"Penny S" <pennysinvalid@cetinvalid.com> wrote in message
>> Idea: get certified from your local dive shop at home, before you go, and
>> then you'll be ready to go when you hit the reefs.
>
>That's not an option at this point -- we're leaving at the end of the week.

Why didn't you ask us last week!?

Your best answer was to do the classroom/pool locally, then get a warm water
referral and finish on vacation. In the shortened timeframe you have, I'd
stick to the resort diving. Any cert that doesn't burn too much of your
vacation time isn't going to be very good, and the resort courses there take
you well beyond the 20-40ft limit typical. (I watched my DM play instructor
for a father/daughter combo with us down to 80 on a wall) Given your background,
not quite so dangerous, and you have more time to enjoy the warm weather.

Come home, do the class for the next trip.
--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

"Jason O'Rourke" <jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu> wrote in message
news:c0uocs$18th$1@agate.berkeley.edu...
> Mark Weaver <weaver@nospam-corvusdev.com> wrote:
> >"Penny S" <pennysinvalid@cetinvalid.com> wrote in message
> >> Idea: get certified from your local dive shop at home, before you go,
and
> >> then you'll be ready to go when you hit the reefs.
> >
> >That's not an option at this point -- we're leaving at the end of the
week.
>
> Why didn't you ask us last week!?
>

Well, I haven't really had to go for classes here anyway ;)

> Your best answer was to do the classroom/pool locally, then get a warm
water
> referral and finish on vacation. In the shortened timeframe you have, I'd
> stick to the resort diving. Any cert that doesn't burn too much of your
> vacation time isn't going to be very good, and the resort courses there
take
> you well beyond the 20-40ft limit typical. (I watched my DM play
instructor
> for a father/daughter combo with us down to 80 on a wall) Given your
background,
> not quite so dangerous, and you have more time to enjoy the warm weather.
>
> Come home, do the class for the next trip.

That all makes sense -- thanks.

Mark

Hooah Mark! I personally would not want to deal with all the
bookwork and then the added stress of doing the training drills while I was on a
vacation. My wife would not appreciate my inattention to her during that
time.....

Also be advised there is a bit of a current there, which might tend to
separate the group of students and create confusion. Consider that you'll get
out of your training as much effort as you put into it. I would prefer to
focus my maximum attention into relearning the basic skills as to merely getting
my ticket punched.....

I'd also remember that these are important life saving skills ( as in :
YOUR life) and that the resorts are there to move bodies along the conveyor
belt and extract cubic dollars from their pockets..... not necessarily to
actually teach you anything you'll remember later on if your ass gets hung out
in the wind......

You would probably be smarter to find a local dive shop and complete
your basic certification close to home. Get trained up to speed and then enjoy
your vacation. In the long run, you get out of it as much effort as you put
into it.

Paul






Mark Weaver wrote:

> I've checked the archives and found some good info on Cozumel dive shops,
> but I could use a bit of help in thinking about whether or not to do the
> resort course and then a couple more shallow reef dives or try to do the 3-4
> day open water certification.
>
> How much of the certification programs are actual reef diving and how much
> is classroom and other structured instruction? In other words, is the
> course a way to do a few mornings or afternoons of reef diving and get
> certified in the process? Or is it more focused on instruction?
>
> It would be nice to get certified down there, but not at the expense of
> actually getting to spend time exploring the reefs.
>
> I should add that I did scuba for a number of years as a kid (without
> certification ;) and have done quite a bit of reef snorkeling on sailing
> vacations, so I'm not starting completely from scratch.
>
> TIA,
>
> Mark

"Paul Hickson" <p.hickson@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:403D7229.439CC342@comcast.net...
> Hooah Mark! I personally would not want to deal with all the
> bookwork and then the added stress of doing the training drills while I
was on a
> vacation. My wife would not appreciate my inattention to her during that
> time.....
>

Yes, it turned out that not trying to do the certification down there was
the right way to go. The earlier suggestion to go with the 'intro course'
and then shallow dives worked out great for us -- we did the pool training
on last Tuesday morning and 1-tank reef dive in the afternoon and then did
two tanks another afternoon later in the week. My wife and two kids who'd
never been diving before loved it.

> Also be advised there is a bit of a current there, which might
tend to
> separate the group of students and create confusion.

Yes, there was a current and they were drift dives, but it really wasn't a
problem -- in fact, we found it pretty convenient to let the current float
us along from one coral head to the next without much kicking ;)

>
> I'd also remember that these are important life saving skills (
as in :
> YOUR life) and that the resorts are there to move bodies along the
conveyor
> belt and extract cubic dollars from their pockets..... not necessarily to
> actually teach you anything you'll remember later on if your ass gets hung
out
> in the wind......

Well we definitely didn't end up with a 'moving bodies along the conveyor
belt' deal. We hooked up with Sergio Sandoval at Aquatic Sports and we got
nothing but personal attention. Sergio and his crew were great. Gotta give
him a plug:

http://www.scubacozumel.com/

>
> You would probably be smarter to find a local dive shop and
complete
> your basic certification close to home.

Ah, maybe next year.

Mark