Birthday Present for New Diver???

Hi,

My other half has just started the NAUI open water course. She is doing
the pool and theory in England, (Burnage), and is off to Dreams Beach
resort at Sharm el Sheikh in March when she will hopefully be able to do
the dives to complete the course.

I've got several questions, and hope someone can help:

1) It's her birthday next week and, after the first theory lesson, she
has come back talking about things like computers, regulators, BCD's,
Masks, Snorkels, Flippers, and so on.

I am toying with getting her a computer, and am leaning towards the
Suunto Geeko, but as I dont know anything about anything, has anybody
got a suggestion for either a different computer, or something else
which it is sensible for a new diver to own, rather than hire. e.g., as
a skier, it is good to own your own boots, but the rest of it can be
hired without too much concern.

The question is really, What should I get her for her birthday?

2) Given that she will have a NAUI referral certificate, will there be
any difficulty in getting the PADI school at Dreams Beach Resort to
accept her for the open water dives, and give her a certificate at the
end of the dives - Would it be a PADI, or an NAUI??

3) Is the Dreams Beach Resort PADI school as good as any, or will she
get better service/have a better time, with a different school?

Many Thanks

--
Richard Faulkner

"Richard Faulkner" <richard@estate.demon.co.uk> wrote ...

> My other half has just started the NAUI open water course...
> and is off to Dreams Beach resort at Sharm el Sheikh in
> March when she will hopefully be able to do the dives to
> complete the course.

See below - you may have problems here!

> I've got several questions, and hope someone can help:

> 1) It's her birthday next week and, after the first theory lesson, she
> has come back talking about things like computers, regulators, BCD's,
> Masks, Snorkels, Flippers, and so on.

> I am toying with getting her a computer... or something else
> which it is sensible for a new diver to own, rather than hire.

Stick with the basics. Take her down to your local dive shop and buy mask,
snorkel and fins (not flippers) - it might be worth getting yourself a set
as well! If you want to go mad add a 3mm shortie pool suit or similar. Note
that masks are very personal things, you HAVE to choose your own mask
because most wont "fit" you (ask!), you can't buy it for her.

Even if she (and you) don't take to diving then everything basic will be of
use and serve you for years. Basic snorkelling kit is a must for many
holidays, a shortie wetsuit is great for windsurfing/sailing or whatever on
holiday. Stay away from actual dive kit (like regulators) until she
qualifies and knows more.

> 2) Given that she will have a NAUI referral certificate, will
> there be any difficulty in getting the PADI school at Dreams
> Beach Resort to accept her for the open water dives...

There may well be! At the very least you will probably have to pay a bit
extra. Sort this out =NOW=, get it confirmed/in writing from both sides.
There is no way that a PADI school will issue a NAUI ticket, only NAUI
schools can do that. If you're going to end up PADI then it may be best to
start PADI. Ask where she is training now "where can I do my open water?" -
then get it confirmed by asking who you are being referred to.

It is not unknown for instructors to fob you off with "oh - virtually
anywhere", only for you to find that translates to virtually nowhere when
you actually try. Your problem is that you're mixing agencies. If there's a
NAUI school in the Red Sea you may be forced to go there, although I have
had success in the past persuading a PADI school to accept basic training
from elsewhere (subject to a pool checkout) and then issue a PADI ticket.
But it's not automatic, that's why I'm saying check it out now.

> 3) Is the Dreams Beach Resort PADI school as good as any, or
> will she get better service/have a better time, with a different
> school?

Red Sea schools are all much of a muchness. It depends a lot on the
instructor (they move around), how busy they are that week and how many
students the instructor recons he can get away with shagging I'm sure
somebody from the group will have been so hopefully they will give you the
low down.

HTH

Keith L

In message <40183021$0$4102$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk>, Keith Lawrence
<false@nospam.com> writes
>"Richard Faulkner" <richard@estate.demon.co.uk> wrote ...
>
>> My other half has just started the NAUI open water course...
>> and is off to Dreams Beach resort at Sharm el Sheikh in
>> March when she will hopefully be able to do the dives to
>> complete the course.
>
>See below - you may have problems here!

Thanks for the reply Keith.

Janet has a mind of her own, (which is no bad thing <g>), and went and
booked with the NAUI school off her own bat.

The last thing I want is for her to get to Sharm and find she has
difficulty doing what she wants, so I'm trying to pre-empt the problem
and help deal with it.

Is there anything to look for specifically in mask, fins and snorkel?
Any brands standout from the rest?

--
Richard Faulkner

"Richard Faulkner" <richard@estate.demon.co.uk> wrote ...

> Janet has a mind of her own, (which is no bad thing <g>), and
> went and booked with the NAUI school off her own bat... so I'm
> trying to pre-empt the problem and help deal with it.

It may well be that your local NAUI school has it sorted already, but I
thought I'd mention it as it's worth making sure.

> Is there anything to look for specifically in mask, fins
> and snorkel? Any brands standout from the rest?

A snorkel is just a tube, one tube is pretty much like another
Personally I prefer the type with a self-drain at the bottom of the loop,
YMMV. You should get one for between 10 and 20 quid.

Fins - two types, slipper (for a bare foot) and pocket (you need boots as
well). For pool work and a first Red Sea bash I would be tempted to go for
the cheaper slipper fins, the much bigger and heaver pocket fins are more
suitable for British conditions, although again YMMV. Cheap slipper fins can
be had for around 15 quid, personally I use Avanti Quatro slipper fins
because they are similar to my beloved Avanti Quatro pocket fins. Good ones
start at around 25 quid, there's all kinds of flash stuff like split fins -
decide if you really need them.

Mask - the most difficult! It =MUST= fit, nothing else matters, brand is
irrelevant. I've seen people waste 50 quid on a "good" mask that didn't fit,
a 20 quid cheapie was actually better. I've also seen people waste 20 quid
on a cheap mask and suffer miserable dives rather than pay a bit extra for
one that fits. That's why you can't buy a mask without your girlfriend
there, unless it fits HER it is a waste of money.

Try this in a dive shop to see what I mean -

+ DON'T use the mask strap, loop it out of the way around the front of the
mask.
+ Position the mask on your face.
+ Breathe in slightly through your nose, the mask should clamp itself to
your face.

Does air leak in and the mask fall off?

Yes - it doesn't fit, try another one.
No - consider buying it.

Go through the various makes and models in the dive shop, they will probably
have a couple of dozen different ones or so. Out of those you will probably
only find two or three that fit well, buy one of those! Cost is irrelevant,
probably between 30 and 50 quid, but if it doesn't fit your girlfriends face
shape it will be a waste of money. I'm unlucky, there's only one make/model
of mask I've ever found that fits me well - I've been using it for the past
eight years!

Don't forget to ask for a discount, if you're buying mask/snorkel/fins you
should be able to get a few quid off, more if you buy for yourself as well.

The kit wont be wasted either. Many people (including me) like to snorkel
off the beach when on holiday, nothing puts people off snorkelling more than
the cr*p sets available at beach shops. Buy dive quality kit now and you
will be dragging it around the world for many years to come and enjoying
your snorkelling.

HTH

Keith L

"Keith Lawrence" wrote

> Fins - two types, slipper (for a bare foot) and pocket (you need boots as
> well). For pool work and a first Red Sea bash I would be tempted to go for
> the cheaper slipper fins, the much bigger and heaver pocket fins are more
> suitable for British conditions, although again YMMV. Cheap slipper fins
can
> be had for around 15 quid, personally I use Avanti Quatro slipper fins
> because they are similar to my beloved Avanti Quatro pocket fins. Good
ones
> start at around 25 quid, there's all kinds of flash stuff like split
fins -
> decide if you really need them.

I love it. That's two independent votes for Quatros. For what it's worth,
I use full foot (slipper) Quatro Power fins when I think I'll need the
power. I don't recommend them for everybody for a couple of reasons.
First, they require some power to be effective. Not everybody can or wants
to apply that much effort. Second, they're absolutely awful for snorkling.
Mares makes fins that are more suitable to the less robust that work well
for diving and snorlkling. Either the Plana Avanti (which my wife uses) or
the TRE fins that I use are good choices. The Avanti fins have two
channels, the TRE fins have three. I can't tell the difference in actual
performance.

Lee

> I love it. That's two independent votes for Quatros.

For this sort of diving, make it three.

I.

"Richard Faulkner" <richard@estate.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:BaV$1OcJYCGAFwr9@estate.demon.co.uk...
> Hi,
>
> My other half has just started the NAUI open water course. She is doing
> the pool and theory in England, (Burnage), and is off to Dreams Beach
> resort at Sharm el Sheikh in March when she will hopefully be able to do
> the dives to complete the course.
>
> I've got several questions, and hope someone can help:
>
> 1) It's her birthday next week and, after the first theory lesson, she
> has come back talking about things like computers, regulators, BCD's,
> Masks, Snorkels, Flippers, and so on.
>
> I am toying with getting her a computer, and am leaning towards the
> Suunto Geeko, but as I dont know anything about anything, has anybody
> got a suggestion for either a different computer, or something else
> which it is sensible for a new diver to own, rather than hire. e.g., as
> a skier, it is good to own your own boots, but the rest of it can be
> hired without too much concern.
>
> The question is really, What should I get her for her birthday?
>
> 2) Given that she will have a NAUI referral certificate, will there be
> any difficulty in getting the PADI school at Dreams Beach Resort to
> accept her for the open water dives, and give her a certificate at the
> end of the dives - Would it be a PADI, or an NAUI??
>
> 3) Is the Dreams Beach Resort PADI school as good as any, or will she
> get better service/have a better time, with a different school?
>
> Many Thanks
>
> --
> Richard Faulkner

Hi

Just to let you know a PADI instructor can accept a referral from ANY
training agency. All the instructor has to do is complete the necessary 3
PADI forms and assess the student diver skills in confined water prior to
making the four open water dives. The skill assessment must include:- No
mask swim, Air Depletion Exercise and the combined Air depletion with
Alternate air source use. The certification issued would be a PADI one.

Also the instructor needs to ensure they can swim 200 metres and tread water
for 10 minutes but if this is documented on the referral paperwork she will
not have to redo it.

It shouldn't cost you any extra being Naui as they would have to complete
exactly the same reassessment for a PADI referral.

This is all outlined in the PADI Members area on their website so if you
have any trouble refer them there.

Janine
FISHinthecity

In article <JFdNyQnonDGAFwbV@estate.demon.co.uk>,
Richard Faulkner <richard@estate.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>In message <40183021$0$4102$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk>, Keith Lawrence
><false@nospam.com> writes
>>"Richard Faulkner" <richard@estate.demon.co.uk> wrote ...
>>
>>> My other half has just started the NAUI open water course...
>>> and is off to Dreams Beach resort at Sharm el Sheikh in
>>> March when she will hopefully be able to do the dives to
>>> complete the course.
>>
>>See below - you may have problems here!
>
>Thanks for the reply Keith.
>
>Janet has a mind of her own, (which is no bad thing <g>), and went and
>booked with the NAUI school off her own bat.
>
>The last thing I want is for her to get to Sharm and find she has
>difficulty doing what she wants, so I'm trying to pre-empt the problem
>and help deal with it.
>
>Is there anything to look for specifically in mask, fins and snorkel?
>Any brands standout from the rest?

Mask: A mask is just as personal as shoes are. It just has to fit.
Dive shops are used to doing this "adaption" to new divers. I also
recommend something that has a low internal volume, as this makes it
easier to clear. There are different perferences to black/transparent
silicone, one/two glasses; this is for individual preferences. But
avoid all fancy purge-valves and check the fit once more.
Most masks sell with a silicone strap. This is OK for initial use,
but can take a lot of improvement from a more solid strap. This
is especially a tip for people with long hair, as the silicone straps
have a tendency to trap hair.

Fins: Go for a "half-foot" fin and socks. Full-foot fins are a lot more
comfortable for the first blue-water dive, but then the blisters start.
It you want do do more than a dive/snorkel sesion a day there is no
question of using flippers. Go for the real thing.
There are lots of variety in fins, and the budget can go from GBP 10
to GBP 600 (yep). The Force Fins have a strong following from inexperienced
divers because they seem to work even if you haven't built the muscles
and technique to use larger fins without cramping. I wouldn't go near
them though. They are needlessly expensive, have a tendency to silt out
every dive place (they send all the water straight down into the mud/sand),
and you just cannot get real kicks with them.

Jet fins is my preference, but I understand beginners who think they
are to heavy and expensive. Lots of the cheaper fins are very good.
Again, avoid the fancy gimmics; if you want to spend money, go for
Jetfins or Turtlefins. For the cheaper fins the important part is that
they must not be so stiff they she gets cramps from them. This is
individual. Also do not buy too small a foot pocket. Try on the next size
up even if you think the current one fits.

For a snorkel, it is about simplicity. The snorkel you want for diving
is quite different from the one you want for snorkelling. The diving
one is just a tube, pretty short and wide, and no fancy stuff. A good
attachment for the mask (and preferrably a non-silicone strap too)
is important so it doesn't chafe at the side of the face.
This snorkel is for the roughish surface swims to and from the dive site,
and initial looks down into the water.

A snorkelling snorkel can benefit from purge valves, somewhat longer
length and more flexibility. But for diving it is not just wasted,
it may actually be detrimental.

-- mrr

Everyone is giving good advice about equipment etc.

What often gets overlooked when feeling the bite of the scuba bug, is the
culture that goes with and the fashion accessories. Its fairly standard
that on any dive trip on has to be equipped with the coolest T-shirt,
Hoodie, fleece Baseball hat etc - these seem to be styled along the lines of
snowboarding wear.

Dunno you know your wife better than I do, if she's fashion concious then
this might be a good idea. Suggest you look @
http://www.divernet.com/fashion/divewear.shtml
for the latest labels. Mrs Splosh and I have a several garments and all
seem to be built from quality cloth and so far have good durabilty.

OBTW if shes intending on diving in the UK then a good quality Ski jacket is
essential, along with Thermal Underwear.

Alex

Actually I disagree (sort of).

I own a pair of Quattros and a pair of ordinary (2 scoop) Avanti's.
Dispite regular attempts at getting "into" the Quattros I still dive my
Avanti's. So it all comes down to your fin stroke.

That's one reason I tell students to save there dosh and buy Avanti 3's.
You can pick them up at the show for £35 and they will work well
no matter what sort of stroke you have.

Just find Quattros to flexible for me.

So IMO go Mares, but look at BOTH the Quattros & Avanti 3.

TerryH.