scuba diving - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Phanuthier · 10-19-2011, 11:54 AM

Anyone here dive? I recently got my PADI open water certification, and they have this diving insurance thing for $35.... I'm wondering, for anyone else here that dives, do they buy divers insurance? See it as unnecessary?

I am looking to do a few dives here and there the next year (shore and boat)... but I am probably going to just go with a guide to get oriented since I plan on going to a few new places.

MoneyGuy · 10-19-2011, 08:48 PM

I've been diving for years and don't have insurance. I expect Slava to lecture me.

It's probably a good idea. There is a great scuba forum. Post your question there for responses from very experienced divers. It's your best source of info. Not sure if I can post the link here but you can PM me.

Yasa · 10-19-2011, 08:49 PM

How much does it cost total to get certified, and is it worth it? I went once when I was younger, and again during school. I really enjoyed it, but living in a landlocked city I never thought much about becoming certified.

CofR · 10-19-2011, 08:51 PM

I got certified while on vacation in Jamaica three years ago and absolutely loved it, but I unfortunately haven't dove since then.

MacDaddy77 · 10-19-2011, 09:09 PM

I'm a dive master (never employed only certified) and have never carried insurance for my recreational dives. I also never dive anywhere without a guide. Guides know all the "sweet" spots where during certain times of the day you can see certain things.

Plus by taking a guide you don't have to plan your own dives (if your doing it for recreation why bother. I do only because I now am only able to dive once maybe twice a year.

If any divers here get a chance to be in the Borneo area, you ABSOLUTELY have to dive the Sipadan Islands! When I was there in 2001 you could live on the island and it was/is a turtle sanctuary. Absolutly the most stunning dive location I have ever been too.

Diving with Hammer Heads in Layang Layang is supposed to be pretty sweet. I haven't been there yet. (when kids grow up maybe!)

schteve_d · 10-19-2011, 09:18 PM

I've been certified for years and did an awful lot of diving when I lived in Nanaimo. Since I've moved to Fort McMurray, not so much. I do miss it though.

As far as insurance goes it never even occurred to me nor did I ever hear it mentioned from any of a large number of people that I went diving with and took numerous courses with.

drewboy12 · 10-19-2011, 11:25 PM

I am going to be living in Turks and Caicos in January for three months... Will be diving on a daily basis. My friends work for the largest dive company there, and its free free free! Yay me. haha

Sr. Mints · 10-19-2011, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drewboy12

I am going to be living in Turks and Caicos in January for three months... Will be diving on a daily basis. My friends work for the largest dive company there, and its free free free! Yay me. haha

Take me with you?

Phanuthier · 10-20-2011, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

I'm a dive master (never employed only certified) and have never carried insurance for my recreational dives. I also never dive anywhere without a guide. Guides know all the "sweet" spots where during certain times of the day you can see certain things.

Plus by taking a guide you don't have to plan your own dives (if your doing it for recreation why bother. I do only because I now am only able to dive once maybe twice a year.
)

Yeah, I plan on getting a guide for all the dives I plan on doing. I got my certification in Monterey California... I'm going to Thailand over Christmas to dive in the Similian Islands (or however you spell it, near Krabi).

I find when you talk to divers, just like people who are passionate about any sport, they tell you that you will dive a ton so it will be worth it, etc etc. However, I don't plan on being a big time diver, moreso just looking to do it here and there, recreationally, whenever I go to a place that has good diving.... all these costs for various activities are starting to add up, so I don't really want a another unnecessary yearly fee.

MacDaddy77 · 10-20-2011, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drewboy12

I am going to be living in Turks and Caicos in January for three months... Will be diving on a daily basis. My friends work for the largest dive company there, and its free free free! Yay me. haha

We're going there for Christmas. Send me a pm with the company. Haven't decided who were diving with yet. Might as well be them!

MacDaddy77 · 10-20-2011, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Yeah, I plan on getting a guide for all the dives I plan on doing. I got my certification in Monterey California... I'm going to Thailand over Christmas to dive in the Similian Islands (or however you spell it, near Krabi).

I find when you talk to divers, just like people who are passionate about any sport, they tell you that you will dive a ton so it will be worth it, etc etc. However, I don't plan on being a big time diver, moreso just looking to do it here and there, recreationally, whenever I go to a place that has good diving.... all these costs for various activities are starting to add up, so I don't really want a another unnecessary yearly fee.

Ya I hear you. I lived in Australia for a year and traveled around SE Asia for 6 months after. Otherwise I'd probably ony have a dozen dives or so. Vancouver has some really great diving as well I'd recommend getting a dry suit certification however

MacDaddy77 · 10-20-2011, 07:52 AM

One other thing. I would definitely definitely suggest you buy yourself a good mask and your own snorkel. The quality of equipment at alot of these resort dive shops is not very good

Phanuthier · 10-20-2011, 03:28 PM

I actually own my own mask/snorkel, and fins... I've been contemplating buying a computer. Other considerations were a regulator and travel BCD, but it seems like if I'm going to be renting the tanks, weights and necessary wetsuite, the price isn't that much more ($5-10) for the whole package.. and regulators have to be serviced every year.

So... if I buy anything else, it will probably just be the dive computer. What are your thoughts on that?

MacDaddy77 · 10-20-2011, 05:32 PM

It really depends on how much you are planing on diving and how much money you want to spend.

It's a personal choice. unless your going to be diving alot and planning your own surface intervals and depth times.

If your going to hire a guide everytime you go you may find it an unecesary expense to start (although its a good exercise to practice doing your own interval and depth calculations each time to keep it fresh in your head.

I'm personally saving to buy this!!

http://www.suunto.com/gb/en/products...-d9tx-titanium

drewboy12 · 10-20-2011, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sr. Mints

Take me with you?

If your an extremely hot female, sure... But I am going out on a limb and guessing you are not!

drewboy12 · 10-20-2011, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

We're going there for Christmas. Send me a pm with the company. Haven't decided who were diving with yet. Might as well be them!

pm'd

flylock shox · 10-20-2011, 07:23 PM

I wish more people took the time to go scuba diving. I really think it would change the way a lot of people view nature and our place in it (and what we're doing to it).

There's not much diving in Alberta that's for sure, but if you've got 4 days to spare in a tropical locale, you won't regret spending them getting your Open Water. I know a lot of folks head down to Mexico in the winter. If you do, and you've got your certification, don't miss out on diving the cenotes of the Mayan Riviera. Amazing.

MacDaddy77 · 10-20-2011, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flylock shox

I wish more people took the time to go scuba diving. I really think it would change the way a lot of people view nature and our place in it (and what we're doing to it).

There's not much diving in Alberta that's for sure, but if you've got 4 days to spare in a tropical locale, you won't regret spending them getting your Open Water. I know a lot of folks head down to Mexico in the winter. If you do, and you've got your certification, don't miss out on diving the cenotes of the Mayan Riviera. Amazing.

It's hard to say what I thought of the Cenotes. I am more of a naturalist diver so I enjoy seeing coral and Fish and other marine life. While it was a pretty neat experience (kinda freaky) I definitely would suggest people try it. The Thermolcline was pretty cool but on a whole I would say my cenote experience was Meh.

Also, if people are diving I would definitely **NOT recomend MANTA Divers, I thought their services and equipment to be horrendous. We had 5 dives booked with them and cancelled after the 1st one.

** This was 2 years ago so if someone here has a better experience since then with this company I'd be interested in hearing what they thought

simmer2 · 10-20-2011, 11:22 PM

Didn't even know there was SCUBA insurance...pretty pointless if you ask me. As long as you understand dive tables and basic instructions there is no reason why you should need it.

Welcome to the underwater world...it's absolutely amazing. Just a few small pieces of advice:

-Don't swim around too fast like you need to see everything, enjoy what's nearby
-The small things are just as fascinating as the large large things
-Peeing in the wetsuit is completely acceptable....

Beefcake · 10-21-2011, 12:45 AM

Much like any kind of insurance, it's a very personal decision to make. That said, those people who have suggested that it is pointless, would likely feel differently if they ever had to pay out of their own pockets to spend a couple of days in a hyperbaric chamber.

It's also a poor decision to make if you just rely on your divemaster or course instructor to ensure that you are not exceeding your no-deco limits. On a wreck diving course I took off of the sunshine coast a couple of years back, the instructor we had told us to enter the ship and begin our exercise, at the same time that my watch, as well as my buddy's watch, were beeping at us to tell us that we were at our NDL (it was a deep dive, and it took us a while to descend and prep for entry). Usually the guides on trips are great, but ultimately, you're responsible for yourself.

For myself, if i'm going to be travelling and doing 2-4 relatively shallow dives (i.e. 30 - 90 feet) over the course of a week, i'd probably skip on the insurance. When I went ton Bonaire last year with the intention of diving 3-5 times/day for 9 days, I didn't think twice about getting it.

And lastly, a dive computer is a fantastic purchase. You don't need a high end, air-integrated, multi-gas mixture capable watch. Even the most basic watches today will track your dives (including surface intervals) and let you know how much longer (air consumption dependent) that you can safely stay under water at your then current depth. I can't imagine diving without one.