AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye first time diver

I have a question about diving. I don't have diving certification but I have heard that you can go for a day trip without having any prior experience, as long as you go with a guide. Is this true? If so, what company would I look into going with to make it as easy and as safe as possible? I will be on AC in May and although I have had a couple of pool training sessions, my friend has never even seen the equipment. Any information would be extremely helpful.

I recommend you take the pool and book part of the classes before you go, then finish up the class in San Pedro.

about the quickie classes you mention, there are 'resort' courses available, check the folks linked from: //AmbergrisCaye.com/diving/

several of the dive shops offer this. I say might as well just get certified.

YOU CAN TAKE CLASSES AT RAMON'S VILLAGE WITH NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE. I THINK ITS ABOUT 150 DOLLARS. YOU HAVE TO WATCH 2 VIDEOS, TAKE A PRACTICE DIVE NEAR THE PIER THEN YOU GET TWO DIVES, TO REALLY NICE PLACES. ADDITIONAL DIVES CAN BE PURCHASED ($65) FOR 2 I THINK.

Diving is a serious sport. You can die or be seriously injured. It is worth your life to get proper training. Therefore, my recommendation would be to take all of the inclass and pool training at home. Study hard, work hard, absorb the materials and skills, then take your open water in San Pedro. Select your instructors carefully, both at home and in San Pedro.

I would have to agree with seashell. While resort dives can be great, they can also be dangerous. Looking back on mine (many dives ago) it's a wonder I survived it. Also when you look at the cost of the resort dive you might as well put it towards getting certified, you will enjoy yourself more when trained and confident. Enjoy!! John

Chels

Dive operations have programs that are very inexpensive for non-divers. They are introductory programs usually sponsored by PADI etc. They are one-on-one dives with an instructor. No one should take a non-certified diver below say 35 feet. There's no reason to since the best colors are less than 35 feet. Belieze has more than seven days worth of diving available less than 40 feet deep.

I'm certified and will spend most of my time at the reef and very relaxed at that.

Scubabob

I took a resort course in AC from Ramon's and had a pretty bad experience. It wasn't worth it. Go for a slower course at home.

just to give a flip side to this, the snorkeling on AC is wonderful. my husband dives (REAL certification), i do not. i was very satisfied snorkeling and saw tons of stuff. honest. listen to these folks, it is a serious business. many fine divers i know have had minor problems, that experience alone got them out of. think about it. see my snorkeling photos at
//ambergriscaye.com/jane

i would also do the classroom/pool stuff up north and qualify in SP. I requalified (after 10 years) in SP with PADI (first was NAUI) and was very thankful i did - things had changed (equipment, mainly) in the 10 years, and i had not done a lot of diving.

Even though you're 'qualified' though, things can happen. In my original qual dive (at Fathom Five Provincial Park in Ontario, on the May 24 weekend) my regulator and mouthpiece decided to part company at 30 feet while i was waiting for my buddy to go through his test. He came back over to me and flashed the OK sign and i replied with 'NO AIR' - the look on his face was pretty funny, and he told me that it was one of the strangest things he'd ever seen - there i was at 30 feet with no regulator - he thought i was fooling around! All went well after that, though. initially, i thought it was so cold (we were kicking ice out of the way on the edge of the water) that my mouth wasn't working - i just though there was a bad seal between my mouth/lips and the mouthpiece. It was only when i felt the regulator fall down to my side that i realized what had happened. yes, i did save the mouthpiece!)

cheers
sandy

Thanks everyone, I am going to look into courses here in Canada. If I don't get the time to complete any, I will just stick to snorkelling.