Sitting a different kind of certification exam this week...

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So finally, after 2 years splashing around snorkeling, wishing I was 'down there'; this Thursday I am finally going to sit my PADI Open Water certification exam. On the Saturday I will be doing the Open Water work in a swimming pool and then doing a couple of ocean dives to finish the certification.

I recall there was a thread about diving on here, though am wondering just how many folk here are PADI certified? A good friend of mine is a dive master here on the island so am getting a 1 on 1 course, pleased with that as I'll be able to learn it all better and at my own pace.

Can't wait to get started, the book and DVD look a bit dry though...

 

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Good luck with the PADI exam mate, I am not qualified though i have scuba dived a few times on the Great Barrier Reef. So I know what magic is under the water

 

delorean Good luck with the exam. Let us know how it goes. That is something I would really love to do but I can't stand anything on my face like that. Now you need to get a underwater camera and take pictures for us!

 

I think Pheonix is the guy you need to speak to...

 

Yep, I believe he's the main man on these forums when it comes to all things PADI! Thanks for the good karma everyone, am actually watching the DVD's this afternoon. Just finished the first one, lots to take in but all really common sense stuff.

I have everything booked now, the exam is ready for Thursday. With that done we're doing confined dives on Saturday then on Sunday I get to go out in open water for two dives! So by this time next week I should be PADI:OW certified!

I'm also looking to do the advanced OW course in November as a lot of my friends that scuba already say the night diving scene here is awesome. The Cayman Islands is one of the few places in the world where you can experience bio-luminescence. I've only seen it while snorkeling, it's amazing!

Back to the DVD and starting to read the book, joy!

 

Thanks Mitz! I am actually looking in to buying a new camera soon, just a point and shoot one for underwater so will take loads of photos when I get one! I like DSLR's though, been super keen to get in to photography properly for a while now. Maybe I'll treat myself to a DSLR at Christmas for my 30th. ;)

 

Good luck mate. What kind of price are you looking at to get your PADI cert?

 

Usual rate here is between CI$200 and CI$250 (about US$220-US$280). Caymanian's and Ex-pats get a residents rate though so it's a little cheaper. I'm doing mine with a friend who's a diving instructor though so it's more a 'mates rate' for my course.

 

Good luck mate, I'm about to do my start my IANTD Trimix journey and then on to CCR stuff after that, (Closed Circuit Rebreather) no bubbles!

Its probably about 10k of training, and 10 - 15k of gear though, a long road to go!

Advanced Rec Trimix takes me down to 160 though with mixed gas and decompression, should be fun, especially in an Idaho winter (McCall this weekend was about 37f degrees at 150'), so about 3c at 50m

Good luck on the OW, be dubious of JUST doing to AOW though, you get an experience dive, but not the full night dive cert, look into doing that too if you want to really get in to it, its a fair bit more detailed, and if you really enjoy what your doing, do everyone a favor and take the Rescue class, i consider it pretty mandatory for anyone who dives regularly, and where you are, I can't imagine why you wouldnt! ;)

 

I'm a PADI Rescue Diver, and I've been a swim test away from getting Divemaster for years now. I really need to knock it out... it's not difficult, but I just can't find the time to drive an hour away to the dive shop where I took the classes.

We did a night dive for our AOW. It was an absolutely different experience.

I agree wholeheartedly with the Rescue assessment. About two weeks after we took the Rescue class, my Rescue instructor and the guy who went through the class with me found a motionless guy underwater. They brought him up and performed CPR, but the guy had already died, likely of a heart attack. Just goes to prove - you should never, ever, EVER dive without a buddy.

 

Yep I am likely going to do the Rescue course. I hear it's intensive but worth doing of course. I'll leave that though until I get AOW and a few more dives in my log book first though.

Good luck with the nitrox and rebreather courses! If you get those done you should definitely head out to Grand Cayman to dive, we have amazing drop offs and trenches out here you'd love.

Heck even snorkeling out here is an adventure!

 

I'm already advanced nitrox
can dive upto 100% O2 if I wanted to err, not go very deep (100% o2 is toxic past 20ft/6m)

Trimix adds helium to remove that problem


Good luck mate, sure it wont take you long to get dives under your belt, hell i've done 40 in two months in a land locked state!

 

You can do nitrox dives here though not sure how much a tank or two is. I'm still ploughing through the book.

OH MY GOD IT'S SO DRY (excuse pun).

The DVD's were ok, but the book is almost word for word what the DVD is. It's so utterly terminal but alas necessary.

I confess to having skipped bits and pieces (am up to section 3 now and just called it a night so I can go play Scribblenauts on my DS in bed til I pass out only to awake around 6am with a) my dog jumping on our bed to wake us up and b) the sounds of the absolutely addictive theme music to Scribblenauts ringing in my ears from leaving my earphones on while passed out!). The reason being due to repetition. I've completed the first 2 knowledge reviews, done all the quizzes with no issues so should be able to knock out sections 3, 4 and 5 tomorrow ready for the exam on Thursday night.

It's just soooooooo utterly terminal though. Almost as bad as the 'comedy man' on the PADI:OW DVD's.

 

Yeah some of the PADI material is pretty dry
some of it has not been updated for yonks because it hasn't needed to be

the Divemaster course has only had minor updates in 10 years, its due for a big overhaul though
and most the videos on DVD are the exact same ones that they were showing on VHS 5 years ago

the detail in the material is pretty good though, lots to take in, just wish they could do it in a better more dressed up way

 

Finally finished the book tonight. Sitting the exam tomorrow night (Thursday) after work. ULP!

It's been a while since I read a text so tedious and repetitive though. Thank Christ I'm finally rid of 'comedy man' on those Godforsaken Open Water DVD's though. OH THE HUMANITY!!!!!

Anywho, with my study done it's reward time. Scribblenauts here I come!!!!!

 

Del, I've got my fingers crossed for you today hun. Good Luck!

 

YAY! I passed! I got 41 out of 50. The ones I messed up on were mainly RDP multi-dive ones. I think I rushed it and missed where I was supposed to be on the RDP.

A couple of others were questions where it could have been one of two answers and I went for the wrong one.

I knew what I done wrong so with explanations and having scored about the pass mark, I passed the exam!!!

Got a full weekend of diving ahead now! Saturday I do pool work plus one ocean dive. Sunday I have some light pool work then TWO ocean dives! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

So excited to get going now the dull stuff is out the way. Bring it on!

 

Oh and p.s: Time for more Scribblenauts! Think I might try scuba diving in the paradise levels tonight!

Maybe some scuba diving with Rick Astley? (yes he really IS in the game. Google it).